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Leaphorn & Chee #13
The First Eagle
The Barnes & Noble Review
The great ones don't just give us stories and characters and plots and locales. The great ones give us worlds, fully imagined, fully detailed. Nero Wolfe's brownstone. Agatha Christie's English village. Raymond Chandler's Southern California. And now, Tony Hillerman's world of Navajo culture.
The great ones don't just give us stories and characters and plots and locales. The great ones give us worlds, fully imagined, fully detailed. Nero Wolfe's brownstone. Agatha Christie's English village. Raymond Chandler's Southern California. And now, Tony Hillerman's world of Navajo culture.
The opening chapter of the new book is especially noteworthy because it seems to belong in a Robin Cook or Michael Crichton medical thriller a man is dying of what appears to be the plague known as the Black Death. Hillerman makes the hospital scene, with all its high-tech equipment, even more frightening by adding touches of dour humor. This is a Tony Hillerman novel, a couple of doctors (one a cutting-edge microbiologist) arguing over the wisdom of giving a possibly dangerous corpse an autopsy?
Not to worry. We soon see Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, our friendly Navajo detectives (albeit, one of them no longer official), and we soon see the familiar daily hassles that make Hillerman's police procedurals so believable. Sexual harassment raises its ugly head. A police secretary gets peeved when she isn't let in on all the secrets. And Hillerman gets in his inevitable dig at Washington, D.C., politics as regards Native Americans: 'Kinsman's grandmother, who spoke only Navajo, had been relocated in Flagstaff where almost nobody speaks Navajo.' And again, Hillerman's wily, deadpan humor: 'By mid-afternoon the next day the Jeep was found. If you discount driving about 200 miles back and forth, and some of it over roads far too primitive even to be listed on Chee's AAAIndianCountry road map, the whole project proved to be remarkably easy.'
The observational details in this new book are quiet but spectacularly realized, such as the unpretentious doctor: '[He] was looking at his black plastic digital [watch] which obviously hadn't been bought to impress the sort of people who are impressed by expensive watches.' Or Navajo wisdom: 'Always liked that about you guys. Four days of grief and mourning for the spirit, and then get on with life. How did we white folks get into this corpse worship business? It's just dead meat, and dangerous to boot.' Or the sly, wry Hillerman humor: 'About a month into his first semester at Arizona State, Leaphorn had overcome the tendency of young Navajos to think that all white people look alike.'
Hillerman has a poet's way with the land. He rightly understands that his entire drama is being played out against a ragged and rugged land that is as much a participant in the drama as Chee and Leaphorn themselves. Without getting corny or patronizing, he's able to convey the Navajo reverence for the land and to differentiate how the white man and the Native American view the planet. He is also wise enough not to depict all white people as know-nothing boobs. Boobism is, alas, something shared by all cultures. There's plenty to go around. Hillerman stage-manages all the various plot points the brain-dead cop, the missing woman, the possible plague, the violent eagle skillfully and subtly. None of the seams show. And he does it all with a lively, easygoing style that never calls attention to itself, never jars the reader out of the world he's creating before our eyes.
There's a simple reason for Tony Hillerman's popularity. He's one of the best mystery writers who ever lived. Ed Gorman
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 1998
About the author
Tony Hillerman
238 books1,919 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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September 25, 2025
LA PRIMA AQUILA
L’altra volta (Skinwalkers - La notte degli sciamani) l’indagine di Joe Leaphorn e Jim Chee si intrecciava alle credenze magiche dei nativi americani, lo sciamanesimo, il malocchio, gli skinwalker, e cioè i vampiri indiani: questa volta Leaphorn è andato in pensione e s’impegna nel suo primo caso da detective privato senza licenza (dilettante?), John Chee ha preso i gradi di tenente, comanda una squadra di polizia, il primo cerca una donna bianca scomparsa, il secondo ha catturato un bracconiere (le aquile sono la preda che insegue, e infatti il titolo originale è The First Eagle) accusato dell’omicidio di un agente della polizia indiana che faticava a tenere tranquillo il suo testosterone.
E le due indagini sono annodate a un’ampia ricerca medica che parte dalla peste del 1918 (spagnola) per arrivare a batteri e virus che dagli animali del deserto (cani della prateria, ratti canguro, roditori in genere, ecc.) si trasmettono agli umani, e sono letali, dato che ormai l’abuso di antibiotici ha reso la moderna farmacologia impotente.
L’ambientazione è la stessa dell’altra volta: la Navajo Nation, in particolare quella zona che in US chiamano Four Corners, il nordest dell’Arizona al confine con Utah, New Mexico e Colorado. Una parte di mondo dove si possono seguire indicazioni stradali così:
Prenda la 264 e svolti a destra sulla strada sterrata a dieci chilometri dall’incrocio dalla 160. Prosegua per una trentina di chilometri finché non trova un sentiero che porta alla Black Mesa. “Okay”, disse Leaphorn, pensando che quella doveva essere la strada che attraversava l’altipiano Moenkopi e portava a Goldtooth e al limitare nordoccidentale della Riserva Hopi fino a Dinnebito Wash e alla Garces Mesa. Era una strada che non si poteva percorrere se non si era fatto il pieno e non si aveva la ruota di scorta pronta.
È così che Tony Hillerman innesta i suoi gialli, con ricchi e dettagliati elementi che spaziano dall’etnologia alla biochimica. Rendendoli doppiamente interessanti e gustosi.
