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Leaphorn & Chee #5
The Dark Wind
The corpse had been "scalped," its palms and soles removed after death. Sergeant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police knows immediately he will have his hands full with this case -- a certainty that is supported by the disturbing occurrences to follow. A mysterious nighttime plane crash, a vanishing shipment of cocaine, and a bizarre attack on a windmill only intensify Chee's fears. A dark and very ill wind is blowing through the Southwestern desert, a gale driven by Navajo sorcery and white man's greed. And it will sweep away everything unless Chee can somehow change the weather.
Performed by Gil Silverbird
Enhanced CD: CD features an interactive program which can be viewed on your computer, including: a photo galary, an author Q&A and a 35 years of excellence timeline.
Performed by Gil Silverbird
Enhanced CD: CD features an interactive program which can be viewed on your computer, including: a photo galary, an author Q&A and a 35 years of excellence timeline.
Audio Cassette
First published January 1, 1981
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About the author
Tony Hillerman
222 books1,873 followersTony Hillerman, who was born in Sacred Heart, Oklahoma, was a decorated combat veteran from World War II, serving as a mortarman in the 103rd Infantry Division and earning the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and a Purple Heart. Later, he worked as a journalist from 1948 to 1962. Then he earned a Masters degree and taught journalism from 1966 to 1987 at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where he resided with his wife until his death in 2008. Hillerman, a consistently bestselling author, was ranked as New Mexico's 25th wealthiest man in 1996. - Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 591 reviews
October 25, 2015
"They're not going to kill him and walk away from it."
"But sometimes they do," Chee said. "That's the way it is."
"No," she said. The tone was suddenly vehement. "They won't get away with it. You understand that?"
"Not exactly," Chee said.
"Do you understand "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"?"
"I've heard it," Chee said.
"Don't you believe in justice? Don't you believe that things need to be evened up?"
... As a matter of fact, the concept seemed as strange to him as the idea that someone with money would steal had seemed to Mrs. Musket. Someone who violated basic rules of behavior and harmed you was, by Navajo definition, "Out of control." The dark wind had entered him and destroyed his judgment. One avoided such persons, and worried about them, and was pleased if they were cured of this temporary insanity and returned again to hozro. But to Chee's Navajo mind, the idea of punishing them would be as insane as the original act. He understood it was a common attitude in the white culture, but he'd never before encountered it so directly.
I have nothing to say about this quick and entertaining little mystery.
I figured it out WAY before Jim Chee did, before even the halfpoint of the novel. I hate feeling like I'm smarter than the cops, but at least Hillerman is honest and straightforward with you, giving you all the information you need to figure things out. He doesn't cheat you like mystery authors who don't give you all the facts and pull some person you didn't even know existed out of left field to be the murderer. ("It was Jennifer's twin! We thought she died in childbirth!" or some such thing.)
There's no women in this. I have absolutely no idea what happened to Mary Landon, Chee's girlfriend from the last novel. There's no mention of her, it's as if she'd never existed. Not that I miss her, good riddance. This is 1982, two years after the last book.
The only other really interesting part of the book besides Chee explaining how revenge is a strange and foreign idea, is when our friend Jim Chee is handcuffed and roughed up by a corrupt DEA agent.
Johnson struck Chee across the face, a stinging, back-handed blow...
Chee's nose hurt. He felt a trickle of blood start from it, moving down his lip. His face stung and his eyes were watering. But the real effect of the blow was psychological. His mind seemed detached from all this, working at several levels. At one, it was trying to remember the last time anyone had struck him. He had been a boy when that happened, fighting with a cousin. At another level his intelligence considered what he should do, what he should say, why this was happening. And at still another, he felt simple animal rage - an instinct to kill.
I liked all this emotion, and couldn't wait to see how Chee was going to ultimately deal with this corrupt piece of shit.
He goes out and handles things like a man, it's very good. He's no proto-mensch like Joe Leaphorn, but he can handle his business, which is very encouraging to me.
Tl;dr - A fun, quick, entertaining read but nothing that I would call stellar.
P.S. Funniest line in the book: As he chewed he reviewed.
