Member Reviews

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  • Rated 4 stars

  “The Blessing Way (Joe Leaphorn Novels)
  by Tony Hillerman
  
  ( 4 star )
  
  I enjoyed this book , but I the ending was a bit of a let down . The story starts out on the Navajo Tribal Police with Lt. Joe Leaphorn is looking for a Navajo who has stabbed someone . As he goes to find he is joined by anthropologist Bergen McKee. The two find him dead . So Lt. Joe Leaphorn goes out to find who has killed him . McKee starts to look into the Navajo Witches . Both of there investigations intersect at the end of the book .
  
  What makes this book such a fun read is , how Tony Hillerman puts the Navajo cutler and mythology as the back ground of the book . ”

  Robert of Ravenclaw wrote this review Tuesday, August 12 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 2 stars

  “I think I like the Leaphorn novels better than the Chee novels by Hillerman.”

  Justin M wrote this review Wednesday, May 14 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “The book's title "The Blessing Way" refers to a Navaho healing ceremony. In this book Hillerman introduces Joe Leaphorn and his Navajo culture. Hillerman's police lieutenant is a non-traditional Navajo, yet very much still a Navajo, with all of the cultural baggage that brings along. Leaphorn is constantly struggling to reconcile his Navajo culture with the modern needs of his life and his work.
  
  Hillerman mysteries are essentially police procedurals. They tend to follow the cops around, and allow us a glimpse of each of the characters' thought processes. Instead of worrying excessively about CSI type stuff, Hillerman concentrates on people and their motives. More often than not the mystery isn't solved in the armchair, but in the act of catching the perpetrator.”

  Helge M wrote this review Thursday, April 10 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “I love all of Hillerman's books because of the point of view of the main characters. No matter what is happening, there is always time to notice the beauty of life--what a gift!”

  Leslie L wrote this review Tuesday, March 25 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “The characters and the landscape lives with me long after I finish the book”

  Darlene wrote this review Friday, January 18 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 5 stars

  “The first book of Joe Leaphorn, Navajo Cop. This book covers two people, Joe Leaphorn and Professor McKee. Joe is looking into the disappearance and then murder of a Navajo. McKee has a face to face run in with a real witch. His past experiences had only been study of the witch.
  A witch to the Navajo are people or ghosts that cause trouble and mischief to peaceful people.
  This will be your first introduction into the logic of Joe Leaphorn's instinctive detective work and a study of the Navajo spiritualism.
  The book focuses more on McKee and his close encounter with the witch. McKee is in great danger and nearly loses his life.
  I believe Hillerman was testing his characters in this book. Would future books be about the Professor McKee Sleuth or the Navajo Cop Sleuth?
  We do know what happens. It had to be. Hillerman uses Navajo, Hopi, and Anasazi spiritualism to educate the white man to understanding a way of life beyond Christianity. Only the skeptical Joe Leaphorn would continue to investigate strange witches, skinwalkers, and healing ceremonies to provide the parallel interests in a novel form.
  A really good mystery read.”

  PaytonLee wrote this review Monday, November 12 2007. ( reply | permalink )