One of the marks of great writing is being able to create a villain who doesn't see him/herself as a villain. And in Leroy Fleck, Hillerman has done that. Fleck loves his mother and will do anything for her, living by the code that she instilled in him. Which might be commendable, except it's a code mired in racism, paranoia, and illegal activity. What takes Fleck to an even further level as a character is the last scene between him and his mama. (view spoiler)[ She's suffered a stroke and has t...

Hillerman is great with Jim and Joe, but his bad guys are at best sketchy and at worst, caricatures—especially the killer in this one. But the Westerner-in-DC humor is quite pleasant, and I like the Smithsonian setting. Almost a Hitchcock movie. My favorite quote: “Had to get this fetish out.”

We have both Joe Leaphorn, now retired, and Jim Chee in this book which takes them away to Washington, DC. Naturally, there is a murder, and a fair amount about Navaho fetishes of gods--rather fascinating. One bad guy makes a representation of Talking God. He is a white man who wants to become a Navaho--gets killed. Both women in Chee's life show up

A great continuation of the Leaphorn & Chee series--important backstory development for Chee. Only reason I didn't give it 5 is personal preference, as I love the stories set on the reservation and most of the action in this one takes place in DC. The plot was a cool angle on Navajo culture, though (don't worry--no spoilers!) I really loved the final scene!

I listened to this one trying to get from Michigan to Florida during the Southwest flight cancelations fiasco. The story helped keep my blood pressure down during the trip.

This is not one of my favorites of the series. Other than Leaphorn & Chee, I didn't really care about the others characters. The mystery didn't grab me and I felt it drug in many places. I found myself more worried about the appropriate care of Fleck's mother than anything else!

I found it interesting for the information about the Smithsonian Museum. I also found the psychology of how crime goes from one generation to the next rather interesting. The mystery itself was confusing as was the resolution. In many ways the criminal was the most interesting person this time. I’m hoping Chee has finally moved on the Janet and forgets Mary. I still find Chee irritating. Leaphorn is still the better detective although Chee is improving. I’ll read the next one but I really hope t...

"What brings you off the reservation on such an inclement Saturday evening?"What, indeed? Old friend, I am running from Emma's ghost, Leaphorn thought. I am running from my own loneliness. I am running away from craziness.Another solid entry in Hillerman's Navajo Mystery series.Leaphorn and Chee go to Washington (separately) only to find out - once again - that they are working the same case from two different angles.This book involves terrorists, Augusto Pinochet, a man who is 1/4 Navajo and 3/...

Three and a half stars, rounded up because it had dioramas and the Smithsonian in it. My favorite museum growing up in New York was the Metropolitan Museum of Natural History with its amazing dioramas. Here a MMNH curator touches up the all-time best hunting wolf diorama.Until reading Tony Hillerman's Talking God I did not realize that the Smithsonian once had dioramas of Native American life. These Victorian installations came to be frowned on as disrespectful and have been removed but they mus...

I like the way the author describes and incorporates the Native American customs and religious beliefs in these stories. I think I need to go back to the beginning of this series as I have been jumping around which may be confusing me in following the characters development. I liked the story, but for some reason it just isn't grabbing me.

Joe Leaphorn is called out to look at corpse found near railroad. The question who he is and how it place aroused he curiosity. The answer takes him to Washington, DC. Jim Chee has an arrest warrant Henry Nighthawk. He learns that Nighthawk will be at an Yeibichai (Talking God). Jim arrest Henry who is immediately bailed out. Jim Chee has vacation coming and goes the nation capitol. He meets Joe Leaphorn there and cases are brought together skillfully. The ending is unusual. The data on the Nava...

This is a unique mystery in that the voices of the different characters are all brought to life so well. In some mystery books the author is so focused on the mystery that they forget to add that touch of personality to their characters, and voice really is a defining part of a character when you are reading. There are few things more rewarding then reading a good mystery novel and part of being able to do this is keeping characters separate in your mind. The best way to do this if you have a go...

Read as an audio book. It's been a few years since I've read (as audio) the first four in the series. I was quietly hoping someone would obtain the contract and produce the middle ones, but it never seemed to transpire. Maybe someday. And because it's been a few years, and I skipped a handful of books, the story line has moved forward a bit. That being said, it was easy enough to pick up the characters and plot and I didn't feel anything was lost in the story.I really enjoy these mysteries. Thes...

Another entertaining procedural by Tony Hillerman. In Talking God, the author weaves a story in which political terrorism, a quest for personal revenge, and a battle against institutional racism converge in an explosive climax. And of course, the book features Hillerman's signature exploration of traditional Navajo spiritualism.

Hillerman's books are getting better. Sometimes he loses me in the story, but I think a lot of that is because I am listening to them on audiobooks. The narrator changes from book to book. Hillerman even reads a few of them himself.

I wouldn't ague against a 3 star rating; my 4 stars is because I just enjoyed it.Hillerman writes with a subtle non-pretentious intelligent style. I recommend this especially to those who condescendingly place the pre-Columbian peoples of North America in a culture of special protection (and exploitation).

Somehow Leaphorn and Chee both wind up in Washington DC trying to solve a mysterious murder. If you can imagine to indians taking on DC, then you can believe anything. And they manage to do this on their vacation time, since no one seems much interested in solving it. Anyway this was a fun read. Maybe the indians ought to take on more issues with DC. We might be better off.

I tried reading Hillerman once or twice before, and could never get into it.It was for a book club this time, and I persisted. I can't say whether it's the pacing or the writing, but it just never grabbed me. But I did finish!This quote in the book made me laugh in regard to my own feelings about the book."I'm getting to be like a white man," she said. "I'm getting in a hurry for you to tell me what this is all about."

It's been awhile since I have read anything by Tony Hillermaan, so it took me awhile to become familiar with his main characters. If you want to know anything about Native American tradition and culture, I highly recommend this series.

A nice little read with good characters but most of the story took place in Washington D.C. rather than the wonderful tribal lands of the Southwest, which are settings that have a character of their own. Missed them. Still worth the time.