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thom3320's review
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
amylynn1031's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
staticdisplay's review
4.0
normally I don't read a series in order. I've made a point to read this one as it was meant to be read, which has been a good choice, because there's a thread of character development/longer character arcs that I get to follow. in the background of this story, Chee is considering whether he will leave his position and his family/kin/culture in order to get married. that adds an element of melancholy to a fairly complicated murder mystery, which includes some gang-type car theft, hitmen, the witness protection program, etc. the mystery itself wasn't particularly compelling, but Margaret Billy Sosi was an amazing character and should have her own series...
redroofcolleen's review
3.0
Another enjoyable Hillerman done and dusted! Since I am reading these in the order of availability at my library, it is nice to have a greater understanding of his character and the ways of the Dine with this earlier novel.
judyward's review
4.0
This book, published in 1984, takes readers into Navajo country where Hosteen Joseph Joe, an elderly Navajo man, sees Albert Gorman, a Navajo who lives in Los Angeles, shoot a man in the Wash-O-Mat and then drive away although he also was seriously wounded. Jim Chee, an officer with the Navajo Tribal Police, is asked by the FBI to help find Gorman. Before this case is solved Jim Chee will travel to Los Angeles and, as usual, find himself torn between the traditional culture of the Navajo people and the beckoning white world. Chee is studying to become a yata'ali, or Navajo healer/shaman, but his girlfriend, Mary Landon, is trying to convince him to apply for a job with either the FBI or the Bureau of Indian Affairs and relocate to Washington, D.C. I was particularly interested in the information presented in this book about Navajo culture and religious traditions, especially the rituals involved with preparing a person for death and preparing a body for burial. Hillerman also describes in detail the ritual of the Ghostway, which is a ceremony to cleanse an individual who has come into contact with a malevolent ghost. Tony Hillerman's respect for traditional Navajo culture shines through this book and makes readers eager to learn more about the challenges of reconciling traditional Navajo culture with the intrusions of the modern world.
coreysehr's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
srash's review
4.0
Continue to enjoy the series, though I didn't think this one was quite as great as the other solo Chee novels. It's good and has an interesting mystery that takes Chee to L.A. and has him traipsing after a crafty runaway teenager, but Chee does some dumb things--I saw his mistake coming from a mile away--and he's a lot more fun when he's more clever than that. Granted, he spends most of the book distracted by his relationship with Mary Landon unraveling, but her appeal mystifies me too.
rwaringcrane's review
3.0
As an introduction to Tony HIllerman and the Jim Chee series, this audio book did not disappoint.