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uncle_remus's review
3.0
I did not like this one as much as the previous ones. More than half of the book is set in LA. About 40 pages describes a hitman taking his target; both of which is uncharacteristic of this series.
What makes this book a downer is the depressing state of the Navajo nation as exposee'd in this book. On one hand the Navajo nations faces a slow attrition of cultural mores due to competition with the enormous backdrop of "The American Way" -such as Navajos directly moving off the reservation to fall prey to the 'easy way' of commericalism, captialism and moving to the cities where you don't have to live in poverty. On the other hand, fewer Navajos on the reservation means fewer people and gradually aging population of Navajos to understand and learn the traditional ways, as illustrated by the ever-shrinking list of people capable of executing 'sings'... not to mention the total loss of more obscure 'sings'. In short, stand by your morality but live in poverty, or live in physical comfort but lose your roots and your mental comfort.
Another book solely with Jim Chee.
What makes this book a downer is the depressing state of the Navajo nation as exposee'd in this book. On one hand the Navajo nations faces a slow attrition of cultural mores due to competition with the enormous backdrop of "The American Way" -such as Navajos directly moving off the reservation to fall prey to the 'easy way' of commericalism, captialism and moving to the cities where you don't have to live in poverty. On the other hand, fewer Navajos on the reservation means fewer people and gradually aging population of Navajos to understand and learn the traditional ways, as illustrated by the ever-shrinking list of people capable of executing 'sings'... not to mention the total loss of more obscure 'sings'. In short, stand by your morality but live in poverty, or live in physical comfort but lose your roots and your mental comfort.
Another book solely with Jim Chee.
holley97's review
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
northerly_heart_reads's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
3.75
meganpbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The Ghostway expands on Jim Chee and his background, how he's torn between staying a member of the Navajo Tribal Police and joining the FBI, how he's torn between what his white girlfriend (who wasn't mentioned in book 5) wants and what he wants.
As usual, a person is killed at the beginning of the story, setting off the story, which involves a trip to LA, a man in witness protection, irregularities in how a death was handled, and a hired killer. As usual, there are loose ends left at the end of the story, especially what happens next in the criminal organization behind everything in LA. How do the events in New Mexico influence the case and trial in LA> Does Chee learn the Ghostway Ceremony?
As usual, a person is killed at the beginning of the story, setting off the story, which involves a trip to LA, a man in witness protection, irregularities in how a death was handled, and a hired killer. As usual, there are loose ends left at the end of the story, especially what happens next in the criminal organization behind everything in LA. How do the events in New Mexico influence the case and trial in LA> Does Chee learn the Ghostway Ceremony?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent and Vomit
tome15's review
5.0
Hillerman, Tony. The Ghostway. Leaphorn and Chee No. 6. Harper, 1984.
When a traditional Navaho dies in his house, it is abandoned, and a hole is cut in the north wall so that his ghost may escape. Anyone entering a Hogan where a death has occurred risks suffering a sickness; he will need to undergo a curing ceremony called the ghostway. Jim Chee’s work for the Navaho police puts him at high risk for ghost sickness. Here, Chee investigates murder and a missing persons case in a chase that takes him from the Reservation to the mean streets of LA. It is another excellent novel by a master of the genre. Most mystery novels one one-time reads, but Hillerman’s work stands up under multiple rereadings.
When a traditional Navaho dies in his house, it is abandoned, and a hole is cut in the north wall so that his ghost may escape. Anyone entering a Hogan where a death has occurred risks suffering a sickness; he will need to undergo a curing ceremony called the ghostway. Jim Chee’s work for the Navaho police puts him at high risk for ghost sickness. Here, Chee investigates murder and a missing persons case in a chase that takes him from the Reservation to the mean streets of LA. It is another excellent novel by a master of the genre. Most mystery novels one one-time reads, but Hillerman’s work stands up under multiple rereadings.
maud_gone's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
bjerz's review
5.0
Reading a Hillerman novel about Jim Chee is like having a long conversation with someone who very clearly and patiently explains his amazingly simple yet all-encompassing world view. Delightful, broadening, humbling.
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