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39th out of 405 books
—
247 voters
Sacred Clowns (Navajo Mysteries #11)
During a kachina ceremony at the Tano Pueblo, the antics of a dancing koshare fill the air with tension. Moments later, the clown is found bludgeoned to death, in the same manner a reservation schoolteacher was killed only days before.
Officer Jim Chee and Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn believe that answers lie in the sacred clown's final cryptic message to the Tano people. But to...more
Officer Jim Chee and Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn believe that answers lie in the sacred clown's final cryptic message to the Tano people. But to...more
Paperback, 320 pages
Published
February 4th 2003
by Harper Perennial
(first published April 1st 1992)
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The winter of 2007 is a shaman's curse/a ravenous and cruel apparition/stalking mesas and piñon forests/on the high desert of New Mexico/The wind arises out of the Northwest/bringing pain and hunger/stealing color, warmth, and lives/In the hogan we burn pine and cedar/day and night/melt snow for drinking water/ration the last of the mutton stew and coffee/Stock tanks are frozen solid/Animals die huddled together in ravines/Crystalline etchings on ice and window glass/mock our frailty/with useles...more
This was the first Tony Hillerman book that I read. Since then I have read almost every book that he has written. I really enjoy the characters, plots, and settings that Hillerman has created. His stories revolve around a tribal police officer, Jim Chee, and a detective, Joe Leaphorn. Jim and Joe work together to solve murders, robberies and other mysteries that come up on the Navajo reservation. Hillerman writes primarily about the 4 corners area of the United States and mixes in all kinds of I...more
Sacred Clowns is an interesting, though not great mystery. Its chief strengths lay in Hillerman's ability to weave Navajo culture into a story without being preachy or even overly instructive. It is a decent enough story, but its resolution (especially re: the hit and run driver) left me feeling as if justice and the law, at least as far as one officer was concerned, was not really as important as his personal religious feelings regarding the restoration of harmony, etc.
Now, I've got to do some...more
Now, I've got to do some...more
I've enjoyed getting to know the characters of Jim Chee and Lt. Leaphorn. But the main reason that I'm attracted to these books is the setting...it's quite literally in my backyard. The location of all three books I've read so far cover a huge portion of the Navajo Reservation (or Navajo Nation, as the locals refer to it)...some places I see every day, some places I've already visited, and some I'll check out once the mud dries back into hard soil, making rural roads passable again!
It's also int...more
It's also int...more
Mar 07, 2012
Brianna
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone interested in crime, murder mysteries, Native American culture
In high school I was basically obsessed with Tony Hillerman books. Not really sure why, but I was. I tried to read all of his books in my school's library. The only thing I didn't like what I couldn't really figure out the order of the books, and so I read them out of order.
These books are great. They are from a point of view from a cop who is caught between two words: Navajo and white. He treads back and forth between those lines, trying to find a balance while solving murders.
Tony Hillerman...more
These books are great. They are from a point of view from a cop who is caught between two words: Navajo and white. He treads back and forth between those lines, trying to find a balance while solving murders.
Tony Hillerman...more
As a mystery it is quite good, with some interesting twists, especially at the end. The most interesting part is a glimpse into Navajo culture and world view. At one point the Navajo cop has to make a choice between "doing his duty as a cop" (serving restitution which ends up being punitive in this case) and the Navajo sense of justice (similar to what the Quakers would label "restorative justice".) I also liked the commentary on the old shamans who are rigid about rituals and the younger genera...more
Again, totally reading these out of order. Or should I say, re-reading them, as I read most if not all of them in my early 20s.
More than the mystery in this one, I liked the insight into the cultural view - perhaps more so in this one than in the others, I should say, because all of Hillerman's books are insightful, culturally.
I like a book where the characters are complex, layered; and I like when they have to make a choice between two right things which have varying degrees of "rightness". On...more
More than the mystery in this one, I liked the insight into the cultural view - perhaps more so in this one than in the others, I should say, because all of Hillerman's books are insightful, culturally.
I like a book where the characters are complex, layered; and I like when they have to make a choice between two right things which have varying degrees of "rightness". On...more
Jul 20, 2012
Richard
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone interested in Native Americans and their culture; mystery lovers.
