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voxlunae's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
uncle_remus's review against another edition
4.0
Leaphorn finally meets Chee. One thing I enjoy about this series is the pacing. Some stories are like reverse roller coasters with peaks and valleys, slowly up and down until the final peak and the end of the book. Others are a fast-paced, downhill racing at breakneck speed, adrenaline-pumped action story with no moment to breathe (those tend to get tedious and you are unable to enjoy the moment and the story). Sometimes you got to stop and smell the wildflowers. These are more leisurely paced, and more brainy than action, and more culture-oriented than forensics. I love the nuances of the integration of traditional beliefs in a modern SW society.
northerly_heart_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
hopegirl0727's review against another edition
3.0
My mother had been telling me to give Tony Hillerman a chance for years, and I'm glad I did. I enjoyed this little book, for the most part. It's engaging in an older style, with a plot that progresses in its own time and doesn't really hurry, but is interesting enough that you don't feel the need to rush through it.
This is the first pairing of Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee. A series of seemingly unconnected murders (plus the attempted murder of Chee) bring these two policemen together to investigate and see if they can find a connection. The story incorporates a lot of the rich culture of the Navajo people and deals mostly with the idea of witches and skinwalkers. Not the most exciting novel I've read that utilized the concept of skinwalkers (which, in my mind, are absolutely terrifying, especially since I live out near the Navajo reservation and these stories seem so much more real out here), but it was effective. If you do want to read the best novel I've read up to this point that deals with skinwalkers, I would completely recommend Thunderhead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Let me just say that it was the wrong book to read alone in the early watches of the morning. Yikes!
The only thing that I sort of felt prickly about was actually some of the descriptions of the Navajo culture, because often it felt unnecessary or out of place. Like, "look how culturally aware and sensitive I am, that I'm mentioning this fact about this group of people". Granted, I am reasonably sure this book was published long before the current stampede of political correctness and I found most of the facts interesting, even if I did already know most of them, but there were times when I felt Hillerman's white man syndrome bleeding through.
All in all, I enjoyed it and am in the middle of another.
This is the first pairing of Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee. A series of seemingly unconnected murders (plus the attempted murder of Chee) bring these two policemen together to investigate and see if they can find a connection. The story incorporates a lot of the rich culture of the Navajo people and deals mostly with the idea of witches and skinwalkers. Not the most exciting novel I've read that utilized the concept of skinwalkers (which, in my mind, are absolutely terrifying, especially since I live out near the Navajo reservation and these stories seem so much more real out here), but it was effective. If you do want to read the best novel I've read up to this point that deals with skinwalkers, I would completely recommend Thunderhead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Let me just say that it was the wrong book to read alone in the early watches of the morning. Yikes!
The only thing that I sort of felt prickly about was actually some of the descriptions of the Navajo culture, because often it felt unnecessary or out of place. Like, "look how culturally aware and sensitive I am, that I'm mentioning this fact about this group of people". Granted, I am reasonably sure this book was published long before the current stampede of political correctness and I found most of the facts interesting, even if I did already know most of them, but there were times when I felt Hillerman's white man syndrome bleeding through.
All in all, I enjoyed it and am in the middle of another.
meganpbennett's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Skinwalkers is the first book with both Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, and it's a little odd, that combination, with two very different policemen and their very different approach to solving murders.
The book opens with Chee surviving being shot at. At about three in the morning. Woken by the cat he doesn't really want to keep, Chee gets up and isn't lying in bed when the shooting starts. Leaphorn thinks Chee doesn't take enough precautions as the book progresses (and he's right), though Chee is the one who starts to figure out what's going on.
Like the other Hillerman books, this one has many things that all end up coming together at the end: it's all connected, no matter how much it looks like it isn't. Unlike other Hillerman books, the reason for the murders is explained, allowing the reader to learn what Leaphorn and Chee learned a few chapters earlier. Very helpful.
The book opens with Chee surviving being shot at. At about three in the morning. Woken by the cat he doesn't really want to keep, Chee gets up and isn't lying in bed when the shooting starts. Leaphorn thinks Chee doesn't take enough precautions as the book progresses (and he's right), though Chee is the one who starts to figure out what's going on.
Like the other Hillerman books, this one has many things that all end up coming together at the end: it's all connected, no matter how much it looks like it isn't. Unlike other Hillerman books, the reason for the murders is explained, allowing the reader to learn what Leaphorn and Chee learned a few chapters earlier. Very helpful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Dementia
Moderate: Child death
crystalisreading's review against another edition
3.0
this book wasn't the most enjoyable murder mystery I've ever read, but learning about the Navajo culture was fascinating. Sometimes it was off-putting how much the author emphasized "he did this because he is Navajo" or "did it in a Navajo way", etc. I guess it was at least somewhat necessary to depict a culture/ way of life that is so dramatically different from mainstream WASP American culture.
Hillerman definitely did a good job depicting his characters clearly, and made them fairly likable. the murder mystery itself was well-written and kept me guessing until the end. I think I'll read more of his books.
Hillerman definitely did a good job depicting his characters clearly, and made them fairly likable. the murder mystery itself was well-written and kept me guessing until the end. I think I'll read more of his books.
ruthiella's review against another edition
3.0
I was pretty sure I had read this before, but I couldn't be sure. Oh dear. I have turned into my mother! Personally, I find a good mystery has to have more than just a good plot; it has to have engaging characters as well. This much I do remember about Tony Hillerman novels in general: I like Jim Chee and I always enjoy learning about the Navaho culture and life on the reservation (even if I forget it later!).