Dance Hall of the Dead (Leaphorn & Chee, #2) in Around the World in 80 Books

Jan 16, 2013 Suvi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: novels, _north-america, 1970-1999, crime-mystery, race-indigenous

The only reason why I borrowed this from the library in the first place, was that in the last two years I've grown an interest in US states and their unique features, but also in the history and religions of indigenous peoples (actually, I should be writing an essay about Australian Aborigines right now, but oh well...). Combining New Mexican Navajo culture with murder mystery seemed too interesting to miss, although my bag was already about to throw up on the street.

The symbols on the covers of ...more

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May 13, 2023 Rachel N. rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2023, mystery, play-book-tag, series, new-mexico, native-american

Two boys have disappeared, on Zuni and one Navajo, and there is a large patch of blood found where the two usually met. Leaphorn is assigned the task of finding George Bowlegs the missing Navajo boy. the body of Ernesto Cato, the missing Zuni boy, is soon found which makes the hunt for George more urgent. The search leads Leaphorn to a hippie commune and an archaeological dig in the area. The book does include a lot of information about the Zuni and Navajo cultures. I liked that this book was to ...more

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May 23, 2016 Julie Griffin rated it really liked it

I have a friend who has always loved Tony Hillerman's mystery series, and I enjoyed the PBS Mystery series based on two or three of the novels, and I read one by his daughter that I received in a Goodreads Giveaway, but this is the first one that I have read myself after finding it in a box at a friend's house. It was very short, surprisingly short, and to the point. I already liked Leaphorn through the movie series, otherwise this might have been too brief and short of an introduction for me. I ...more

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Nov 20, 2013 Jessica rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, southwest, indigenous-and-native

Hillerman remains one of the best-known regional mystery writers, and he makes understanding complex Navajo and Zuni traditions accessible for a lay audience. As a mystery it's a very quiet plot with relatively little action, but the sense of place elevates it. ...more

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