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eaglegirl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
3.5***
From the dust jacket: When Lt. Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police discovers a corpse with a mouth full of sand at a crime scene seemingly without tracks or clues, he is ready to suspect a supernatural killer. Blood on the rocks … a body on the high mesa … Leaphorn must stalk the Wolf-Witch along a chilling trail between mysticism and murder.
This is the first in the series featuring Leaphorn. Hillerman weaves in considerable Navajo lore in this very real story of murder and mayhem. The point of view switches among the characters (although not the bad guy) so we are treated to the victim, innocent bystanders, and Leaphorn each observing parts of the puzzle without clear indications as to how the pieces fit together. Oh, we do discover who the Wolf-Witch is pretty quickly, but not WHY he behaves as he does. Hillerman leaves it up to Leaphorn to explain it all in the end.
I love Lt Joe Leaphorn. He is methodical, steady, unflappable, intelligent, pensive, courteous, a keen observer, skilled tracker and ever willing to listen. It’s this last quality that makes him such a good detective. He hears the clues in both what is said and how it is said, and even in what is NOT said.
I thought the dust jacket blurb was misleading; Leaphorn never actually suspects supernatural elements. He is all too aware that most such evil acts are perpetrated by very human killers. But he is certainly intrigued and puzzled by the appearance of the Witch, and the beliefs of the tribal people who have been terrorized (or just “bothered”) by him. In many ways this makes me think of the stories my grandparents or great aunts would tell … full of ghosts and spirits, yet also imparting valuable lessons on how to conduct oneself “the right way.” It’s a wonderful blend of the mystical with the realities of life. I’ll definitely continue reading the series.
From the dust jacket: When Lt. Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police discovers a corpse with a mouth full of sand at a crime scene seemingly without tracks or clues, he is ready to suspect a supernatural killer. Blood on the rocks … a body on the high mesa … Leaphorn must stalk the Wolf-Witch along a chilling trail between mysticism and murder.
This is the first in the series featuring Leaphorn. Hillerman weaves in considerable Navajo lore in this very real story of murder and mayhem. The point of view switches among the characters (although not the bad guy) so we are treated to the victim, innocent bystanders, and Leaphorn each observing parts of the puzzle without clear indications as to how the pieces fit together. Oh, we do discover who the Wolf-Witch is pretty quickly, but not WHY he behaves as he does. Hillerman leaves it up to Leaphorn to explain it all in the end.
I love Lt Joe Leaphorn. He is methodical, steady, unflappable, intelligent, pensive, courteous, a keen observer, skilled tracker and ever willing to listen. It’s this last quality that makes him such a good detective. He hears the clues in both what is said and how it is said, and even in what is NOT said.
I thought the dust jacket blurb was misleading; Leaphorn never actually suspects supernatural elements. He is all too aware that most such evil acts are perpetrated by very human killers. But he is certainly intrigued and puzzled by the appearance of the Witch, and the beliefs of the tribal people who have been terrorized (or just “bothered”) by him. In many ways this makes me think of the stories my grandparents or great aunts would tell … full of ghosts and spirits, yet also imparting valuable lessons on how to conduct oneself “the right way.” It’s a wonderful blend of the mystical with the realities of life. I’ll definitely continue reading the series.
kaallen's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
matruck's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
perfectpinkypie's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
badseedgirl's review against another edition
3.0
I was drawn to this book series because I enjoyed the TV series "Dark Winds" based on this series. This was the authors first book and you can tell that they were still trying to find their way. Looking forward to following their growth as an author.
bearprof's review against another edition
4.0
Not exactly what I was expecting, but looking forward to the next one. (When do we meet Chee? What happens to McKee?)
debbie13410's review
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was written in 1970 before the tech we have in 2020s. I really didn't notice that no one had cell phones or computers until half way through the book. I liked that there was no tech. I also enjoyed learning about Native American beliefs. The 3 stars is due to I didn't know who was solving the crime. It starts off with the Native American Sheriff looking into it then we are lost in the desert where some white professor solves the crime.
cabbage_patch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0