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20th out of 55 books
—
39 voters
The First Eagle (Navajo Mysteries #13)
When Acting Lt. Jim Chee catches a Hopi poacher huddled over a butchered Navajo Tribal police officer, he has an open-and-shut case--until his former boss, Joe Leaphorn, blows it wide open. Now retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, Leaphorn has been hired to find a hot-headed female biologist hunting for the key to a virulent plague lurking in the Southwest. The scientist...more
Paperback, 319 pages
Published
June 3rd 1999
by HarperTorch
(first published 1998)
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I've read and enjoyed many of Hillerman's Navajo Tribal Police novels, though apparently not during this past year, and not this one before. These are low-key mysteries, in which the police characters - Jim Chee and the (now-retired) Lt. Joe Leaphorn - work methodically toward solving their problems. Leaphorn is a traditional thinking detective in many ways - I might compare him to Simenon's Maigret, except the two writers' narrative styles are so different. In this particular novel, there are t...more
Missed this one, a good one, somehow when I was reading these years (decades) ago. I'm finding these Hillerman Navaho mysteries so full of meaning now, especially the ones dealing with retired policeman Leaphorn. I think I was bored with these slower (sadder) stories when I read this series in my 20s, but now that I'm inching trepidaciously into my 60s, I'm consuming these tales of elderly retirees & wily shamans working together with more interest, more need. Back then I guess I liked the m...more
I have long been a lover of Tony Hillerman stories. I enjoy the cultural landscape that surrounds his mysteries, and appreciate the cultural tensions in which his characters struggle and flourish. This book displays that same depth with the same quality mystery that typifies Hillerman's work. Now, his writing is as deep as P. D. James, but that's okay. Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn are two good main characters, and they again put their detecting skills to work to solve a murder and a disappearance....more
I really like Tony Hillerman's book. One of the things I like is that they are set in the 4 corners area and I have spent a little time there. Hillerman is good at explaining some things about Indian culture (several different tribes) This book is about a group of people, from several agencies, studying plague and other diseases that have become more virulent due to the overuse of antibiotics. At the beginning to the story a man has just died of plague contracted from fleas on prairie dogs. I ha...more
This really had everything I want in a mystery: decent writing, evocative setting, and reflections on relationships: ethical, romantic and fraternal. Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and "Cowboy" all love each other; other characters support that love. It's worth taking to heart. The plot: a bit clunky, but only because it wasn't the point. The plot was adequate to carry the rest, and even clever. I've been thinking about the ending and it's satisfying.
The author mentions two other books in passing, which...more
The author mentions two other books in passing, which...more
I'm not normally a great lover of mysteries, but since my work for the Park Service has me researching the Navajo, I thought I'd better listen to one of Hillerman's books on my drive home last month. As far as mysteries go, I did not find the First Eagle terribly suspenseful. It was quite obvious that the accused murderer was not the murderer, and no one seemed to be in any danger of anything while the real murderer was ever so slowly tracked down. I also found the book tediously full of details...more
Lots of intresting details, good research, but I was not really in suspence. Really wonderfull charecters too.
Later-I discussed this with a goodreads friend and 2 others and came to relize this was #14 in a series. I may go back and read #1 down the road. The anthropology was a blast.
Later-I discussed this with a goodreads friend and 2 others and came to relize this was #14 in a series. I may go back and read #1 down the road. The anthropology was a blast.
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I thought I had read every single book Tony Hillerman ever wrote, but I'm not sure about this one. Either I have read it and lost it in the recesses of my aging brain, or I missed it. Either way I'm enjoying reading it (again?).