I don't know whether this was intentional or not, but it was funny as hell.
"But sometimes they do," Chee said. "That's the way it is."
"No," she said. The tone was suddenly vehement. "They won't get away with it. You understand that?"
"Not exactly," Chee said.
"Do you understand "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth"?"
"I've heard it," Chee said.
"Don't you believe in justice? Don't you believe that things need to be evened up?"
... As a matter of fact, the concept seemed as strange to him as the idea that someone with money would steal had seemed to Mrs. Musket. Someone who violated basic rules of behavior and harmed you was, by Navajo definition, "Out of control." The dark wind had entered him and destroyed his judgment. One avoided such persons, and worried about them, and was pleased if they were cured of this temporary insanity and returned again to hozro. But to Chee's Navajo mind, the idea of punishing them would be as insane as the original act. He understood it was a common attitude in the white culture, but he'd never before encountered it so directly.
I have nothing to say about this quick and entertaining little mystery.
I figured it out WAY before Jim Chee did, before even the halfpoint of the novel. I hate feeling like I'm smarter than the cops, but at least Hillerman is honest and straightforward with you, giving you all the information you need to figure things out. He doesn't cheat you like mystery authors who don't give you all the facts and pull some person you didn't even know existed out of left field to be the murderer. ("It was Jennifer's twin! We thought she died in childbirth!" or some such thing.)
There's no women in this. I have absolutely no idea what happened to Mary Landon, Chee's girlfriend from the last novel. There's no mention of her, it's as if she'd never existed. Not that I miss her, good riddance. This is 1982, two years after the last book.
The only other really interesting part of the book besides Chee explaining how revenge is a strange and foreign idea, is when our friend Jim Chee is handcuffed and roughed up by a corrupt DEA agent.
Johnson struck Chee across the face, a stinging, back-handed blow...
Chee's nose hurt. He felt a trickle of blood start from it, moving down his lip. His face stung and his eyes were watering. But the real effect of the blow was psychological. His mind seemed detached from all this, working at several levels. At one, it was trying to remember the last time anyone had struck him. He had been a boy when that happened, fighting with a cousin. At another level his intelligence considered what he should do, what he should say, why this was happening. And at still another, he felt simple animal rage - an instinct to kill.
I liked all this emotion, and couldn't wait to see how Chee was going to ultimately deal with this corrupt piece of shit.
He goes out and handles things like a man, it's very good. He's no proto-mensch like Joe Leaphorn, but he can handle his business, which is very encouraging to me.
Tl;dr - A fun, quick, entertaining read but nothing that I would call stellar.
P.S. Funniest line in the book: As he chewed he reviewed.
I don't know whether this was intentional or not, but it was funny as hell.
August 14, 2025
Navajo police detective Jim Chee has recently transferred to a new area in the reservation, and his unfamiliarity with the area and people is making it hard to investigate cases. For example, there’s the John Doe body he can’t even identify. And he has no leads on the case of the windmill that is being sabotaged. While out staking it out overnight, Chee witnesses a plane crash. A plane that was flying low without lights. Chee figures those flying the plane were up to no good, and he is ordered to stay away from the Federal investigation. But it’s kind of hard when the Feds think he knows more about the crash. Can he figure out what happened without framing himself more?
While this is the fifth book in the series, and the second to feature Jim Chee, it reads like a standalone, with little from the previous book being brought up here. That isn’t to say that the characters are bad, it’s just a difference in storytelling from what we get today. I found the characters pulled me in. The mystery was strong with plenty to keep me guessing and a red herring that distracted me. Yet the ending was logical. As always, the landscape and culture came to life. I’m looking forward to more.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
While this is the fifth book in the series, and the second to feature Jim Chee, it reads like a standalone, with little from the previous book being brought up here. That isn’t to say that the characters are bad, it’s just a difference in storytelling from what we get today. I found the characters pulled me in. The mystery was strong with plenty to keep me guessing and a red herring that distracted me. Yet the ending was logical. As always, the landscape and culture came to life. I’m looking forward to more.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
January 3, 2022
Officer Jim Chee's confusion is understandable. He has recently been transferred to the Tuba City, Arizona subagency of the Navajo Tribal Police. His chief, Capt. Largo, reviews his unimpressive record of the past six months. The long list of unsolved cases includes a jewelry theft from the Burnt Water Trading Post run by 20-year resident Jake West; a vandalized windmill recently installed to pump water; an unidentified Navajo murder victim whose corpse has been ravaged by coyotes, crows and other scavengers; and vague but persistent rumors among the Hopi of witchcraft.