E ha la capacità di rendere semplice e comprensibile sia un caso di omicidio che le indagini che seguono, sia la scienza o le pratiche magiche che una storia d’amore che fa male.
E per quanto scriva storie seriali, riesce a essere sempre originale e conclusivo, e aver letto prima quelle che precedono aiuta, rende il quadro più chiaro, ma non è indispensabile.
L’altra volta (Skinwalkers - La notte degli sciamani) l’indagine di Joe Leaphorn e Jim Chee si intrecciava alle credenze magiche dei nativi americani, lo sciamanesimo, il malocchio, gli skinwalker, e cioè i vampiri indiani: questa volta Leaphorn è andato in pensione e s’impegna nel suo primo caso da detective privato senza licenza (dilettante?), John Chee ha preso i gradi di tenente, comanda una squadra di polizia, il primo cerca una donna bianca scomparsa, il secondo ha catturato un bracconiere (le aquile sono la preda che insegue, e infatti il titolo originale è The First Eagle) accusato dell’omicidio di un agente della polizia indiana che faticava a tenere tranquillo il suo testosterone.
E le due indagini sono annodate a un’ampia ricerca medica che parte dalla peste del 1918 (spagnola) per arrivare a batteri e virus che dagli animali del deserto (cani della prateria, ratti canguro, roditori in genere, ecc.) si trasmettono agli umani, e sono letali, dato che ormai l’abuso di antibiotici ha reso la moderna farmacologia impotente.
L’ambientazione è la stessa dell’altra volta: la Navajo Nation, in particolare quella zona che in US chiamano Four Corners, il nordest dell’Arizona al confine con Utah, New Mexico e Colorado. Una parte di mondo dove si possono seguire indicazioni stradali così:
Prenda la 264 e svolti a destra sulla strada sterrata a dieci chilometri dall’incrocio dalla 160. Prosegua per una trentina di chilometri finché non trova un sentiero che porta alla Black Mesa. “Okay”, disse Leaphorn, pensando che quella doveva essere la strada che attraversava l’altipiano Moenkopi e portava a Goldtooth e al limitare nordoccidentale della Riserva Hopi fino a Dinnebito Wash e alla Garces Mesa. Era una strada che non si poteva percorrere se non si era fatto il pieno e non si aveva la ruota di scorta pronta.
È così che Tony Hillerman innesta i suoi gialli, con ricchi e dettagliati elementi che spaziano dall’etnologia alla biochimica. Rendendoli doppiamente interessanti e gustosi.
E ha la capacità di rendere semplice e comprensibile sia un caso di omicidio che le indagini che seguono, sia la scienza o le pratiche magiche che una storia d’amore che fa male.
E per quanto scriva storie seriali, riesce a essere sempre originale e conclusivo, e aver letto prima quelle che precedono aiuta, rende il quadro più chiaro, ma non è indispensabile.
March 15, 2018
In The First Eagle, Tony Hillerman once again crafted a fresh and involving entry in his fine series about the Navajo Tribal Police. In this one, the retired Leaphorn is still at loose ends after a tragic death close to home. Chee, meanwhile, has become acting Lieutenant, but is having misgivings over the possibility that it will become permanent. There is a tad less of the Navajo mysticism in this entry, but the vast territory covered by the Navajo Tribal Police is given its due as always.
Hillerman dedicated The First Eagle to six officers who had given their lives in defense of their people from the time he wrote his first book until this one. It is only fitting that while keeping true to the Navajo atmosphere always present in the series, good police work and the very real dangers involved for the Tribal Police are brought to the forefront.
Leaphorn is asked to look for the missing Catherine Pollard. His unofficial inquiry will intersect with Chee's investigation into an officer's death. Chee's case is seemingly wrapped up, but may be more complex than it first appeared. Chee is chagrined to discover he is still a little intimidated by Leaphorn, but as the two cases cross paths, they will peel back the veneer and move closer to understanding one another.
This one has everything from poaching eagles to the possibility of the bubonic plague being spread all across the Navajo landscape. Why a pack of prairie dogs are unaffected, and an old Navajo woman who claims to have seen a skinwalker will figure greatly into the exciting conclusion to this one. The ending is also heartfelt for Chee, as his relationship with the pretty lawyer Janet begins to flame out, for she may be Navajo in name only after her time in Washington.
While this entry in the series is a bit different, I highly recommend it. Another fine read in one of the truly great mystery series which has often been copied, but never equaled.
Hillerman dedicated The First Eagle to six officers who had given their lives in defense of their people from the time he wrote his first book until this one. It is only fitting that while keeping true to the Navajo atmosphere always present in the series, good police work and the very real dangers involved for the Tribal Police are brought to the forefront.
Leaphorn is asked to look for the missing Catherine Pollard. His unofficial inquiry will intersect with Chee's investigation into an officer's death. Chee's case is seemingly wrapped up, but may be more complex than it first appeared. Chee is chagrined to discover he is still a little intimidated by Leaphorn, but as the two cases cross paths, they will peel back the veneer and move closer to understanding one another.
This one has everything from poaching eagles to the possibility of the bubonic plague being spread all across the Navajo landscape. Why a pack of prairie dogs are unaffected, and an old Navajo woman who claims to have seen a skinwalker will figure greatly into the exciting conclusion to this one. The ending is also heartfelt for Chee, as his relationship with the pretty lawyer Janet begins to flame out, for she may be Navajo in name only after her time in Washington.