OK....I never read this on before and it is as wonderful as all of Hillerman's Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn stories. Hillerman is one of those rare writers who, like Alexander McCall Smith, takes you to a location in such a way that you can feel and know the place as if you are...more
OK....I never read this on before and it is as wonderful as all of Hillerman's Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn stories. Hillerman is one of those rare writers who, like Alexander McCall Smith, takes you to a location in such a way that you can feel and know the place as if you are...more
This was one of those paper backs you find at the rented beach house and read over the week. The story revolves around a murder of a researcher investigating outbreaks of bubonic plague and hanta virus on a Hopi Reservation. It had some interesting characters in it, but I found it a little too much like a CSI episode where they feel the need to explain every little thing along the way, which they most certainly wouldn't be doing in reality. The conclusion surrounds a minor legal loophole which I...more
The kudos continue for Mr. Hillerman with this wonderful offering, The First Eagle. With legendary Navajo tribal cop Joe Leaphorn retired now comes back into the picture as a privet detective hired by the aunt of a missing woman on the Hopi reservation and by chance crosses path's with acting Lt. Jim Chee at the Tuba City tribal office who is now investigating the death of one of his deputy's in the area where the young woman goes missing. Just good hard Navajo Reservation mystery wrapped around...more
I listened to this book as an audiobook. I usually love the narrator, George Guidell, but I kept getting mental images of Andy Rooney. I don't know why. I've heard Mr. Guidell many times and this has never happened. But I had to fight to keep that image away.
I like when Chee and Leaphorn work together. I'd rather not hear so much about their private escapades with the ladies. So this book was one that I appreciated. I love the setting and the plot that centers on American Indian life. All of Hil...more
I like when Chee and Leaphorn work together. I'd rather not hear so much about their private escapades with the ladies. So this book was one that I appreciated. I love the setting and the plot that centers on American Indian life. All of Hil...more
From most authors, this would be an impressive book. From Hillerman, it is not. He was coasting with this one -- worth reading, but don't buy it unless, like me, you find it at the used bookstore.Yes, it has Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, and it's set on the reservation. But the precipitating conflict is between two non-Native American researchers on the reservation. Leaphorn gets hired by one of the researcher's parents to solve her disappearance. Glimpses of Navajo culture and thinking, and Hopi c...more
Narrated By: George Guidall
Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mystery
New York Times best-selling author Tony Hillerman packs his flawless mysteries with evocative southwestern scenery, Native American lore, and finely-crafted characters. In The First Eagle, fear has been sweeping the Navajo reservation ever since a vicious killer and an unusually virulent strain of bubonic plague started claiming victims. When Tribal policeman Jim Chee discovers a blood-stained Hopi man hovering over a young officer’s body,...more
Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee mystery
New York Times best-selling author Tony Hillerman packs his flawless mysteries with evocative southwestern scenery, Native American lore, and finely-crafted characters. In The First Eagle, fear has been sweeping the Navajo reservation ever since a vicious killer and an unusually virulent strain of bubonic plague started claiming victims. When Tribal policeman Jim Chee discovers a blood-stained Hopi man hovering over a young officer’s body,...more
In Hillerman's suspense novel, Navajo Tribal Policeman Jim Chee and his mentor, Joe Leaphorn, discover a deadly killer stalking the reservation in the most chilling and beautifully crafted novel from the master of Southwestern suspense. In addition to its finely wrought plot, this book offers a wealth of Tony Hillerman's signature gifts--glorious descriptions of the high desert, delicately drawn characters, and eloquent insights into the foibles and wisdom of the native peoples.
Feb 13, 2010
Nancy
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
fans of so.west Indian lore, mysteries, and Hillerman.
I like Hillerman for his straight forward, one-plot books with only the ongoing lives of the central characters changing with each book. As always, I learned a bit about Hopi beliefs and the conflict among the So. Western tribes and with the 'powers that be' in charge of them not. In this one retired Lt. Leaphorn and Jim Chee team up to solve a murder and the investigation leads to more knowledge of flea-born deseases than I was comfortable with.
When Lt. Jim Chee comes across a poacher standing over a dying cop, he thinks he has a slam-dunk case. But the woman he asked to marry him is the defense attorney, his former mentor turns up looking for a health worker who disappeared the same day the cop was oiled, and several Indians are killed by the bubonic plague.
Chee and his mentor Leaphorn follow different tracks to solve their cases, which come together in the end.
Chee and his mentor Leaphorn follow different tracks to solve their cases, which come together in the end.
Where has Hillerman been all my life? Really wish I had started with the first book, but when you're shopping on the audio books section of the public library, you take what you can get. Good mystery, very likeable characters. I recommend it, as long as you're not sensitive to language along the lines of SOB, darn, heck, and shoot. No F words or taking of the Lord's name in vain.