Even Chee's jurisdiction has drifted into amiguity. The federal government has ordered the resettlement of some 9,000 Navajos thanks to the Hopi Partitioned Land Settlement. The vandalized windmill is now on Hopi land, but the vandals are suspected to be disgruntled Navajo. The prime suspect in the Burnt Water Trading Post theft is Joseph Musket, a Navajo ex-employee.
Fortunately, at least one case has evaded Chee's plate. Chee was the first man on the scene of a private plane crash apparently drug related. Capt. Largo explicitly orders Chee to steer clear of the case. It's the F.B.I.'s Drug Enforcement Agency's problem. Focus on the windmill. Largo's superiors at Window Rock have been breathing down his neck about the serial vandalism of the windmill.
Inevitably, the cases will be connected, and Chee is forced to perform some clever subterfuges to stay out of Largo's sights. So much for neatly demarcated jurisdictions.
The book is filled with overlapping Hopi and Navajo interests. Chee's Hopi counterpart, Albert (Cowboy) Dashee, is a colorful participant in these investigations. Their friendship is sealed when Dashee volunteers to bag the unidentified Navajo corpse. “'We Hopis have our hang-ups,' he said, 'but we don't have the troubles you Navajos got with handling dead bodies.'” (p.24)
Cultural references immerse the reader in this book which opens with Albert Lomatewa's exacting demands for the performance of the Niman Kachina rituals at the end of July. Perfect execution of the rituals are particularly important this year in the midst of a long drought. “'We must do the Niman Kachina right this summer,' Lomatewa said. 'Sotuknang has warned us. Our corn dies in the fields. There is no grass. The wells are drying out. When we call the clouds, they no longer hear us. If we do the Niman Kachina wrong, Sotuknang will have no more patience. He will destroy the Fourth World.'” (p.5)
This is a convoluted mystery with bits of wry humor interspersed with moments of dark drama. Greed, betrayal, the continuity of sacred traditions and violators infected by the “dark wind” made this an enjoyable read.
NOTES:
Map of locations mentioned in this book: https://ehillerman.unm.edu/node/1853#...
Example of a Niman Kachina doll: https://www.folkartmuseumcentraltx.or...
Even Chee's jurisdiction has drifted into amiguity. The federal government has ordered the resettlement of some 9,000 Navajos thanks to the Hopi Partitioned Land Settlement. The vandalized windmill is now on Hopi land, but the vandals are suspected to be disgruntled Navajo. The prime suspect in the Burnt Water Trading Post theft is Joseph Musket, a Navajo ex-employee.
Fortunately, at least one case has evaded Chee's plate. Chee was the first man on the scene of a private plane crash apparently drug related. Capt. Largo explicitly orders Chee to steer clear of the case. It's the F.B.I.'s Drug Enforcement Agency's problem. Focus on the windmill. Largo's superiors at Window Rock have been breathing down his neck about the serial vandalism of the windmill.
Inevitably, the cases will be connected, and Chee is forced to perform some clever subterfuges to stay out of Largo's sights. So much for neatly demarcated jurisdictions.
The book is filled with overlapping Hopi and Navajo interests. Chee's Hopi counterpart, Albert (Cowboy) Dashee, is a colorful participant in these investigations. Their friendship is sealed when Dashee volunteers to bag the unidentified Navajo corpse. “'We Hopis have our hang-ups,' he said, 'but we don't have the troubles you Navajos got with handling dead bodies.'” (p.24)
Cultural references immerse the reader in this book which opens with Albert Lomatewa's exacting demands for the performance of the Niman Kachina rituals at the end of July. Perfect execution of the rituals are particularly important this year in the midst of a long drought. “'We must do the Niman Kachina right this summer,' Lomatewa said. 'Sotuknang has warned us. Our corn dies in the fields. There is no grass. The wells are drying out. When we call the clouds, they no longer hear us. If we do the Niman Kachina wrong, Sotuknang will have no more patience. He will destroy the Fourth World.'” (p.5)
This is a convoluted mystery with bits of wry humor interspersed with moments of dark drama. Greed, betrayal, the continuity of sacred traditions and violators infected by the “dark wind” made this an enjoyable read.
