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Leaphorn & Chee #2
Dance Hall of the Dead
Two Native-American boys have vanished into thin air, leaving a pool of blood behind them. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police has no choice but to suspect the very worst, since the blood that stains the parched New Mexican ground once flowed through the veins of one of the missing, a young Zuñi. But his investigation into a terrible crime is being complicated by an important archaeological dig . . . and a steel hypodermic needle. And the unique laws and sacred religious rites of the Zuñi people are throwing impassable roadblocks in Leaphorn's already twisted path, enabling a craven murderer to elude justice or, worse still, to kill again.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1973
1845 people are currently reading
4416 people want to read
About the author
Tony Hillerman
220 books1,848 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 1,071 reviews
June 25, 2018
4 stars
I have been reading Tony Hillerman books for almost 30 years. Now, with the help of Goodreads, I am going back and reading all the ones that I missed. I have enjoyed every single one, and strongly recommend this series, probably reading it in order, unlike me. Hillerman was so respected by his portrayal of the Navajo nation, that they adopted him into the tribe. In this book, Lt. Joe Leaphorn is assigned to look for a missing Navajo youth who may have been present at the murder of a Zuni youth.
Two more people die before Leaphorn solves the case. The book is filled with descriptions of Navajo & Zuni rituals and beliefs.
One quote--Dedication: "For Alex Atcitty and Old Man Madman and all the others who agree that Custer had it coming."
This was a library book. Thank goodness for interlibrary loan!!
I have been reading Tony Hillerman books for almost 30 years. Now, with the help of Goodreads, I am going back and reading all the ones that I missed. I have enjoyed every single one, and strongly recommend this series, probably reading it in order, unlike me. Hillerman was so respected by his portrayal of the Navajo nation, that they adopted him into the tribe. In this book, Lt. Joe Leaphorn is assigned to look for a missing Navajo youth who may have been present at the murder of a Zuni youth.
Two more people die before Leaphorn solves the case. The book is filled with descriptions of Navajo & Zuni rituals and beliefs.
One quote--Dedication: "For Alex Atcitty and Old Man Madman and all the others who agree that Custer had it coming."
This was a library book. Thank goodness for interlibrary loan!!
June 1, 2024
♠️ Deep dark mystery, as deep and dark as are the ways of men and the ways of the gods. It will be difficult for you to solve it for you will be caught up in the labyrinth of intrigue. You will not easily untangle yourself from the story at the end. Everything will remain murky and incomprehensible♣️
October 29, 2015
It seemed to him that a single homicide could be thought of as a unit - as something in which an act of violence contained beginning and end, cause and result. But two homicides linked by time, place, participants and, most important, motivation presented something more complex. The unit became a sequence, the dot became a line, and lines tended to extend, to lead places, to move in directions.
I wasn't even going to continue with this series.
The first book, The Blessing Way, was a horrible combination of boredom and confusion. "Why were these books so popular?" I wondered. I DNFed. Then I came back and forced myself to finish it.
I would have abandoned the series, but circumstances beyond my control motivated me to pick up the second book.
And I'm glad I did. This is scads better than the first novel - well, it would have been difficult to be WORSE.
This book continues following Navajo cop Joe Leaphorn. In the first book, Leaphorn had no personality and no character. He was boring and lifeless. Here, in the second book, he finally comes alive. And he shapes up to be a mensch in this book. I was pleasantly surprised. It was nice enough that the guy finally had a personality, but to find out he was a mensch was almost too good to be true.
...
There's a discomfort between the Navajo and the Zuñi people. The Zuñi believe themselves to be superior to the Navajo. As an example of this, the book states that Zuñi make "Navajo jokes" the same way white people would make derogatory jokes about the Polish. (This is 1973. The book uses a slur instead of the word "Polish").
A Zuñi boy and a Navajo boy are friends. This in itself is rather strange. The Zuñi boy is going to be the Little Fire God in an upcoming ritual, and is slated to be great among his people. The Navajo boy is "crazy" and obsessed with anything mystical. Together, they get in a lot of trouble.
But when huge quantities of blood are found soaking the desert, the Zuñi boy is missing. Could his Navajo friend have killed him? Or are there more powerful and sinister forces at work?
...
Hillerman is probably the basis for how Native American mysteries are treated and written today. He was a white man, but he wrote about Navajo and other tribes' cultures with respect and from an very educated viewpoint. Remember, this was the 1970s, and so he was doing a rather radical thing. Modern-day authors (such as William Kent Krueger) likely have roots in his work.