Tony Hillerman can always be counted on for a quick, enjoyable read. Unlike Patricia Cornwell's "Body Farm" I recently reviewed it doesn't have the handicap of sounding a bit dated no matter when it was published. That's because these mystery solvers don't rely on the latest forensics & computers to come up with the solution. It has to do with relationships. Relationships to their culture, community, & most of all the land of the four corners area of the American Southwest. The space &...more
This really had everything I want in a good book: decent writing, intriguing setting, and reflections on relationships: both ethical and romantic. Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and "Cowboy" all love each other; other characters support that love. It's worth taking to heart. The plot: a bit different, but only because it wasn't the point. The plot was clever.
Hillerman's books combine mystery with Navajo customs and descriptions of the Navajo Reservation. The scenes of Tuba City, Flagstaff and Cameron are familiar to me and make the story vivid. He usually adds a wry reference to the clash between the Navajo Tribal Police and the FBI. A good story, easy to read, always enjoyable and informative.
Like all Hillerman's Jim Chee novels, 'The First Eagle'gives the reader a glimpse into the world of Native Americans and their rich and varied traditions. The mystery plot was woven through the story to keep the tension going until the end of the book. Chee's conflict with the white man's world and questions about his relationship with Janet Pete add a touch of bittersweet romance to the work.
This novel has Chee and Leaphorn working together to solve a murder and a mysterious disappearance, with the bubonic plague and researchers thrown in. Another tightly constructed mystery from Hillerman. I really like the setting and the Native American religious ideas in his books, although this one had less religion in it than previous novels. Good story; language.
As a retired academic biologist, I found the book interesting because it depicts, albeit exaggerated, competition between scientists. The plot reminded me of one of Hillerman's earlier books in which competition between several archeologists resulted in murder for the sake of claim and fame over theories and artifacts. Shades of this competition does exist in academia and research, but not to the point of murder, obviously. Regardless, Hillerman's novels use murder/crime as a trope for plot deve...more
A solid, well-written mystery. Hillerman has been on my to-read list for awhile now, and I found this on audio at the library. Sure, maybe not book 13 is the place to start, but I enjoyed it (though I figured out the whodunnit well before the characters).
I noted "excellent" in notes but then I love all of Hillerman's books. I can see all the action and the plots always move right along keeping the reader involved. A biologist is missing, poachers, lots of action on the reservation. Great book.
I always enjoy reading Hillerman books. Besides liking the way they are put together, I find that the information about the Indian customs is always of interest. I thought that this book resolved jusst the way I wanted it to.
I just love the background of the Navajo people that the author always brings into the story. It involves a murder of a policeman and the bubonic plague which I had no idea was still around. Easy fast paced story.
Jan 20, 2008
Hope
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
any mystery fan, cozy-readers as well as hard-bitten sleuths
I listened to Tony Hillerman's First Eagle, read by George Guidall. It was excellent, as his novels usually are. It's one of his Navajo mysteries. Each novel stands alone as a single episode, but they also make up a serial story about the characters' lives. I've read quite a few of them, entirely out of order, and haven't had any trouble following the serial aspects of the story. Mr. Hillerman manages to give enough information for you to keep up, while keeping the mystery story central.
The myst...more
There isn't much of a mystery. If you don't know who the villain is before you hit the half way mark, shame on you. One of the reasons I read Hillerman is to learn about the Navajo culture, but again not much here.
Navajo and Hopi cultural inter act with the murder of a tribal policeman and the FBI's rush to conviction. Can Jim Chee solve the problem and prevent the wrongful conviction of a young Hopi brave?
Do the Prairie Dogs and the Plague have the solution to this puzzle?
This book is dedicated to the Six tribal policeman killed in the line of duty while Mr.Hillerman had been writing this series. They work alone with back up mostly hours away. Pray for them.
Do the Prairie Dogs and the Plague have the solution to this puzzle?
This book is dedicated to the Six tribal policeman killed in the line of duty while Mr.Hillerman had been writing this series. They work alone with back up mostly hours away. Pray for them.
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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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Oct 25, 2007 07:51am