While this entry in the series is a bit different, I highly recommend it. Another fine read in one of the truly great mystery series which has often been copied, but never equaled.
March 29, 2016
"Always liked that about you guys," he said. "Four days of grief and mourning for the spirit, and then get on with life. How did we white folks get into this corpse worship business? It's just dead meat, and dangerous to boot."
Surprisingly, this book is about The Plague. Some scientists on on the Rez testing prairie dog fleas for strains of The Plague.
One of the researchers, a 30-year-old woman, goes missing. Leaphorn is hired as a private detective by the woman's elderly relative to find her. She's missing and feared dead.
Chee is called in to assist an officer, Kinsman. I'm not sure what slur to call him, he's the kind of man who sexually harasses women, and gets in barfights with men. Not sure what you'd call that. A bully? Let's go with bully. Anyway, he's generally despised, even by Chee, and he's been sexually harassing Bernie, Chee's... um. The woman who has a crush on Chee.
When Chee finds Kinsman, he's lying dead and bloody on the ground, an equally bloody Hopi standing over him. Kinsman has been brained with a rock. Chee, of course, immediately arrests the Hopi for murder - ignoring his protests that he didn't kill Kinsman, he just stumbled upon the body.
Guess who's assigned to defend the Hopi? That's right. That F$&%ing @#$%* Janet Pete, whom Chee used to be in love with until she betrayed him in various ways and also made it clear she was unhappy about him and his life.
Chee needs this woman to come back in his life the way he needs a bullet in his thigh. ARGH. I hate her.
Okay. I have to calm down.
In true Hillerman fashion, the two seemingly unrelated cases end up coming together.
...
Jim Chee has a huge problem of letting go of failed relationships. He never makes a clean break with these women and always is vulnerable to them coming back into his life. He loves with his whole heart and is eternally, dopily optimistic.
Janet Pete was leaving Washington and coming back to Indian country. Her letter was friendly but cool, with no hint of romantic passion. Still, Janet was coming back, and after he finished with Kinsman he planned to call her. It would be a tentative exploratory call. Were they still engaged? Did she want to resume their prickly relationship? Bridge the gap? Actually get married? For that matter, did he?
Listen, honey, if you have to ask a woman if you two are still engaged, it means you're NOT. You haven't even seen her in a year. WTF?
And he's still endlessly fantasizing that they'll work it out.
When he'd exhausted all the dark corners that scenario offered, he turned to an alternative. Janet had come back to him. She'd be willing to live on the Big Rez, wife of a cop, living in what her friends would rate as slum housing, where high culture was a second-run movie. In that line of thought, love overcame all. But it wouldn't. She'd yearn for the life she'd given up. He would see it. They'd be miserable.
Yeah. It's never going to happen, bub. Why don't you finally make a clean break with this traitorous less-than-a-woman?
In the meantime, it's rather strange that Leaphorn has transformed himself into some kind of high-end, unlicensed private investigator. o.O
And he and Chee are still not what I would call friends, exactly.
Chee sighed. Fate seemed to be tying him to his former boss again, endlessly renewing the sense of inferiority Chee felt in the presence of the Legendary Lieutenant.
Then we have Leaphorn's pseudo-relationship with Louisa. She was not mentioned (even casually) in the last book. It was like she'd dropped off the face of the earth. The reader was left wondering what in the hell happened. Now, she's popped up again, halfway through this book, and things are about as clear as mud.
She and Leaphorn are still NOT sleeping together, which startled me. Due to the ending of the 11th book, I'd thought they had become a (sexually active) couple, but then of course she was completely absent from the 12th book. In this book, it's revealed that they are a.) not having sex and b.) she was married once before, a fact Leaphorn learns with great surprise. And I'm thinking to myself: Leaphorn sucks just as much as Chee does at relationships. Don't these people ever TALK to their lovers? Like "Hey, are we going to be exclusive?" or "Are we just friends? Or are we dating?" Or "Have you ever been married? Do you have any children? I've known you for three years now, just thought maybe I should know." Etc. etc. It's RIDICULOUS.
It's seemed that Leaphorn has more or less determined (in his own mind) that he and Louisa have somehow decided - without speaking - that they are just going to be friends.
Why was he feeling illogically happy? Because the tension was gone with Louisa. No more feeling that he was betraying Emma or himself. Or that Louisa was expecting more from him than he could possibly deliver. She'd made it clear. They were friends.
CARMEN'S NOTE: She did not - in any way - make this clear.
Not to mention that he's still constantly and actively mourning Emma, his deceased wife.
The crisp, fresh sheets reminded him of Emma. Everything did. The morning breeze ruffled the curtains beside his head. Emma, too, always left their windows open to the outside air until Window Rock's bitter winter made it impractical. The curtains, too. He had teased her about that. "I didn't see curtains in your mother's hogan, Emma," he'd said. And she rewarded him with her tolerant smile and reminded him he'd moved her out of the hogan, and Navajos must remain in harmony with houses that needed curtains. That was one of the things he loved about her. One of the many. As numerous as the stars of a high country midnight.
Perhaps Louisa doesn't want to become involved in a romantic relationship with a man who is still so deeply in love with his dead wife? We'll never know because Leaphorn and Louisa NEVER CHOOSE TO FLIPPIN' COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. Sheesh.
Jim Chee's not doing so well with Janet Pete's return into his life. Therefore he does something that takes huge balls. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but I was very impressed.