NOTES:
Map of locations mentioned in this book: https://ehillerman.unm.edu/node/1853#...
Example of a Niman Kachina doll: https://www.folkartmuseumcentraltx.or...
January 7, 2022
3.5 stars
I liked it...and it was a short, clean read. I learned a little about Navaho and Hopi cultures,the Arizona desert, and the relationship & responsibilities between these 2 groups and federal law enforcement agencies, specifically the DEA. Good humor and interesting mystery solved by the reader moments before it is solved by Che, the main character. audio version is well done.
I liked it...and it was a short, clean read. I learned a little about Navaho and Hopi cultures,the Arizona desert, and the relationship & responsibilities between these 2 groups and federal law enforcement agencies, specifically the DEA. Good humor and interesting mystery solved by the reader moments before it is solved by Che, the main character. audio version is well done.
September 22, 2018
Elements of a great Leaphorn & Chee book:
1. Vivid description of the setting including the gorgeous landscape of the Navajo Reservation and its sometimes harsh and sometimes dramatic weather
2. Memorable characters, some of whom you feel like you know very well - especially Leaphorn & Chee themselves - and their relationship to other recurring characters, in particular their boss, Largo, and their significant others
3. The rich cultural heritage of the Navajos (and other 4 Corners area tribal peoples) integrated into the story
4. An intriguing mystery, the solving of which requires our protagonist to use his tracking skills, his powers of deduction, and his understanding of people
Numbers 1, 3, and 4 were very well represented in this story. As for #2, Chee was front and center, Captain Largo makes a couple of appearances, and we meet Cowboy Dashee. There were some interesting characters that we will not see in later stories as well. However, there was no Leaphorn!!?? at all and no girlfriend, although Chee does talk a lot about his uncle. I still must say that I liked this book the best of the first 5, mainly because we really get to know Chee so well (although having read almost all the books already, I feel like I know him well), and because you feel like you're up there in Northern Arizona with him.
1. Vivid description of the setting including the gorgeous landscape of the Navajo Reservation and its sometimes harsh and sometimes dramatic weather
2. Memorable characters, some of whom you feel like you know very well - especially Leaphorn & Chee themselves - and their relationship to other recurring characters, in particular their boss, Largo, and their significant others
3. The rich cultural heritage of the Navajos (and other 4 Corners area tribal peoples) integrated into the story
4. An intriguing mystery, the solving of which requires our protagonist to use his tracking skills, his powers of deduction, and his understanding of people
Numbers 1, 3, and 4 were very well represented in this story. As for #2, Chee was front and center, Captain Largo makes a couple of appearances, and we meet Cowboy Dashee. There were some interesting characters that we will not see in later stories as well. However, there was no Leaphorn!!?? at all and no girlfriend, although Chee does talk a lot about his uncle. I still must say that I liked this book the best of the first 5, mainly because we really get to know Chee so well (although having read almost all the books already, I feel like I know him well), and because you feel like you're up there in Northern Arizona with him.
April 11, 2015
Have never read any Tony Hillerman books before. Now having visited Arizona, and some of the areas Tony writes about , had to check him out. Really good read. loved the characters, especially Jim Chee. Book only 300 pages reads super fast and very difficult to put down. I loved it. Will be reading several more. I brought 7 other of his books home from Arizona. If you've never read Hillerman, what are you waiting for ??????
April 8, 2025
4 Stars for The Dark Wind: Leaphorn & Chee, Book 5 (audiobook) by Tony Hillerman read by George Guidall.
A plane crashed on Navajo land apparently trying to making a drug drop. Jim Chee is told to not investigate and leave it for the Feds. He has plenty of work to already, he still hasn’t figured out who is repeatedly vandalizing a windmill. But what if a Navajo or Hopi is involved with the drug smuggling?