Recommended to Richard by:
I read all his work.
The late Mr. Hillerman really knew how to tell a story. I miss his output.
From his home base in Albuquerque, he takes all these disparate parts, spreads them all over the four corners area and has his characters running all over the place making unlikely links to all the crimes.
Is a joy to watch the Native American police work out the logic and motives behind the murders and theft exactly like Hercule Poirot.
This is the third in a long list of both fiction and non-fiction that award-winning Mr....more
From his home base in Albuquerque, he takes all these disparate parts, spreads them all over the four corners area and has his characters running all over the place making unlikely links to all the crimes.
Is a joy to watch the Native American police work out the logic and motives behind the murders and theft exactly like Hercule Poirot.
This is the third in a long list of both fiction and non-fiction that award-winning Mr....more
I really enjoy the characters, plots, and settings that Hillerman has created. His stories revolve around a tribal police officer, Jim Chee, and a detective, Joe Leaphorn. Jim and Joe work together to solve murders, robberies and other mysteries that come up on the Navajo reservation. Hillerman writes primarily about the 4 corners area of the United States and mixes in all kinds of Indian lore. I have always been partial to the western United States and I enjoy reading good mysteries. Hillerman...more
We listened to an audio book version of this story. As I type this, two days later, it is Tony Hillerman's birthday. I have probably read most of the Leaphorn-Chee books by now, and always enjoy them. It is good to get a feel for the Native American experience, and read descriptions of the scenery. At our age, we may, or may not, get to see this part of the country. This is the beginning of the Louise B section of Joe Leaphorn's life, following the death of his beloved wife. The clowns are chara...more
This is the first Hillerman that I've read, he comes highly recommended by quite a few people. I've had this particular book on my shelf for quite a while and have been putting it off (I'm not sure why). It took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did, I did enjoy it. I was a quick and easy read, and it certainly feels like there are other books in the series relating to the main characters (verified via Wikipedia, there are).
One negative I thought was the introduction of the 'romatic' e...more
One negative I thought was the introduction of the 'romatic' e...more
This is an earlier Hillerman that I somehow missed. Officer Jim Chee has just started to work for Lt. Leaphorn and is tasked to find a hit and run driver, a boy missing from school and two murders. Leaphorn is planning to travel to China with his friend Professor Louisa Bourebonette and Jim is in a quandary over his attraction to Janet Pete, are the connected through the various clans of their parents and therefore considered brother/sister and by custom forbidden to marry. Lots of back and fort...more
This wasn't bad -- I read it to distract myself while being seriously ill, and it worked quite well. The plot seemed flimsier than in other Hillerman books, altho I really liked the cultural elements, especially the focus on Chee (and Janet). Granted I did not read it terribly carefully (at one point my cat knocked the paperback off the bed after I'd read myself to sleep, and when I picked it back up I all unknowingly skipped about forty pages and found myself thinking "I don't remember Hillerma...more
I have really enjoyed this detective series because I am learning so much about Navajos and their religion. This book in particular raised an ethical dilemma about justice without mercy that I thought was a particularly adroit commentary on our current justice system. The detectives are highly likable, the solution is usually unique, and there is no gratuitous violence or sex, which makes these novels relaxing and enjoyable to read.
Officers Chee and Leaphorn track down a murderer/s of a mission teacher on the Navajo Reservation at a Tano Indian Pueblo during a ceremonial dance. One of the things that I like most about Tony Hillerman's books is the patience of his explanations of Native American Indian culture, and the way that facts and clues come together to solve the crime.
Jun 28, 2011
Ellen
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
mystery lovers; readers interested in Navajo culture and spirituality
Another brilliant mystery from Hillerman. As always, the plot is nicely written, the characters are consistent with themselves and their histories, and the reader is quite satisfied with the solution to the mystery at the end. If you are interested in Navajo culture and spirituality, Hillerman's books can educate you in addition to entertaining you. Enjoy!
Have read all of Tony Hillerman books concerning Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn mysteries. I think that says it all. He was a true craftsman in telling a story. Loved the Hopi and Navajo people, which shows in his writing. Having traveled in Arizona and surrounding areas, I was impressed at his ability to describe the area so thoroughly.
