A review by acarman1
Talking God by Tony Hillerman

5.0

The novels of Tony Hillerman are wonderful reads for people who love mysteries and people interested in American Indian lore and traditions. It shows the trials of these indigenous communities as they face pressure from within and without. In this one, the discovery of a body on the Navajo reservation draws two Navajo Tribal Policemen to the nation's capital where they discover how the body intersects with a hired killer, a native activist and a group of South American terrorists trying to use a Smithsonian exhibit on Talking God (a Navajo deity) to make a deadly political point. Along the way, the policemen use their understanding of people and the world gleaned from their membership in the Navajo to put the pieces together and foil the plot. While the overall tone of the novel is positive, there is plenty of opportunity to critique the dominant culture of the United States.