Ratings3
Average rating3.7
The car fire didn't kill Navajo Tribal Policeman Delbert Nez—a bullet did. And the old man in possession of the murder weapon is a whiskey-soaked shaman named Ashie Pinto. Officer Jim Chee is devastated by the slaying of his good friend Del, and confounded by the prime suspect's refusal to utter a single word of confession or denial.
Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn believes there is much more to this outrage than what appears on the surface, as he and Jim Chee set out to unravel a complex weave of greed and death that involves a historical find and a lost fortune. But the hungry and mythical trickster Coyote is waiting, as always, in the shadows to add a strange and deadly new twist.
Reviews with the most likes.
I'm late to the Hillerman game. Nothing can be gained by my writing a review nobody will ever read; but I need to write this for my own sake, to teach me.
I'm sad. I can't remember which Hillerman I read or when, but it was at least twenty years ago and it didn't impress me. Which is a damn shame, because this one sure did, and now I'm feeling the pain of having missed out for so long. I like to live the maxim of “I'll try anything twice” — because the first time should be forgiven, because so many unknown tangents can sneak in to spoil it — and it took me far too long to give Hillerman a second try.
What a voice. He takes time to set scenes, describe them vividly; his characters do, too, valuing listening and storytelling, demonstrating a respect for others that we don't often see. The pace is gentle, the story intriguing and surprising. Thoughtfulness and deliberation are virtues here.
Featured Series
22 primary booksLeaphorn & Chee is a 21-book series with 21 primary works first released in 1970 with contributions by Tony Hillerman, Steve Levine, and Anne Hillerman.