From the Bookshelf of Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

The Blessing Way
by
Why we're reading this
respected view of Navajo culture and landscape

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What Members Thought

Maryam
Aug 27, 2025 rated it really liked it
3.75
Loretta
This series was recommended to me because I was interested in mysteries/police procedurals featuring indigenous characters and communities. And while this first book is definitely that, there are a few cringe-worthy things.

But, the things i liked: the setting and really deep sense of place. I visited the american southwest a few years ago and I'm really glad I had that experience before I read this, as it made it both more interesting and more vivid. I also think I liked the Navajo police offic
...more
Rae
Mar 28, 2008 rated it it was ok
Shelves: mystery
This is Tony Hillerman's first mystery novel. A disillusioned anthropologist travels to a reservation to do research on Navajo witchcraft. He soon finds himself mixed up in murder. I was unimpressed by this novel, but I continued to read Hillerman and discovered that his other stories are quite fine. He is actually a gifted and descriptive writer who fills his books with accurate depictions of Navajo and Hopi customs and rites. Don't let this first novel keep you from trying his other mysteries. ...more
Laine
Jan 30, 2018 rated it liked it
Shelves: bookclub
Classic detective story in a Navajo setting. I loved reading about the culture, myths, rituals, and superstitions of the Navajo culture.
Sharon
May 13, 2017 rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: western, fiction
Found my way back to one of the seminal works of this genre. Fascinating to think of all the rich stories that followed.
Cindy
Mar 14, 2009 rated it liked it
Shelves: mystery, audiobook, 2009
I heard a lot about this series and I decided it was time to give them a try. The PBS version of Skinwalkers looked really good. I enjoyed the setting and the characters. But like many other reviewers, I liked the book until the ending. I felt like things were just explained at the end, but the reader wasn't shown how the motives were uncovered. ...more
Cindy
Jan 01, 2012 rated it really liked it
Stacey
Apr 10, 2016 marked it as to-read
Morag Smith
Aug 30, 2017 rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
Elizabeth
May 06, 2019 marked it as to-read
Heather
Feb 22, 2022 marked it as to-read
Emma
Jul 06, 2022 rated it really liked it
Shelves: mysteries, series
Kristina
Sep 10, 2023 marked it as to-read
superawesomekt
Oct 01, 2023 marked it as bibliocurious
Linda
Jan 08, 2024 marked it as to-read
Maria
May 06, 2024 marked it as to-read
Donna
Nov 26, 2024 marked it as leaphorn-and-chee