And when the chips are down, Jim Chee is not really surprised. His move, in addition to being ballsy, was a sort of test to see if he could still love and trust her. But the scales are finally falling from his eyes (I hope and pray this time for good) and he's really seeing (even though he should have figured it out way earlier) what kind of person Janet is.
She said: "Damn you, Jim," and walked away.
Chee finished his coffee, listened to her car starting up and rolling across the parking-lot gravel. He felt numb. She had loved him once, in her way. He knew he'd loved her. Probably he still did. He'd know more about that tomorrow when the pain began.
I wish I could say this is the end of it, and he'll never foolishly start to want to date her again, but I know Jim Chee. He drags his dead relationships behind him for at least a year or two after they are over. He's a glutton for punishment. I have no idea what to do with him.
Tl;dr - A rather strange mystery that involves The Plague. Am I the only one who finds this weird?
Leaphorn and Chee continue to struggle to find romantic happiness with their respective women. Without much success. And they are still not really friends.
Surprisingly, this book is about The Plague. Some scientists on on the Rez testing prairie dog fleas for strains of The Plague.
One of the researchers, a 30-year-old woman, goes missing. Leaphorn is hired as a private detective by the woman's elderly relative to find her. She's missing and feared dead.
Chee is called in to assist an officer, Kinsman. I'm not sure what slur to call him, he's the kind of man who sexually harasses women, and gets in barfights with men. Not sure what you'd call that. A bully? Let's go with bully. Anyway, he's generally despised, even by Chee, and he's been sexually harassing Bernie, Chee's... um. The woman who has a crush on Chee.
When Chee finds Kinsman, he's lying dead and bloody on the ground, an equally bloody Hopi standing over him. Kinsman has been brained with a rock. Chee, of course, immediately arrests the Hopi for murder - ignoring his protests that he didn't kill Kinsman, he just stumbled upon the body.
Guess who's assigned to defend the Hopi? That's right. That F$&%ing @#$%* Janet Pete, whom Chee used to be in love with until she betrayed him in various ways and also made it clear she was unhappy about him and his life.
Chee needs this woman to come back in his life the way he needs a bullet in his thigh. ARGH. I hate her.
Okay. I have to calm down.
In true Hillerman fashion, the two seemingly unrelated cases end up coming together.
...
Jim Chee has a huge problem of letting go of failed relationships. He never makes a clean break with these women and always is vulnerable to them coming back into his life. He loves with his whole heart and is eternally, dopily optimistic.
Janet Pete was leaving Washington and coming back to Indian country. Her letter was friendly but cool, with no hint of romantic passion. Still, Janet was coming back, and after he finished with Kinsman he planned to call her. It would be a tentative exploratory call. Were they still engaged? Did she want to resume their prickly relationship? Bridge the gap? Actually get married? For that matter, did he?
Listen, honey, if you have to ask a woman if you two are still engaged, it means you're NOT. You haven't even seen her in a year. WTF?
And he's still endlessly fantasizing that they'll work it out.
When he'd exhausted all the dark corners that scenario offered, he turned to an alternative. Janet had come back to him. She'd be willing to live on the Big Rez, wife of a cop, living in what her friends would rate as slum housing, where high culture was a second-run movie. In that line of thought, love overcame all. But it wouldn't. She'd yearn for the life she'd given up. He would see it. They'd be miserable.
Yeah. It's never going to happen, bub. Why don't you finally make a clean break with this traitorous less-than-a-woman?
In the meantime, it's rather strange that Leaphorn has transformed himself into some kind of high-end, unlicensed private investigator. o.O
And he and Chee are still not what I would call friends, exactly.
Chee sighed. Fate seemed to be tying him to his former boss again, endlessly renewing the sense of inferiority Chee felt in the presence of the Legendary Lieutenant.
Then we have Leaphorn's pseudo-relationship with Louisa. She was not mentioned (even casually) in the last book. It was like she'd dropped off the face of the earth. The reader was left wondering what in the hell happened. Now, she's popped up again, halfway through this book, and things are about as clear as mud.
She and Leaphorn are still NOT sleeping together, which startled me. Due to the ending of the 11th book, I'd thought they had become a (sexually active) couple, but then of course she was completely absent from the 12th book. In this book, it's revealed that they are a.) not having sex and b.) she was married once before, a fact Leaphorn learns with great surprise. And I'm thinking to myself: Leaphorn sucks just as much as Chee does at relationships. Don't these people ever TALK to their lovers? Like "Hey, are we going to be exclusive?" or "Are we just friends? Or are we dating?" Or "Have you ever been married? Do you have any children? I've known you for three years now, just thought maybe I should know." Etc. etc. It's RIDICULOUS.
It's seemed that Leaphorn has more or less determined (in his own mind) that he and Louisa have somehow decided - without speaking - that they are just going to be friends.
Why was he feeling illogically happy? Because the tension was gone with Louisa. No more feeling that he was betraying Emma or himself. Or that Louisa was expecting more from him than he could possibly deliver. She'd made it clear. They were friends.
CARMEN'S NOTE: She did not - in any way - make this clear.
Not to mention that he's still constantly and actively mourning Emma, his deceased wife.
The crisp, fresh sheets reminded him of Emma. Everything did. The morning breeze ruffled the curtains beside his head. Emma, too, always left their windows open to the outside air until Window Rock's bitter winter made it impractical. The curtains, too. He had teased her about that. "I didn't see curtains in your mother's hogan, Emma," he'd said. And she rewarded him with her tolerant smile and reminded him he'd moved her out of the hogan, and Navajos must remain in harmony with houses that needed curtains. That was one of the things he loved about her. One of the many. As numerous as the stars of a high country midnight.
