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1st out of 55 books
—
39 voters
A Thief of Time (Navajo Mysteries #8)
At a moonlit Indian ruin--where "thieves of time" ravage sacred ground in the name of profit--a noted anthropologist vanishes while on the verge of making a startling, history-altering discovery. At an ancient burial site, amid stolen goods and desecrated bones, two corpses are discovered, shot by bullets fitting the gun of the missing scientist.
There are modern mysteries...more
There are modern mysteries...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
January 5th 1990
by HarperTorch
(first published 1988)
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Aug 05, 2009
Maureen
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
All Hillerman fans
Recommended to Maureen by:
myself
Just out of plain curiosity. I have read many of Hillermans books, but this one escaped me, so now, I am checking it out for many reasons.
Oh my goodness, how I have let Hillermans writings slip past me for so long I have no idea! I received a gift card to Barnes & Noble and yesterday went to the store and really stocked up on his books.
He is so talented in his writings, and so sorry he has now passed away and no longer will we be blessed with his works. But "A Thief of Time" is amazing and k...more
Oh my goodness, how I have let Hillermans writings slip past me for so long I have no idea! I received a gift card to Barnes & Noble and yesterday went to the store and really stocked up on his books.
He is so talented in his writings, and so sorry he has now passed away and no longer will we be blessed with his works. But "A Thief of Time" is amazing and k...more
I have read Hillerman books before, and I believe that I read this one when I was in high school. Considering I graduated in 1995, it has been a while. I found this book on the shelf of our condo rental in New Mexico. Being very close to the setting of the book, and having recently traveled though Western New Mexico, I was reminded of how well Hillerman wrote about places, giving accurate descriptions while making the setting blend into the plot. The mystery was excellent, and I wasn't sure who,...more
The Thief of time is a beautifully written and observed piece. It is thriller, mystery, life, saga and page turner. Jim Chee is set on detecting just who has stolen the flat bed truck from the police depot - a theft that seems to be more about buck passing within the force rather than detection. While he is supposed to be watching a back hoe is stolen from the depot.
Meantime Joe Leaphorn, only days away from retirement after the death of his beloved, Emma, is put on to a case of Grave Robbing....more
Meantime Joe Leaphorn, only days away from retirement after the death of his beloved, Emma, is put on to a case of Grave Robbing....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 i...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 i...more
Excellent addition to the Hillerman stories set in Navaho lands in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. Both Leaphorn and Chee are in this one which, to me, makes it a better story. I think the two complement each other and add some richness to the backstory as well as to the main story of murder.
Chee is brought into the story because someone steals a backhoe while he is patrolling a local business, it had complained about people breaking in and taking a truck. Leaphorn is searching for a mis...more
Chee is brought into the story because someone steals a backhoe while he is patrolling a local business, it had complained about people breaking in and taking a truck. Leaphorn is searching for a mis...more
Hillerman crafts a wonderful tale, as usual, and this one has BOTH Leaphorn and Chee in it. I like it when that happens.
From the Publisher
A noted anthropologist vanishes at a moonlit Indian ruin where "thieves of time" ravage sacred ground for profit. When two corpses appear amid stolen goods and bones at an ancient burial site, Navajo Tribal Policemen Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee must plunge into the past to unearth the astonishing truth behind a mystifying series of horrific murders....more
From the Publisher
A noted anthropologist vanishes at a moonlit Indian ruin where "thieves of time" ravage sacred ground for profit. When two corpses appear amid stolen goods and bones at an ancient burial site, Navajo Tribal Policemen Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee must plunge into the past to unearth the astonishing truth behind a mystifying series of horrific murders....more
This is my first Tony Hillerman book. It was recommended to me by my aunt. I typically have not read many mysteries but this has opened my eyes to so many things I am missing. The book progresses each chapter from the two main character's point of view. Joe Leaphorn a tribal lawman considering retirement after the death of his wife and Jim Chee a tribal officer beginning his career as a medicine man. They work separately, share clues and info to break the case invloving three murders. I especial...more
Tony Hillerman is the author who most influenced me as a mystery writer, because of his masterful use of culture in storytelling. All of the crimes in his books are rooted in Navajo society, and reveal truly interesting insights into a way of thinking that is quite different from mainstream America. His characters are imperfectly human and appealing, while also being fine examples of the way the Navajo have adapted to exist within a political system they didn't choose. I love the way he explores...more
I love Hillerman because his style reflects the Navajo people as a whole. Although the characters, outwardly, appear so laid back they experience strong emotions just like everyone else. It is calming to me just to read the thought processes of Joe and Chi. It helps that I have been through the region described in the book because it gives me a sense of the quiet and vastness of the area. When I was in the middle of "no-where", with acres and acres of sand and dirt and few people, I could experi...more
"A thief of time" is a robber of ancient remains, human and human-made. These thieves are also robbers of history, so that the story of, in this case, the Anastazi cannot be unraveled. Killings amongst both anthropologists and thieves result, plus a 20-year-old schizophrenic triple murder.
