book data
948 ratings, 3.81 average rating, 72 reviews
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published
April 1987
(first published 1990)
by Thorndike Press
binding
Hardcover, 321 pages
characters
setting
The United States
isbn
0896217868
(isbn13: 9780896217867)
description
Three shotgun blasts explode into the trailer of Officer Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police. But Chee survives to join partner Lt. Joe Leaphorn ...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1095)
I read mystery novels to unwind. Someone had left one of this series, Coyote Waits, in the place we were staying in New Mexico, and since it's set locally I thought I'd read it. So, have now discovered another good author! Have now also read a couple of the other novels in the series and will read more (only problem with them is I get the titles mixed up). They're not spectacular literature, but they remind me of the desert Southwest - kind of like Nevada Barr, only not quite as descriptive ...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
Mystery fans looking for a setting different than dark alleys and secluded mansions
I've read several Hillerman novels. My mom is a big fan and got me reading them.
While I'm not that big a fan of murder mysteries, I like Hillerman's book mainly because they are set in Navajo territory. They are rich with Navajo culture, religion and mythology. The stories aren't that in depth (I can usually figure out whodunit before all the clues are revealed) but the descriptions are amazing.
In this specific book, two of Hillerman's main characters meet up for the first time to wor...more
While I'm not that big a fan of murder mysteries, I like Hillerman's book mainly because they are set in Navajo territory. They are rich with Navajo culture, religion and mythology. The stories aren't that in depth (I can usually figure out whodunit before all the clues are revealed) but the descriptions are amazing.
In this specific book, two of Hillerman's main characters meet up for the first time to wor...more
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My love of this mystery novel comes not from the story itself, which I found somewhat trite and uninspired, nor from the setting (I have no vast outpouring of love for the wild places of this land). Rather, my enjoyment of this novel comes strictly from the vast fodder for literary discussion it can engender.
This book was one of several novels read for a class I took in which we discussed mystery novels. The basic storyline goes as follows:
Two Navajo police officers are on the hunt for...more
This book was one of several novels read for a class I took in which we discussed mystery novels. The basic storyline goes as follows:
Two Navajo police officers are on the hunt for...more
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Read in July, 2008
Someone is trying to kill Jim Chee. Leaphorn and Chee work together to figure out a complex case that includes the murder of an obnoxious social worker, a health care clinic,the death of a sheep herder, bone beads in victims, and a dead baby.
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I've read plenty of Tony Hillerman's books and, to paraphrase the title of his memoir, I've never been disappointed. He's a good writer, a good story teller, with a sense of place, a sense of history, and a deep respect for his characters and the traditions of the Native Americans of the Southwest. For that reason, although his books are fast, easy reads, I'm not listing him under guilty pleasures. They're just pleasures, pure and simple.
I can't remember specifically which I've read and whi...more
I can't remember specifically which I've read and whi...more
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I will be biased because I thought so much of the man but can't see anyone going wrong with his books. My husband, who only reads nonfiction, read his books!
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Although originally hesitant to begin this murder mystery series because (1)it was recommended by my boss - a huge fan of the genre, and (2)my first preference is to sci fi fantasy, I was pleasantly surprised at the informational level one gains as a bonus. It is a pleasant weekend kind of read that leaves a few too many clues to determining the culprit(s)but more than makes up for it with the abundance of Navajo cultural background presented. The history and mythology of the culture adds to bot...more
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Nothing better than curling up with a good Hillerman book on a cold and frosty evening, a cup of good tea and a mystery to solve.
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Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
anyone interested in Navajo culture, as well as murder mystery fans
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 ma...more
Hillerman definitely did a good job depicting his characters clearly, and ma...more
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Read in January, 2000
I like Hillerman's Navajo detective novels. Nothing deep, just good stories.
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Read in May, 1992
Date "read" is a total guess. I think this might have been the first Tony Hillerman book I read. I enjoyed it quite a bit--Hillerman has two great detectives that are completely different in style--the slow, methodical Leaphorn and the impulsive, conflicted Jim Chee. Hillerman's great love for the Southwest and Native American culture come through. If you like mysteries and you're looking for a new series to read, I can highly recommend these novels, this one in particular, as it u...more
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Read in January, 2008
recommends it for:
mystery fans, anthropologists
Very good mystery with the added benefit of learning about Navajo culture. For instance: in the Navajo culture it is really impolite to interrupt or to be a show off if you know something. For example, answering a question directly like a big know it all. It's more polite to say, "They say...," or "I have heard...." I think that is an interesting and useful thing to know.
Years and years ago I read a couple of Tony Hillerman books but this one is the first one I've read in a...more
Years and years ago I read a couple of Tony Hillerman books but this one is the first one I've read in a...more
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Read in January, 2007
On the sad news of Hillerman's death, I decided to reread one of his books. Skinwalkers teams, for the first time, Joe Leaphorn, an older, experienced and strictly rational policeman , and Jim Chee, both of the Navajo Tribal Police. Leaphorn has been struggling for months to find a connection between seveal mysterious murders. When Chee narrowly escapes being killed by an armed ambush, Leaphorn suspects that he knows more than he's telling. While I personally prefer cozy mysteries, there's n...more
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There seems to be a theme going on in my reviews. What I am learning from this book and others is that I fall in love often and my husband does not seem threatened by literary amore (rolled eyes being the only reaction thus far). Yes, I am in love with Jim Chee. I began reading Hillerman books when I visited my mom years ago and she is an avid mystery/crime novel reader. I do get tired of Mr. H taking so long to get new books out but I will tell you this, Jim Chee is worth waiting for...
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Read in May, 2004
OK, I read this little book over the weekend, and I'm sorry to say that I wasn't overly impressed. Altho it did contain some interesting tidbits regarding Navajo lore, the mystery itself was somewhat disjointed and not very intriguing. I didn't feel much connection with the characters nor did I particulary feel the "need" to find the murderer (very easy to guess whodunit!) - after it was all said and done, I don't feel the compulsion to hunt out more titles by this author.
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Joe Leaphorn the Navaho detective. Not sure WHY I like these leisurely paced whodunnits, but I read them all. Wish he'd write some more.
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The author conveys the feel of the desert in the South West very well. The character of Jim Chee is interesting, as is the intersocial dynamics of the Navajos in the novel. It amounts to alot of interesting points in a story that is slow and not very exciting. I would tell someone who either really is interested in the South West or loves mysteries. Otherwise, find something else.
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Read in September, 2008
Got my first taste of Navajo culture as a missionary in New Mexico, and have been fascinated by it ever since. Always meant to get around to reading Hillerman's novels, but didn't until now. I loved the contrast of Chee and Leaphorn's views of traditional Navajo beliefs. Great novel, I was pulled right in. Can't wait to read another in the series.
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Another of my favorites - the Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn series. I love the juxtaposition of the mystery and the native beliefs, and the southwest is just such a wonderful setting with it's wide-open, lonely and beautifully brutal landscapes.
Hillerman is a master - I just hope he continues to write into his 100s!
Hillerman is a master - I just hope he continues to write into his 100s!
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Read in January, 1996
I basically love or at least like all of Hillerman's Navaho crime stories, but this one's my favourite for two simple reasons: 1. It was the first Hillerman book I ever read, and 2. this is where Chee and Leaphorn meet each other for the first time, which helped to hook me, as I love their interactions. :-)
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