Perhaps Louisa doesn't want to become involved in a romantic relationship with a man who is still so deeply in love with his dead wife? We'll never know because Leaphorn and Louisa NEVER CHOOSE TO FLIPPIN' COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. Sheesh.
Jim Chee's not doing so well with Janet Pete's return into his life. Therefore he does something that takes huge balls. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but I was very impressed.
And when the chips are down, Jim Chee is not really surprised. His move, in addition to being ballsy, was a sort of test to see if he could still love and trust her. But the scales are finally falling from his eyes (I hope and pray this time for good) and he's really seeing (even though he should have figured it out way earlier) what kind of person Janet is.
She said: "Damn you, Jim," and walked away.
Chee finished his coffee, listened to her car starting up and rolling across the parking-lot gravel. He felt numb. She had loved him once, in her way. He knew he'd loved her. Probably he still did. He'd know more about that tomorrow when the pain began.
I wish I could say this is the end of it, and he'll never foolishly start to want to date her again, but I know Jim Chee. He drags his dead relationships behind him for at least a year or two after they are over. He's a glutton for punishment. I have no idea what to do with him.
Tl;dr - A rather strange mystery that involves The Plague. Am I the only one who finds this weird?
Leaphorn and Chee continue to struggle to find romantic happiness with their respective women. Without much success. And they are still not really friends.
December 25, 2018
Another one of those great books about Leaphorn & Chee. I never tire of them for fast reads, mysterious doings and just learning of things I never thought of or ever pondered. This one has been on my want to read for ever. So glad I finally got around to reading it. My pledge for 2019 (hopefully) is to read those long ago put on my Want to Reads. Merry Christmas Y’all.
August 2, 2023
Things are changing in the series.
Joe Leaphorn is getting bored in retirement. Jim Chee is acting Lt. Chee finds a known eagle poacher kneeling over the body of a policeman. A scientist disappeared from the same area not long ago. A rich lady hires Leaphorn to find the scientist, while Chee is trying to make sure the case against the poacher is air tight. The poacher's attorney turns out to be Janice, with whom Chee has quite the romantic history. Bernie is starting to take up more space in the series.
Pretty good, about middling for the series.
Joe Leaphorn is getting bored in retirement. Jim Chee is acting Lt. Chee finds a known eagle poacher kneeling over the body of a policeman. A scientist disappeared from the same area not long ago. A rich lady hires Leaphorn to find the scientist, while Chee is trying to make sure the case against the poacher is air tight. The poacher's attorney turns out to be Janice, with whom Chee has quite the romantic history. Bernie is starting to take up more space in the series.
Pretty good, about middling for the series.
August 14, 2024
When bubonic plague kills a man in two days rather than closer to two weeks on the reservations, an immunologist and two "flea hunters" start looking for the mutant strains of fleas among the rodents. Catherine Pollard, one of the "flea hunters" doesn't return. Her aunt contacts retired Legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn to try to find her.
Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee has another problem on the same day. He goes to provide backup for one of his officers, Ben Kinsman, in an eagle poaching case, only to find Kinsman dying and the bloody poacher standing over him. Chee arrests the poacher, but when Kinsman dies, a power-hungry DA determines to seek the death penalty. The poacher insists that he was only getting the eagle for a Hopi ceremony and that he did not attack Kinsman, but his lawyer, who might still be Chee's fiancée or maybe not, raises doubts in Chee's mind.
As Chee and Leaphorn help each other, their cases come together for a spectacular conclusion.
Hillerman's description of the reservations turns the setting into a character along with his distinctive human characters. The two plots begin separately, then intertwine. Hillerman is a master of the red herring and of page-turning suspense. There's some bad language but no open violence or sex.
Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee has another problem on the same day. He goes to provide backup for one of his officers, Ben Kinsman, in an eagle poaching case, only to find Kinsman dying and the bloody poacher standing over him. Chee arrests the poacher, but when Kinsman dies, a power-hungry DA determines to seek the death penalty. The poacher insists that he was only getting the eagle for a Hopi ceremony and that he did not attack Kinsman, but his lawyer, who might still be Chee's fiancée or maybe not, raises doubts in Chee's mind.
As Chee and Leaphorn help each other, their cases come together for a spectacular conclusion.
Hillerman's description of the reservations turns the setting into a character along with his distinctive human characters. The two plots begin separately, then intertwine. Hillerman is a master of the red herring and of page-turning suspense. There's some bad language but no open violence or sex.
May 3, 2015
There are many things to like about Tony Hillerman's Navajo Tribal Police mysteries, yet foremost (in my mind at least) is how he builds them on relationships. In this story, the relationship between Joe Leaphorn and Louisa Bourbonette continues to evolve. It finds a comfortable place in friendship. Also, the Jim Chee and Janet Pete relationship continues its brittle slide as Chee follows his concise to help a wrongly arrested man gain freedom. Then, there is the budding of a relationship with Officer Bernie Manuelito as Chee comes to accept the crush she has on him. And, finally, there is the evolving friendship between Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn. All of these are carried forward in this story as the tapestry against which the mystery is woven.
March 18, 2018
Another great Chee and Leaphorn mystery. These age very well and I learn something about being human from each and every one.
