Just finished Dance Hall of the Dead. It's another fine read of author Tony Hillermanas he explores Indian culture through his many murder mysteries. This book as many of his unfold in the seemingly barren and hostile desert lands of the American southwestern. Again I was pleasantly surprised.

Once again we follow Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police as he looks to break a case of murder. This is the second in a series of a dozen (perhaps more) of books that follow him through these Indian based mysteries. I became hooked on Hillerman after a chance meeting with the author's daughter last month April '12.

Meeting a Hillerman

On our last day in Arizona we were in Tuba City visiting the Navajo Interactive Museum. One thing led to another during conversation with one of the museum guides and we were soon introduced to Anne Hillerman,  daughter of Tony Hillerman, the author of this book.  Anne Hillerman is an accomplished author herself with award winning Tony Hillerman's Landscape: On the Road with Chee and Leaphorn and seven other books.

It happened Anne Hillerman and husband/photographer Don Strel were guiding a tour for those who wanted to visit regions and specific places where the book's action took place. Though we were familiar with the author's name and genre penned we never before read him. We were advised by Anne Hillerman, upon request, as to which book to read first. Her advice, "Start at the beginning." And so I did. A week after our return from Arizona I purchased the book The Blessing Way. I loved it and immediately purchased Dance Hall of the Dead via my Kindle.

Dance Hall of the Dead

This time two youth are missing. They are childhood friends, one Navajo, one Zuni. One of the two is an odd fellow always searching to make his life more meaningful. He sees possibilities through exchanging cultural ways but tension grows because of it. 

The author takes the reader on a journey with Navajo Tribal Officer Leaphorn in his search for clues as he questions residents of a commune and diggers in a nearby archeological site. All the while he is mentally dissecting cultural differences between Indians tribes and the divide of traditional and more modern ways.

Leaphorn, though living in times of automobiles, studies clues through horse tracks and animal trails while hiking desert lands.

pops Take

Once again I was quickly absorbed into a Tony Hillerman book because of the Indian culture he explores and the geographic regions the mysteries are set in. His writing style flows easily and the clues fun to follow and understand. This is the kind of book that, once started, is continued non-stop till its satisfying end where opportunity and means meet up with motive.

My wife and I just spent our April '12 vacation time in travels of Arizona and much of the book's background was within the Navajo Tribal lands where we spoke and toured with these people. Last year we explored the New Mexico landscape and visited many Pueblos as that of the Zuni that are highlighted in this book. We have been drawn to the people and landscape that this author deems important to use in his mysteries. It's that connection that first brought me to the Hillerman books and continues to do so.

Of course finding mysteries that had me following the sleuth as he is trying to decipher clues he picked up makes the Hillerman/Leaphorn connection a good read.  

Though there's not much of it, I also enjoyed the visual tracking the tribal officer does over the desert grounds and cliffs as he searches for a suspect that, for a short time, becomes hunter become hunted.


Tony Hillerman - The Blessing Way
Tony Hillerman - Dance Hall of the Dead
Tony Hillerman - Listening Woman
Tony Hillerman - Talking God
Tony Hillerman - The Wailing Wind
Tony Hillerman - Hunting Badger
Tony Hillerman - The Sinister Pig
Tony Hillerman - The Shape Shifter

Recommended: Yes