A plane crashed on Navajo land apparently trying to making a drug drop. Jim Chee is told to not investigate and leave it for the Feds. He has plenty of work to already, he still hasn’t figured out who is repeatedly vandalizing a windmill. But what if a Navajo or Hopi is involved with the drug smuggling?
February 23, 2013
Living in New Mexico and being a mystery lover and not reading Tony Hillerman is probably some sort of sin. Possibly even multiple sins. So I plan to work on rectifying that travesty. THE DARK WIND is my initiation into the mystery series revolving around Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn.
The setting made this book for me. Sure, Jim Chee proved to be a likeable enough character with well-meaning intentions and motivations, and the bad guys eased off the page like green goo with simple, yet concrete nefarious objectives, covering the world in sticky greenness. But it was the New Mexico setting filled with rich descriptions that blanketed nearly every page, cloaking the world in a warm afghan that filled my world with richness and color.
The Indian tribes were described in detail and nearly became characters of their own, and this was done with a careful hand. This added another dimension to the novel, and certainly left me wanting even more.
The plot certainly enticed me, but it wasn’t filled with tricky slipups and red herrings and dangling cliffhangers, and it wasn’t what kept me turning the pages. This was a novel overflowing with richness and created with love, and that was evident on nearly every page.
The setting made this book for me. Sure, Jim Chee proved to be a likeable enough character with well-meaning intentions and motivations, and the bad guys eased off the page like green goo with simple, yet concrete nefarious objectives, covering the world in sticky greenness. But it was the New Mexico setting filled with rich descriptions that blanketed nearly every page, cloaking the world in a warm afghan that filled my world with richness and color.
The Indian tribes were described in detail and nearly became characters of their own, and this was done with a careful hand. This added another dimension to the novel, and certainly left me wanting even more.
The plot certainly enticed me, but it wasn’t filled with tricky slipups and red herrings and dangling cliffhangers, and it wasn’t what kept me turning the pages. This was a novel overflowing with richness and created with love, and that was evident on nearly every page.
February 15, 2025
I thought about this one for a long time after finishing it.
Justice was served but not in any usual way, which is the usual way with Tony Hillerman's books.
I liked that I sympathized with the killer.
This one is all Chee. Murderers and drug dealers are the jurisdiction of the FBI, but Chee is always curious and just can't seem to stay away from the site of a crashed plane and subsequent murder. Especially since he saw it crash. And like most crime on the res, there are connections with other crimes in the area.
The Dark Wind is what enters a person who has lost their moral compass and become embittered.
Justice was served but not in any usual way, which is the usual way with Tony Hillerman's books.
I liked that I sympathized with the killer.
This one is all Chee. Murderers and drug dealers are the jurisdiction of the FBI, but Chee is always curious and just can't seem to stay away from the site of a crashed plane and subsequent murder. Especially since he saw it crash. And like most crime on the res, there are connections with other crimes in the area.
The Dark Wind is what enters a person who has lost their moral compass and become embittered.
February 22, 2025
I enjoyed most of all reading about the landscape and weather as I used to live there. All the religious stuff of the Hopi's is boring but I had friends there who were super interested. The cocaine shipment is a big puzzle but Chee manages to figure it out even tho it nearly causes him to lose his life.
When I lived there I did a painting of the verga and enjoyed reading about it. This is one of Tony's better books. I can't decide if writing about the cocaine is a spoiler or not.