February 17, 2017
Hillerman writes such good mysteries, and this is no exception. Even though they all have the same basic storyline when you boil it down, he never fails to surprise with a plot twist at the end that both catches you off-guard and explains everything (or almost everything). I also enjoy the bits of Navajo culture that he throws in each book.
December 19, 2010
This really had everything I want in a mystery: decent writing, evocative setting, and reflections on relationships: ethical, romantic and fraternal. Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and "Cowboy" all love each other; other characters support that love. It's worth taking to heart. The plot: a bit clunky, but only because it wasn't the point. The plot was adequate to carry the rest, and even clever. I've been thinking about the ending and it's satisfying.
The author mentions two other books in passing, which I found unusual. I took note of the second, Execution Eve by Bill Buchanan. (Can someone else find the first? and note it in the comments?)
One more odd note: the elongated spacing on page 239 of the hard cover: "No, he'd do it if he had to." Made me wonder. Deliberate? Probably not, but effective, nonetheless. Final note: MAPS. Why can't his books have maps? I go crazy wanting one when reading his novels.
The author mentions two other books in passing, which I found unusual. I took note of the second, Execution Eve by Bill Buchanan. (Can someone else find the first? and note it in the comments?)
One more odd note: the elongated spacing on page 239 of the hard cover: "No, he'd do it if he had to." Made me wonder. Deliberate? Probably not, but effective, nonetheless. Final note: MAPS. Why can't his books have maps? I go crazy wanting one when reading his novels.
June 16, 2021
I’m so sad 😭 Janet, why did you have to do this?
I liked the reappearance of Louisa as a friend and partner for Leaphorn, too. If he is staying in the PI business I just may be able to handle it if Louisa is along for the ride.
I liked the reappearance of Louisa as a friend and partner for Leaphorn, too. If he is staying in the PI business I just may be able to handle it if Louisa is along for the ride.
June 28, 2020
Very boring story. Better writing than average for Hillerman.
April 21, 2020
This book has all the classic elements of a Tony Hillerman book: cultural conflicts, personality clashes, professional cooperation and the beautiful scenery of the Southwest. In this book, Jim Chee himself finds the body of a fellow Navajo Tribal Police officer. Bending over the body and bloodied is a Hopi poacher. He has come to traditional Hopi land to capture an eagle for his tribal ritual, even though the land is currently part of the Navajo reservation. He had been arrested for the crime of eagle poaching before by the same police officer, so the motive seems clear. Chee soon discovers the Hopi man will be represented by his former lover, Janet Pete.
Meanwhile, Leaphorn is investigating the disappearance of a young woman investigator who is researching the plague outbreaks in the same part of the reservation. The dead officer had drunkenly assaulted her in a bar just before he was found dead. Had she killed him?
Throughout the book, there is a lot of discussion about bacterial immunity to antibiotics and the threat of a rampaging virus similar to the influenza outbreak of 1918 which killed forty million people. This part of the book has a resonance for the reader in April 2020 that was not present when the book was first published in 1998. The book gets a bit confusing because there are three different male investigators as well as the missing female. It is up to Chee and Leaphorn to figure it out and the way they work together to find the truth is what makes these books so satisfying to read in these troubled times.
Meanwhile, Leaphorn is investigating the disappearance of a young woman investigator who is researching the plague outbreaks in the same part of the reservation. The dead officer had drunkenly assaulted her in a bar just before he was found dead. Had she killed him?
Throughout the book, there is a lot of discussion about bacterial immunity to antibiotics and the threat of a rampaging virus similar to the influenza outbreak of 1918 which killed forty million people. This part of the book has a resonance for the reader in April 2020 that was not present when the book was first published in 1998. The book gets a bit confusing because there are three different male investigators as well as the missing female. It is up to Chee and Leaphorn to figure it out and the way they work together to find the truth is what makes these books so satisfying to read in these troubled times.
March 24, 2025
A fellow Navajo Officer (who wasn't the best person) is murdered on the job and Chee catches the perp literally red-handed.
But is it that simple?
Of course not.
Leaphorn is drawn into another PI contract to find a missing woman by her wealthy aunt. She just happened to disappear in the same area as the murdered officer... on the same day.
So more of the same with Chee and Leaphorn sort of collaborating to find answers in their awkward yet rather endearing post colleague's relationship.
And Janet Pete forever bugging the hell out of me with her attempts to lead Chee around by the *#$%.
But, there's Bernadette sneaking into Chee's peripheral vision.
This one was fun but not a fave and Janet Pete was infuriating. I still enjoyed it. I guessed the villain pretty early on. Partly because I did read this one years ago, but I remember guessing it early on that time too. Still a good read though.
But is it that simple?
Of course not.
Leaphorn is drawn into another PI contract to find a missing woman by her wealthy aunt. She just happened to disappear in the same area as the murdered officer... on the same day.
So more of the same with Chee and Leaphorn sort of collaborating to find answers in their awkward yet rather endearing post colleague's relationship.
And Janet Pete forever bugging the hell out of me with her attempts to lead Chee around by the *#$%.
But, there's Bernadette sneaking into Chee's peripheral vision.
This one was fun but not a fave and Janet Pete was infuriating. I still enjoyed it. I guessed the villain pretty early on. Partly because I did read this one years ago, but I remember guessing it early on that time too. Still a good read though.