But it's also worthy of note that these Navajo series made him a rich man. (He was New Mexico's 22nd wealthiest man in 1996, according to Wikipedia). So take him and interpret him, his motives, his life, and his work in whatever way you want. I don't know enough about him to pass any kind of judgment. He's dead - but his daughter, Anne Hillerman, is continuing the series (Spider Woman's Daughter).
...
This book, just like Book 1, is steeped in tradition, rituals, medicine, and myths of the Navajo and Zuñi tribes. It also focuses heavily on the landscape and environment of New Mexico. The saving grace here is that Hillerman decided to grant us some character development in this novel. In The Blessing Way, Joe Leaphorn might as well have been a piece of drywall for all the emotion and personality we got from him.
Here, Joe Leaphorn is becoming a paler and weaker version of Spenser. And we all know that Spenser is a real mensch. Joe Leaphorn was also acting like a mensch in this book. (If he keeps it up in subsequent books, then he will be an actual mensch instead of just acting like one. His true-mensch status is yet to be determined.)
In this book we can admire Leaphorn's interrogation skills: buy information with cigarettes.
"Do you sometimes smoke a cigarette?" he asked Cecil. He extended the pack.
Cecil took one. "Sometimes it is good," he said.
"It's never good. It hurts the lungs. But sometimes it is necessary, and therefore one does it."
Cigarettes are as good as cash in some places. ;)
He also does stuff like has mercy on children, even children whom he is investigating in a murder.
Cecil's expression said he was wondering how this policeman could have forgotten that, and then he knew Leaphorn hadn't forgotten. The boy's face was briefly angry, then simply forlorn. He looked away.
"To hell with it," Leaphorn said. "Look, Cecil. I was trying to screw you around. Trying to trick you into telling me more than you want to tell me. Well, to hell with that. He's your brother. You think about it and then you tell me just what you'd want a policeman to know. And remember, it won't be just me you're telling. I've got to pass it on - most of it, anyway - to the Zuñi police. So be careful not to tell me anything you think would hurt your brother."
He has mercy on women.
He intended to keep talking just as long as she needed him to talk so that she could cry without embarrassment.
He takes women out of bad situations when he has no obligation to do so.
"We'll go get your stuff and we don't need to tell Halsey anything except that I'm taking you with me."
"Halsey won't like it," Susanne said. But she followed him down the path.
He stands up to assholes.
Halsey was standing in the path, hands in the pockets of the army fatigue jacket he was wearing, looking amused and insolent. He was a big man, tall and heavy in the shoulders. Leaphorn let his anger show in his voice.
"I'm just saying this once."
But the really important thing is that he values people over power, fame and material possessions.
Joe Leaphorn opened the camper door and stepped out in the snow. "I'm trying to learn more about white men," he said. "You wanted all that worse than you wanted your woman. What else will you give up for it?"
All this put together spells M-E-N-S-C-H. If he can keep up this kind of behavior I am going to be tickled pink with him. You know how I feel about men who conduct themselves in this manner.
...
Tl;dr - If you are thinking of never reading another Hillerman book again after consuming the godawful The Blessing Way - well, I can't blame you. That book is crap.
However, if you chose to persist in your Hillerman quest, you will be rewarded with this lovely second entry in the series. Very '70s, a stand-up protagonist, and some nicely crafted passages by Hillerman. We can only hope that the series will continue in this vein. But I honestly have no idea what will happen.
Wish me luck!
P.S. You can just skip The Blessing Way and start the series with this book. Actually, I'd advise you to do so. You are missing nothing, and the first book has no bearing whatsoever on this one.
I wasn't even going to continue with this series.
The first book, The Blessing Way, was a horrible combination of boredom and confusion. "Why were these books so popular?" I wondered. I DNFed. Then I came back and forced myself to finish it.
I would have abandoned the series, but circumstances beyond my control motivated me to pick up the second book.
And I'm glad I did. This is scads better than the first novel - well, it would have been difficult to be WORSE.
This book continues following Navajo cop Joe Leaphorn. In the first book, Leaphorn had no personality and no character. He was boring and lifeless. Here, in the second book, he finally comes alive. And he shapes up to be a mensch in this book. I was pleasantly surprised. It was nice enough that the guy finally had a personality, but to find out he was a mensch was almost too good to be true.
...
There's a discomfort between the Navajo and the Zuñi people. The Zuñi believe themselves to be superior to the Navajo. As an example of this, the book states that Zuñi make "Navajo jokes" the same way white people would make derogatory jokes about the Polish. (This is 1973. The book uses a slur instead of the word "Polish").