When I lived there I did a painting of the verga and enjoyed reading about it. This is one of Tony's better books. I can't decide if writing about the cocaine is a spoiler or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2018
I like how Hillerman shows how we do not all think alike and why. Maybe we need to use more of this world wide? Why do we expect everyone to think the same as we do...I had this discussion with a person from the mid-east. That was a humbling experience to say the least. I also like that if you follow the clues and think as Chee does logically, you can figure out for the most part whodunit :)
August 21, 2014
Jim Chew, a rookie Navajo tribal policeman is assigned to find who is damaging a windmill to supply water to the Hopi Indians. He is staking out the windmill when he witnessed a plane crashing landing in a nearby arroyo. He is first to reach the plane and finds a dead man shot in the middle of the road. He reports the accident and learns that the plane is carrying drugs. The FBI accused him of removing the drugs. He is ordered to stay away from the investigation. He is to find the answer to the windmill problem and the identity of the recently found. Hillerman brings these plots together nicely. The information on the customs of the Navajo and Hopi Indians is extremely interesting.
March 25, 2018
I'm hooked. I can't stop reading books in this series of mysteries set in the Navajo Tribal Nation. Getting good cultural insights while second guessing a good old-fashioned murder. So much more fun than dry text just giving the facts about the land and the people who live in a sun-burned landscape without any emotional impact. I'm afraid I will end up reading all of the books in the series and forget about what ever else needs to be done.
August 17, 2013
I love reading books where the geographic location becomes almost a character in the story and I particularly love reading such books when I am physically in that location. So, while on a recent trip to the Southwest, I thought it was a perfect time to read a few Tony Hillerman books. I found the experience to be enhanced when Hillerman was describing the topography and I would look up from the book and see those same mountains or town. In this fifth book in the Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee series a corpse is discovered that has had the palms of its hands and the soles of the feet removed. The mystery deepens following a plane crash late one night, there is a missing shipment of cocaine, a windmill is repeatedly damaged, and an employee of a trading post is missing along with a sizeable amount of valuable native jewelry. It's obvious to Captain Joe Leaphorn and Lt. Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police that a dark wind is blowing through their tribal lands and they need to uncover the cause.
August 17, 2022
Whenever I'm stuck and don't know what to read next, I reach for Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn & Chee mysteries. Luckily for us he wrote loads of them, and luckily for me my mum has lots of the old paperbacks, so whenever I visit I take some away with me, filling in the gaps with abebooks.co.uk. I've now read six (this is book 5 but I started with book 8 then went to the first one), so there are 12 more to go. It will be a sad day when I have finally read them all but at least Hillerman's daughter Anne is carrying on his legacy.
Like all his books, this one combines his telltale blend of deeply immersive descriptive prose, which takes you viscerally to the lanscapes of the Native American Southwest, with his always engrossing finely plotted puzzle of a story, which keeps you guessing and turning the pages with joy. Moving straight on to the next one!
Like all his books, this one combines his telltale blend of deeply immersive descriptive prose, which takes you viscerally to the lanscapes of the Native American Southwest, with his always engrossing finely plotted puzzle of a story, which keeps you guessing and turning the pages with joy. Moving straight on to the next one!
November 26, 2023
Straight forward mystery with likeable characters. I really like these books, they don't include unnecessary romances, they don't give the characters annoying quirks. Nearly all the people in these books feel like they could be real. These books don't have a lot of fluff, they're very straight forward and they're good. I love reading about the Navajos and the Hopi (and in other books other tribes), it's fascinating.
If you like straight forward mysteries with straight forward cop elements like I do then you've got to check out this series.
If you like straight forward mysteries with straight forward cop elements like I do then you've got to check out this series.
October 10, 2016
Admittedly, I listened to this book, which may have colored my response to it. On the other hand, I have difficulty with books where seemingly unrelated plot-lines all merge together in the end or never get tied up. On the other hand, the setting and cultural details of the Navajo and Hopi tribes, not to mention the big-bad federal agents are always interesting.
I know there's a trend in some camps to denigrate writers who write about an ethnicity to which they do not belong. It seems to me Hillerman was diligent in his research, and to suggest that to write about something you must have experienced it yourself, would just about destroy all literature.
In the end, pretty good, but not one of my Hillerman favorites.
I know there's a trend in some camps to denigrate writers who write about an ethnicity to which they do not belong. It seems to me Hillerman was diligent in his research, and to suggest that to write about something you must have experienced it yourself, would just about destroy all literature.
In the end, pretty good, but not one of my Hillerman favorites.