December 30, 2010
From most authors, this would be an impressive book. From Hillerman, it is not. He was coasting with this one -- worth reading, but don't buy it unless, like me, you find it at the used bookstore.Yes, it has Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, and it's set on the reservation. But the precipitating conflict is between two non-Native American researchers on the reservation. Leaphorn gets hired by one of the researcher's parents to solve her disappearance. Glimpses of Navajo culture and thinking, and Hopi culture, are here. But they are only glimpses, of what was fully laid out in exquisite and compassionate detail in Hillerman's previous books. If you've heard great things about Hillerman, they're true -- but NOT in this book. Please start with one of his others.
September 29, 2023
All the virus/bacteria stuff was very interesting, since now we've been through a viral pandemic. I had no idea plague was still going around. Sometime the good of the many does not outweigh the good of the one or few. And I really enjoy the relationships of Leaphorn and Louise as well as Leaphorn and Chee.
March 24, 2025
This is one of Mr. Hillerman’s better novels. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve liked all of them, especially since my childhood was spent growing up in New Mexico, but I enjoyed this one immensely. I got caught up in all of the emotions, and felt Chee’s pain. Definitely a great read!
June 15, 2023
8/10
Once again Retired Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee work on a murder and a disappearance, coming at the mysteries from different places but ultimately working together to solve them. And their personal lives get some resolution, too. Very satisfying.
Once again Retired Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee work on a murder and a disappearance, coming at the mysteries from different places but ultimately working together to solve them. And their personal lives get some resolution, too. Very satisfying.
June 3, 2020
I read quite a few Tony Hillerman books in the past but this is the first I've read in the last decade. [I have very much enjoyed the Chee/Manuleto/Leaphorn tradition as carried on in the books by Hillerman's daughter, Anne.] The First Eagle was especially topical because it deals with a viral epidemic and search for a treatment. Of course, there are murders and other crimes encountered within this context. Particularly interesting is the "telling of the story" in that there are two converging investigations - one by Leaphorn and one by Chee. Although both revolve around elements of a plague, they are looking into different police matters. As the story unfolds, Chee and Leaphorn end up being drawn to some of the same places and interviewing separately the same people. In the course of their independent examination of the facts, they are like two blind men trying to discern composition of the elephant in front of them. Often the reader is privy to facts that each has learned but facts that are only partly unavailable to the other detective. It really does promote an opportunity for a little smugness seldom offered a mystery reader - who is often kept in the dark about certain critical information until the denouement. The story is a good one and the resolution generally satisfying. It reminded why I have always enjoyed the Hillerman(s)'s series.
February 9, 2016
Note: I just read this book for the 2nd time - I still do not think Louisa is necessary and she is still really irritating.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Pretty good, except for the totally annoying presence of Louisa Bourbonette, whose "collaboration" Joe Leaphorn is completely improbable. I readily acknowledge that she pisses me off because I am loyal to Leaphorn's late wife, Emma, who was a solid, loveable, intelligent, and dignified woman who occupied an equal yet separate domain of the marriage. She did not try to tag along, and although Leaphorn readily shared his thoughts with her and appreciated her perspective, she was not part of the investigation. She did not ride along; she did not put her two cents in (about the case) to his coworkers, suspects, or other bystanders as the ubiquitous Louisa continues to do.
Okay, I grant that Leaphorn might be lonely for female companionship and that Emma would want him to be happy. But the whole portrayal of their association really, really irritates me. Am I the only one?
June 9, 2020
rating: 3.5
On page 138, when Chee thinks about Janet Pete, he finds himself remembering the dreary skies of Washington D.C., the swarms of young men entombed in three-piece suits and subdued by whatever neckties today's fashion demanded; the clamor, the sirens, the smell of the traffic, the layers upon layers of social phoniness.
That pretty much mirrors my thoughts about any big city, except my list of dislikes would be longer.
A little further down on the same page, Chee spotted a raptor circling overhead, a raptor that he determined was an eagle (the one in the title). When it turned, he noticed a gap in its fan of tail feathers. Probably an old one. Tail feathers aren't lost to molting.
Facts like that are intriguing. I did a google search and spent a few minutes reading about eagle molting. I didn't spot much about tail feathers. Now I'm wondering. Is it true that eagles don't molt their tail feathers?
On page 138, when Chee thinks about Janet Pete, he finds himself remembering the dreary skies of Washington D.C., the swarms of young men entombed in three-piece suits and subdued by whatever neckties today's fashion demanded; the clamor, the sirens, the smell of the traffic, the layers upon layers of social phoniness.
That pretty much mirrors my thoughts about any big city, except my list of dislikes would be longer.
A little further down on the same page, Chee spotted a raptor circling overhead, a raptor that he determined was an eagle (the one in the title). When it turned, he noticed a gap in its fan of tail feathers. Probably an old one. Tail feathers aren't lost to molting.
Facts like that are intriguing. I did a google search and spent a few minutes reading about eagle molting. I didn't spot much about tail feathers. Now I'm wondering. Is it true that eagles don't molt their tail feathers?
November 5, 2011
Tony Hillerman can always be counted on for a quick, enjoyable read. Unlike Patricia Cornwell's "Body Farm" I recently reviewed it doesn't have the handicap of sounding a bit dated no matter when it was published. That's because these mystery solvers don't rely on the latest forensics & computers to come up with the solution. It has to do with relationships. Relationships to their culture, community, & most of all the land of the four corners area of the American Southwest. The space & spirit of this special area is integral to the story lifting me out of my urban setting to soar, at least for a little while, over ancient vistas. Glimpsing with some slight understanding of another world view that often seems superior. Oh yeah, and there's usually a damn good mystery to go along with it. "The First Eagle" is certainly no exception.