A Zuñi boy and a Navajo boy are friends. This in itself is rather strange. The Zuñi boy is going to be the Little Fire God in an upcoming ritual, and is slated to be great among his people. The Navajo boy is "crazy" and obsessed with anything mystical. Together, they get in a lot of trouble.
But when huge quantities of blood are found soaking the desert, the Zuñi boy is missing. Could his Navajo friend have killed him? Or are there more powerful and sinister forces at work?
...
Hillerman is probably the basis for how Native American mysteries are treated and written today. He was a white man, but he wrote about Navajo and other tribes' cultures with respect and from an very educated viewpoint. Remember, this was the 1970s, and so he was doing a rather radical thing. Modern-day authors (such as William Kent Krueger) likely have roots in his work.
But it's also worthy of note that these Navajo series made him a rich man. (He was New Mexico's 22nd wealthiest man in 1996, according to Wikipedia). So take him and interpret him, his motives, his life, and his work in whatever way you want. I don't know enough about him to pass any kind of judgment. He's dead - but his daughter, Anne Hillerman, is continuing the series (Spider Woman's Daughter).
...
This book, just like Book 1, is steeped in tradition, rituals, medicine, and myths of the Navajo and Zuñi tribes. It also focuses heavily on the landscape and environment of New Mexico. The saving grace here is that Hillerman decided to grant us some character development in this novel. In The Blessing Way, Joe Leaphorn might as well have been a piece of drywall for all the emotion and personality we got from him.
Here, Joe Leaphorn is becoming a paler and weaker version of Spenser. And we all know that Spenser is a real mensch. Joe Leaphorn was also acting like a mensch in this book. (If he keeps it up in subsequent books, then he will be an actual mensch instead of just acting like one. His true-mensch status is yet to be determined.)
In this book we can admire Leaphorn's interrogation skills: buy information with cigarettes.
"Do you sometimes smoke a cigarette?" he asked Cecil. He extended the pack.
Cecil took one. "Sometimes it is good," he said.
"It's never good. It hurts the lungs. But sometimes it is necessary, and therefore one does it."
Cigarettes are as good as cash in some places. ;)
He also does stuff like has mercy on children, even children whom he is investigating in a murder.
Cecil's expression said he was wondering how this policeman could have forgotten that, and then he knew Leaphorn hadn't forgotten. The boy's face was briefly angry, then simply forlorn. He looked away.
"To hell with it," Leaphorn said. "Look, Cecil. I was trying to screw you around. Trying to trick you into telling me more than you want to tell me. Well, to hell with that. He's your brother. You think about it and then you tell me just what you'd want a policeman to know. And remember, it won't be just me you're telling. I've got to pass it on - most of it, anyway - to the Zuñi police. So be careful not to tell me anything you think would hurt your brother."
He has mercy on women.
He intended to keep talking just as long as she needed him to talk so that she could cry without embarrassment.
He takes women out of bad situations when he has no obligation to do so.
"We'll go get your stuff and we don't need to tell Halsey anything except that I'm taking you with me."
"Halsey won't like it," Susanne said. But she followed him down the path.
He stands up to assholes.
Halsey was standing in the path, hands in the pockets of the army fatigue jacket he was wearing, looking amused and insolent. He was a big man, tall and heavy in the shoulders. Leaphorn let his anger show in his voice.
"I'm just saying this once."
But the really important thing is that he values people over power, fame and material possessions.
Joe Leaphorn opened the camper door and stepped out in the snow. "I'm trying to learn more about white men," he said. "You wanted all that worse than you wanted your woman. What else will you give up for it?"
All this put together spells M-E-N-S-C-H. If he can keep up this kind of behavior I am going to be tickled pink with him. You know how I feel about men who conduct themselves in this manner.
...
Tl;dr - If you are thinking of never reading another Hillerman book again after consuming the godawful The Blessing Way - well, I can't blame you. That book is crap.
However, if you chose to persist in your Hillerman quest, you will be rewarded with this lovely second entry in the series. Very '70s, a stand-up protagonist, and some nicely crafted passages by Hillerman. We can only hope that the series will continue in this vein. But I honestly have no idea what will happen.
Wish me luck!
P.S. You can just skip The Blessing Way and start the series with this book. Actually, I'd advise you to do so. You are missing nothing, and the first book has no bearing whatsoever on this one.