This #8 - and my second read with Leaphorn and Chee - let me discover that these Navajo mysteries do not have to be read in order; Hillerman fills us in sufficiently on, for instance, Leaphorn's recently dead w...more
This #8 - and my second read with Leaphorn and Chee - let me discover that these Navajo mysteries do not have to be read in order; Hillerman fills us in sufficiently on, for instance, Leaphorn's recently dead w...more
This was the first Hillerman Novel for me and it hooked on a world that I could only imagine about (and did so with Hillerman's help). The Navajo culture seems to come alive and you see the fine line they live between their and our cultures. The mystery seems to come alive on the reservation and high desert of Arizonia.
The pairing of Leaphorn and Chee were Hillermans best stories as Chee grew from restless young Navajo cop into a more mature and patient man under Leaphorn's mentoring. It is a cl...more
The pairing of Leaphorn and Chee were Hillermans best stories as Chee grew from restless young Navajo cop into a more mature and patient man under Leaphorn's mentoring. It is a cl...more
Brilliant, brilliant book. Chee and Leaphorn are by no means friends yet, but developing some respect for each other. I was not happy with what happened in Leaphorn's life "between books," but Hillerman's exploration of the fallout is believable and profound.
Loved the mystery -- tight and intricate. Usually enjoy Hillerman's "guest" characters, but I thought he outdid himself this time. Liked the way he played the Chee plot against Leaphorn's to crank up the tension. This is supposed to be one...more
Loved the mystery -- tight and intricate. Usually enjoy Hillerman's "guest" characters, but I thought he outdid himself this time. Liked the way he played the Chee plot against Leaphorn's to crank up the tension. This is supposed to be one...more
My first Hillerman book! I thought this was a great mystery/history/suspense hybrid... a quiet little disturbing story, if that's possible. (thanks I Love a Mystery ladies!) My dad and I read it together. We learned a lot about Anasazi civilization - who knew that pot fragments could tell you so much about the people who made them?! And who knew that there are pot hunters trawling around the land disturbing archaeological sites for profit? (I sure didn't.) We're looking for our next Leaphorn/Che...more
I had read this relatively close to the time when it first came out; I had a pretty serious addiction to Hillerman at that time. He presented a way into the world of the Navajo; the world of Five Corners; to a world we knew so little about. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the tribal police. I thought it then and think so now, all fascinating, real, prescient. And interesting the second time around to see how well it held up. Pretty good! I could see why he was so able to create and keep the series...more
I read this with my wife and we both enjoyed it. The characters of Chee and Leaphorn are well-drawn and I found myself mentally transported to the Four Corners region of the U.S. Southwest as I read. The mystery wasn't too well concealed though and the concluding climax, involving two helicopters, was frankly pretty disappointing, like Hillerman needed to literally fly in a plot resolution in a 20th Century version of a deus ex machina. I really liked the hermit touch though, even though that wa...more
One of my favorite Hillerman novels because the story involves both Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Officer Jim Chee; the main characters in the Navaho Tribal Police series. This mystery not only refreshes acquaintance with Leaphorn and Chee, but also has back story that includes the cliff-dwelling Anasazi archaeological sites in the southwest U.S., ambitious graduate students and professors; and greed, destruction, and mayhem over the valuable artifacts and remains from a culture that existed in North Ame...more
I've been reading Tony Hillerman's Navajo mysteries on and off since college — twenty years. I haven't them in order and while things do progress through the books, it doesn't really matter to the individual mysteries.
My most recent read, from my personal collection, was A Thief of Time. The title refers to grave robbery. It begins with an archeologist finding something remarkable on a site she might not have the permits for. She goes missing shortly after making her discovery.
Joe Leaphorn and J...more
My most recent read, from my personal collection, was A Thief of Time. The title refers to grave robbery. It begins with an archeologist finding something remarkable on a site she might not have the permits for. She goes missing shortly after making her discovery.
Joe Leaphorn and J...more
Ahhhhhh a nice relaxing Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and Janet Pete. I found the book at the local Christian schoolbooks store in a 'used' bin. This is a first in Lucea and I was delighted to see it. I also wonder who put it there. Possibly a new friend??