December 28, 2014
A murder mystery and a medical mystery coincide with the appearance of bubonic plague on the reservation. The usual FBI swaggers appear as comic relief in the Hillerman style, referred to by Navajo Police Detective Jim Chee as the Federal Bureau of Incompetence.
With the rich cultural backdrops, the brusque Feds always manage to overlook the sensitive worldview issues. They come off looking stupid due to their arrogance and ignorance of the local factors in a case. George Guidall's clear vocal acting enables us to identify and follow the interaction of the generous cast of characters peopling this Hillerman novel.
In this story, a sideline plot is very important as Jim Chee undergoes training to become a shaman. The Mystical aspects of the culture flow along with the ominous challenges of the black death. Science and the supernatural cooperate to solve this mystery.
With the rich cultural backdrops, the brusque Feds always manage to overlook the sensitive worldview issues. They come off looking stupid due to their arrogance and ignorance of the local factors in a case. George Guidall's clear vocal acting enables us to identify and follow the interaction of the generous cast of characters peopling this Hillerman novel.
In this story, a sideline plot is very important as Jim Chee undergoes training to become a shaman. The Mystical aspects of the culture flow along with the ominous challenges of the black death. Science and the supernatural cooperate to solve this mystery.
September 8, 2020
I selected this novel on the recommendation of a friend who knew I had visited Canyon de Chelly and spent some time camping on the Navajo Reservation and visiting some of the local sights.
Murder mysteries are not a literary genre I usually read, but I found this one interesting in that I recognized many of the locations (Window Rock, Hopi Cultural Center, Tuba City, Moenkoepi, Chinle, etc.) and could relate to the descriptions of the environment (the desert air, landscape, etc.).
This was a fairly quick read and fun read, but probably not a genre to which I will return soon. I do appreciate the respect and dignity with which Hillerman displays the Hopi and Navajo characters and learned a bit about the unique status of the Navajo nation--a nation within a nation!
Murder mysteries are not a literary genre I usually read, but I found this one interesting in that I recognized many of the locations (Window Rock, Hopi Cultural Center, Tuba City, Moenkoepi, Chinle, etc.) and could relate to the descriptions of the environment (the desert air, landscape, etc.).
This was a fairly quick read and fun read, but probably not a genre to which I will return soon. I do appreciate the respect and dignity with which Hillerman displays the Hopi and Navajo characters and learned a bit about the unique status of the Navajo nation--a nation within a nation!
October 9, 2014
This book is especially resonant in the age of Ebola. Tony Hillerman and Edward Abbey are the great champions of of the Southwest, though only Hillerman embraces the natural world as an active character in his novels. That world seizes primacy in First Eagle. Old friends Leaphorn, Chee and McGinnes have their thoughtful conversations, but they and the other characters float upon deadly, murderous currents. In trying to resolve the death of a murdered policeman and the fate of a missing woman, the detectives clarify a deeper paradox: a natural world of unsurpassed beauty that seeks to kill us with merciless diseases.
January 13, 2017
Now retired, Joe Leaphorn, is bored so he takes the case for a family trying to find a young woman, who had been working on a plague epidemic on Navajo land. Meanwhile, his former colleague, Jim Chee, now acting Lieutenant for the Navajo Tribal Police, is wrapping up what seems the brutal murder of a fellow officer by a Hopi eagle poacher. While they seem unrelated, things start to show that there may be a connection between the two cases and Chee and Leaphorn find themselves again working together.
One of my personal favorite series, Hillerman was one of the better writers of contemporary mysteries.
One of my personal favorite series, Hillerman was one of the better writers of contemporary mysteries.
September 9, 2024
Very satisfying book in Navajo Tribal Police series. There is good feeling of place and local customs, combined with a good crime mystery. It is interesting to see ways in which knowledge of Navajo customs and local people played a part in police investigation.
There are conflicts involving a struggling romance. To my mind, that was not really a necessary component of the story, but it did serve in furthering development of characters who can be expected to show up in future books in the series. Good book.
There are conflicts involving a struggling romance. To my mind, that was not really a necessary component of the story, but it did serve in furthering development of characters who can be expected to show up in future books in the series. Good book.
November 6, 2015
I think because I am reading this series in order, I love the stories even more than I did the first time. Characters that show up sporadically in the books are fresher in my mind and therefore I don't spend time trying to remember their back story.
This book is not as enjoyable if you have not read previous Leaphorn/Chee stories. I loved everything about this story.
I am sadly getting closer to the final Tony Hillerman story.
This book is not as enjoyable if you have not read previous Leaphorn/Chee stories. I loved everything about this story.
I am sadly getting closer to the final Tony Hillerman story.
March 17, 2011
This really had everything I want in a good book: decent writing, intriguing setting, and reflections on relationships: both ethical and romantic. Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and "Cowboy" all love each other; other characters support that love. It's worth taking to heart. The plot: a bit different, but only because it wasn't the point. The plot was clever.
October 26, 2007
Lots of intresting details, good research, but I was not really in suspence. Really wonderfull charecters too.
Later-I discussed this with a goodreads friend and 2 others and came to relize this was #14 in a series. I may go back and read #1 down the road. The anthropology was a blast.
Later-I discussed this with a goodreads friend and 2 others and came to relize this was #14 in a series. I may go back and read #1 down the road. The anthropology was a blast.
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