January 7, 2021
Greatly enjoyed this audiobook . . . the puzzle itself is not my incentive in returning to the early books of the series. Instead what gives me pleasure is the honest character of Jim Chee, young Navajo policeman, the landscape of the Four Corners area (and its harsh and surprising weather), and the glimpses of Navajo traditional culture.
Very interesting is what drives the plot of this book: the concept of revenge as a trait of white men, not Navajo.
Very interesting is what drives the plot of this book: the concept of revenge as a trait of white men, not Navajo.
July 18, 2022
Just re-read this 1982 mystery novel and loved it all over again. Do NOT accept the 2022 TV series "Dark Winds" as an alternative to the real thing: read this instead! This one brings us rookie Navajo Police officer Jim Chee being ordered to "stay out of " an investigation into a crime that is beyond his department's jurisdiction and technically none of his business -- except that he is targeted by bad guys for having stumbled into the aftermath by accident. Jim sets his moral compass directly where we think it needs to go and a suspenseful adventure begins, leavened with Hillerman's familiar, respectful observations about Navajo and Hopi belief systems. Hillerman was a marvelous writer and these crime novels are among the best -- as well as a terrific introduction to another culture!
April 30, 2012
Tony Hillerman passed away in October of 2008. His 18 books in his Navajo series have won numerous award and have earned Mr Hillerman "Friend of the Navajo" status. As you read Hillerman I suggest you keep a notebook handy something I will do so as I read my next novel. His native American characters share a depth of cultural information worth remembering.
Dark wind is Jim Chee at his best. Wind mills,holy ground, rain, Navajos, Hopis, theft, murder, plane crash, drugs and floods. This like other Jim Chee stories is over too soon.
Dark wind is Jim Chee at his best. Wind mills,holy ground, rain, Navajos, Hopis, theft, murder, plane crash, drugs and floods. This like other Jim Chee stories is over too soon.
August 19, 2007
This is a great book with many unique twists and turns and the great thing is it is about an American Indian lawman..I believe it should be made into a movie...
February 22, 2024
Not my favorite book in the series but it does have a really good ending.
August 1, 2023
These are fun, easy reads. Very entertaining and I like reading more about the native cultures.
May 20, 2019
Apertura alla "Hillerman": Per tre volte Sotuknang distrusse il mondo - Distrusse il primo mondo con il fuoco. Distrusse il secondo mondo con il ghiaccio. Distrusse il terzo mondo con il diluvio. Ogni volta distrusse il mondo perché la sua gente non fece ciò che egli ordinava di fare. Ogni volta il modo veniva ammorbato dal male, la gente non faceva che litigare. La gente diventò Powaqa (in Hopi significa strega) e usò la stregoneria contro il prossimo. Gli Hopi avevano abbandonato la vera via della vita.
All'alba sostò a guardare la prima luce che si levava da est sull'orizzonte, aspirò profondamente la fredda aria dell'alba. Si sentiva splendidamente. Quello era l'HOZRO. Quella era la bellezza che Donna che cambia aveva insegnato loro a perseguire. Quella era la sensazione dell'armonia.
Tutto è ordine, cerca il suo schema.
Dal lato del giallo, posso dire che Chee è un po' ribelle, non collabora con FBI, le notizie le tiene per se, fa l'eroe insomma. Forse è caratteristico di queste popolazioni mantenere una certa autonomia.
La qualità della storia è alta, nella quarta di copertina lo si definisce addirittura "romanzo complesso", non lo nego fa pensare, ha le caratteristiche del rompicapo.
Devono averne fatto anche un film.
All'alba sostò a guardare la prima luce che si levava da est sull'orizzonte, aspirò profondamente la fredda aria dell'alba. Si sentiva splendidamente. Quello era l'HOZRO. Quella era la bellezza che Donna che cambia aveva insegnato loro a perseguire. Quella era la sensazione dell'armonia.
Tutto è ordine, cerca il suo schema.
Dal lato del giallo, posso dire che Chee è un po' ribelle, non collabora con FBI, le notizie le tiene per se, fa l'eroe insomma. Forse è caratteristico di queste popolazioni mantenere una certa autonomia.