I'm finished now and I really enjoyed the book. I rated it a 4 cause in my case it "did the trick". It took me away from my own problems with a fast paced story with chacters I love. Sorta like being propped up on the couch and watching your favorit...more
I'm finished now and I really enjoyed the book. I rated it a 4 cause in my case it "did the trick". It took me away from my own problems with a fast paced story with chacters I love. Sorta like being propped up on the couch and watching your favorit...more
This was the first book I'd ever read by Hillerman and I really enjoyed it. He does a good job of interweaving aspects of Native American culture along with the mystery and I felt like I even learned a little something. In this book, an anthropologist goes missing and then a series of startling murders occurs - Detective Joe Leaphorn investigates and finds that the thefts of valuable ancient Native American ceramic pots might be connected to the killings. This wasn't the first in the series, but...more
While this book lacks a lot in the mystery element, it makes up for in the tension that the author is able to create in the last pages of the book. There is a confrontaion with the murderer with a background of a schizophrenic who killed all of his family several years before and no one knows that the detective is there at all. Incredibly, the author manages to make it seem fairly realistic, but keeps the tension going. It also has major elements about the culture clash between the navajo indain...more
Tony Hillerman is so incredibly readable. I turn to Hillerman and intellectual mystery writers to unwind, and it never gets old. Yes, it's a teeny tiny bit formulaic just like most western style hunts for a missing person or an outlaw, but the characters are deep, the scenery is detailed, and the plot anything but contrived. I mean no disrespect when I say this is my beach reading. Great for an exciting and still relaxing read.
This is an early Hillerman Novel for me and it hooked me onto this type of writing. I live in New Mexico, so I know so much about what he is writing about and where. The Navajo culture seems to come alive and you see the fine line they live between their and our cultures. The mystery seems to come alive on the reservation and high desert of Arizonia. I'm always glad when Leaphorn and Chee work together. They are a good pairing.
I'm reading this fascinating mystery series chronologically, and it's clear why this was Hillerman's big breakout book. It's that good. Through the search for a missing anthropologist, you will learn a ton about Chaco Canyon and the ancient Anasazi people. Why did they build the largest structure in the US at that time - in the middle of nowhere - and then abandon it? That's the greatest unsolved mystery of all.
Hillerman is very adept at granting access to his characters' minds at just the right time and blocking access the rest of the time. Although I knew that Sgt. Chee had made some crucial connections between suspects and motives, I had no access to Lt. Leaphorn's mind and therefore had no way to know whether he had made the same connections. It definitely kept me reading to find out what would happen.
As this series progresses, the stories become tighter and even better. This time, Leaphorn and Chee are working separate incidents that diverge to bring the two together. This one involves scientists working on different projects (bones, pots, digging, etc.) and thankfully, as the story winds down, it becomes more obvious how all the pieces fit and sadly, the force that drives the murderer to do what they did...
Loved this. Hillerman not only exposes an intriguing world, but almost everything that goes on ties in in some way with the mystery or his overall theme. A part of the story that I thought he was wasting my time with turned out to be critical in the end. And both Chee and Leaphorn are going through things that tie in with everything else. Not just a great mystery; also a great novel.
I am reading this for a book club.
Is it just me, or is this the worst author ever published? The main character, Leaphorn, is spelled "Leaphorn" and "Leap-Horn" interchangably. It looks as if Mr. Hellerman sprinkled a handful of commas over this text for flavoring as oppased to grammtical intent. His editor must have been on his death bed to allow this to go to press!
Is it just me, or is this the worst author ever published? The main character, Leaphorn, is spelled "Leaphorn" and "Leap-Horn" interchangably. It looks as if Mr. Hellerman sprinkled a handful of commas over this text for flavoring as oppased to grammtical intent. His editor must have been on his death bed to allow this to go to press!
I enjoyed this book because there was a great deal of information regarding Navajo rites, rituals and history, not to mention all the information about the 4 corners area.
The story kept up a good pace and I found it difficult to put down.
Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn are two very believable characters.
The story reminded me somewhat of the Nevada Barr character.
The story kept up a good pace and I found it difficult to put down.
Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn are two very believable characters.
The story reminded me somewhat of the Nevada Barr character.
I really enjoyed A THIEF OF TIME, and was glad I'd finally got around to reading a book by Hillerman. He evokes the contemporary Southwestern USA setting very well; you can see and feel the desert setting, with its rocky buttes jutting from dusty earth. A THIEF OF TIME reads a little bit more like an 'old-fashioned' mystery novel in terms of its pacing; it's not a page-whirring, action-packed tale like many contemporary crime novels. But it was absorbing, and intriguing, and had me wondering thr...more
Have read every book written by Tony Hillerman. Great fictional mystery tale about a real problem in the land of the Ancestral Puebloan with the heisting of illegal artifacts. Always love the characters of Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, the stories and the descriptions of the Navajo Reservation and Colorado Plateau, two of my favorite places to be on earth.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mystery, Crim...: April/May 2012: A Thief of Time by Tony Hillerman | 69 | 125 | Oct 22, 2012 04:57pm |
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 18, 2009 07:20pm
Aug 18, 2009 10:19pm
Which one was that Janet?
Oct 20, 2009 09:45am