I enjoy reading about the Native American customs. This book had both Navajo and Cherokee characters. This book was written mainly through Officer Chee's viewpoint, and it was his first time working with Lt. Leaphorn, so it was nice to learn more about Hillerman's characters as they solved a case related to the Lincoln canes.
Another winner from one of my favorite authors. I have always been fascinated by Native American culture and history so when I found an author who could give you information on both while turning out a well done mystery, I was hooked. I have spent a lot of time in the four-corners area so I am familiar with the landscape and the beauty of it. Add to that the PBS Mystery Theater productions of three of the previous books in the early 2000 with two of my favorite actors in the lead roles, Wes Stud...more
I love Hillerman's books. Never earthshattering, always enjoyable. He holds true to form in this mystery surrounding the murder of a participant in a Hopi ritual. Oh, and Jim Chee falls in love with someone who is not me, which saddens me almost as much as the fact that he is, indeed, fictional.
I got interested in Tony Hillerman's series when my English teacher had showed me to read about it.
I started loving the series, I got so into the series (and the romantic parts of it most especially) and now I crave to finish all the series.
This book is great, I'd say go ahead and read it. :)
I started loving the series, I got so into the series (and the romantic parts of it most especially) and now I crave to finish all the series.
This book is great, I'd say go ahead and read it. :)
May 07, 2010
Rusty
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
contemporary-fiction,
mystery-thriller
Have read almost all of Hillerman's books. Enjoy his writing and his characters so much. Sacred Clowns reunites Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee to weave their way through tribal politics in order to solve a murder. Anyone who loves the southwest should read Hillerman's books. Very good read.
Good mystery. Enough suspense to keep reading, but not forced suspense. Lots of interesting things about Navajo culture. Interesting, very believable characters. Needs a glossary for all the Indian terms I was unfamiliar with, but I survived.
I would class this book in the older Hillerman series. It might be one of his best to compare to a Sherlock Holmes story - just move the date up by 90 years and move the location from London to northern New Mexico and Arizona, with personalities adapted to the locale. The final wrap up of the main mystery on the last few pages could have had a smoother transition a little sooner, but the reconciliations to the events finally neatly fit.
Jim Chee as a character had a fairly good introduction with...more
Jim Chee as a character had a fairly good introduction with...more
Oct 20, 2007
J. Mark
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
mystery fans, fans of New Mexico, readers interested in a compelling take on Native American culture
Shelves:
mystery
My first Hillerman. I read it on a drive through New Mexico and I've been hooked ever since. Hillerman doesn't write weighty or even deep mysteries, but that's not what I go to mysteries for. His writing is lean and clear. You like his heroes, you often even like (at least understand) his villains. The best thing I could say about any mystery is true for every Hillerman I have read (about 15 of them by now); every book has a compelling set-up, and, by the end of the usually very short first chap...more
I've read all the Hillerman mysteries, and this is my favorite. I enjoyed the parallels made between the two victims, one a "Tano" "sacred clown" and the other a teacher at a Christian school.
I have read many Hillerman books. I enjoyed this early Leaphorn/Chee book. The dynamic between them and the growth of their relationship is interesting. I appreciate that the story is not all wrapped up with every issue resolved.
Hillerman is a master at his craft and accurately represents the Native American people he writes about. The story moves well with the perfect suspense.
A decent listen, but nothing really gripping. I've travelled extensively in book's locale and I know the culture well, so I probably take it all too casually. A reader who hasn't been exposed to the people and ways of the Navajo Nation would probably be more impressed by this story.
A koshare (sacred clown) is killed at a pueblo ceremonial,and a shop teacher is also killed. Chee and Leaphorn find the connection.
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Tony Hillerman, who was born in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma, was a decorated combat veteran from World War II, serving as a mortarman in the 103rd Infantry Division and earning the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart. Later, he worked as a journalist from 1948 to 1962. Then he earned a Masters degree and taught journalism from 1966 to 1987 at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, wh...more
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Aug 24, 2008 08:45pm