La qualità della storia è alta, nella quarta di copertina lo si definisce addirittura "romanzo complesso", non lo nego fa pensare, ha le caratteristiche del rompicapo.
Devono averne fatto anche un film.
February 27, 2018
A definite step up from the first Chee novel, largely because the tribal politics and beliefs are more prominent, but also because the author has gotten more comfortable with the character. Still, Chee is not an equal to Leaphorn, but the supporting cast make up for that lack.
As usual, the pacing is methodical, the prose distant and unadorned, and the plot twisty. It's good stuff, and deserving of it's acclaim, but not terribly engaging. The series has grown on me, but it will be a while before I jump back in.
As usual, the pacing is methodical, the prose distant and unadorned, and the plot twisty. It's good stuff, and deserving of it's acclaim, but not terribly engaging. The series has grown on me, but it will be a while before I jump back in.
August 13, 2017
This is more of a 2.5 for me. So far I'm not overly enthusiastic about Chee as a character. I know he develops more as the series goes on but his elastic sense of right and wrong bothers me. Probably the most genuine part was his outrage at the way he was mistreated by the DEA people. I found the mystery confusing although his red herrings were very well done. I'm going to keep on reading since I know how much I enjoyed future titles. If I didn't have that knowledge, I'd likely stop here.
April 12, 2025
Nah, the ending was forced and confusing. There was a lot of repetition with Chee’s thought process. Not enough action.
I’ve been watching the tv series named after this book, but they are not the same.
I’ve been watching the tv series named after this book, but they are not the same.
March 10, 2017
Another intricate mystery by Tony Hillerman. The book is very suspenseful, and, once again, it is not who you think perpetrated the crime. This book focused mainly on Chee, with a comment that Leaphorn is in DC testifying in another case. Mr. Hillerman's descriptions of the Black Mesa, the Wepo Wash and the surrounding country are very detailed and make you feel as if you are there. He infuses the books with descriptions of Navajo and Hopi traditions, and explores how they affect the actions of the characters. I also like the fact that Chee does not immediately solve the mystery, and following along on his discoveries and thought processes are part of what make these books so interesting and engrossing. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!
July 5, 2015
Finished reading: December 10th 2014
"Then, as he thought it through all the way, through from the east, the south, the west, and the north, and back to the east again, just as his uncle had taught him, he saw that it might help. Everything must have a reason. Nothing was done without a cause."
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
May 3, 2010
quote from pages 147 - 148
"There was no reason to kill him," she said. "And whoever did it is going to suffer for it.".... "They won't get away with it. You understand that?"
"Not exactly," Chee said.
"Do you understand 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'?"
"I've heard it," Chee said.
"Don't you believe in justice? Don't you believe that things need to be evened up?"
Chee shrugged. "Why not?" he said. As a matter of fact, the concept seemed as strange to him as the idea that someone with money would steal had seemed to Mrs. Musket. Someone who violated basic rules of behavior and harmed you was, by Navajo definition, "out of control." The "dark wind" had entered him and destroyed his judgement. One avoided such persons, and worried about them, and was pleased if they were cured of this temporary insanity and returned again to hozro. But to Chee's Navajo mine, the idea of punishing them would be as insane as the original act. He understood it was a common attitude the the white culture, but he'd never before encountered it so directly.
"There was no reason to kill him," she said. "And whoever did it is going to suffer for it.".... "They won't get away with it. You understand that?"
"Not exactly," Chee said.
"Do you understand 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth'?"
"I've heard it," Chee said.
"Don't you believe in justice? Don't you believe that things need to be evened up?"
Chee shrugged. "Why not?" he said. As a matter of fact, the concept seemed as strange to him as the idea that someone with money would steal had seemed to Mrs. Musket. Someone who violated basic rules of behavior and harmed you was, by Navajo definition, "out of control." The "dark wind" had entered him and destroyed his judgement. One avoided such persons, and worried about them, and was pleased if they were cured of this temporary insanity and returned again to hozro. But to Chee's Navajo mine, the idea of punishing them would be as insane as the original act. He understood it was a common attitude the the white culture, but he'd never before encountered it so directly.
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