July 13, 2012
This is the second of Tony Hillerman's celebrated books featuring Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police. Later, Leaphorn would be assisted by a younger officer, Jim Chee, but this book, which won The Edgar Award, belongs to Leaphorn alone.
A young Zuni Indian boy, Ernesto Cata, disappears while training for his important role in an upcoming tribal ceremony. A large pool of blood suggests that something very bad has happened to Ernesto, and Joe Leaphorn is assigned to fine Ernesto's best friend, George Bowlegs, a Navajo. George has disappeared and the authorities believe that he might have important information about the fate that has befallen Ernesto. It is even possible, they believe, that George might have been responsible for the crime committed against Ernesto.
In his pursuit of the boy, Leaphorn crosses paths with George's alcoholic father, a group of hippies in a rather peculiar commune, and a determined archeologist who's working on a dig that may significantly change what we know about early man in what is now the southwestern United States. Along the way, Leaphorn reveals and in return discovers a great deal about the cultural and religious traditions of both the Navajo and the Zuni peoples.
This is among the most unique crime fiction series of the last fifty years. Hillerman, who died in 2008, wrote seventeen books in this series. The mysteries themselves are always captivating, but what set the series apart was the window it provided into the culture of the Indian people of the Southwest and the way in which Hillerman captured the physical setting in which these people live. This is truly a fascinating book in an excellent series.
A young Zuni Indian boy, Ernesto Cata, disappears while training for his important role in an upcoming tribal ceremony. A large pool of blood suggests that something very bad has happened to Ernesto, and Joe Leaphorn is assigned to fine Ernesto's best friend, George Bowlegs, a Navajo. George has disappeared and the authorities believe that he might have important information about the fate that has befallen Ernesto. It is even possible, they believe, that George might have been responsible for the crime committed against Ernesto.
In his pursuit of the boy, Leaphorn crosses paths with George's alcoholic father, a group of hippies in a rather peculiar commune, and a determined archeologist who's working on a dig that may significantly change what we know about early man in what is now the southwestern United States. Along the way, Leaphorn reveals and in return discovers a great deal about the cultural and religious traditions of both the Navajo and the Zuni peoples.
This is among the most unique crime fiction series of the last fifty years. Hillerman, who died in 2008, wrote seventeen books in this series. The mysteries themselves are always captivating, but what set the series apart was the window it provided into the culture of the Indian people of the Southwest and the way in which Hillerman captured the physical setting in which these people live. This is truly a fascinating book in an excellent series.
April 9, 2011
One that I'll re-read to get the full effect. A plot that kept me guessing. Loads of detail about Hopi religion, which was very interesting. Settings out on the mesa and at deserted hogans. One of Hillerman's better books.
June 18, 2019
I first read this book as a teenager back in the 1980s. I loved this series! I read a few books before life intervened and I no longer had a lot of time to read. College ...relationships ....marriage ...work....kids. Those things tend to suck up so much time that books take a back seat. Now that the kids are grown and I'm older, I have time for books again.....and I'm re-visiting favorites. Tony Hillerman definitely made my list of required reading!
Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is with the Navajo police. When a 12-year old Zuni boy and a 14-year old Navajo disappear, Leaphorn knows he has to work fast to find the boys. One boy is found dead...gruesomely murdered. Did the other boy kill him? If not, where is the other boy? Leaphorn soon discovers there is much more to this case than a missing child.
I listened to the audio version of this book (Recorded Books). Narrated by George Guidall, the unabridged audio is just over six hours long -- easy listening length. Guidall reads at a nice even pace and has a pleasant voice. I enjoyed his performance. Listening to the audio really brought the story to life. Excellent listening experience!
This book features Joe Leaphorn by himself. His usual partner, Jim Chee, is not in this story. I remembered immediately why I love this series. The story is well-written and deeply rich in Navajo life and culture. The mystery is intriguing and has great action and suspense. I read this book so many years ago that I didn't remember much about the plot....I was still surprised by the ending. I'm so glad I'm re-visiting this series.
There are 18 books in this series by Tony Hillerman, and 5 more added by his daughter, Anne. I'm going to enjoy reading my way through this series! I'm glad his daughter is continuing the stories!
On to the next book -- Listening Woman.
Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is with the Navajo police. When a 12-year old Zuni boy and a 14-year old Navajo disappear, Leaphorn knows he has to work fast to find the boys. One boy is found dead...gruesomely murdered. Did the other boy kill him? If not, where is the other boy? Leaphorn soon discovers there is much more to this case than a missing child.
I listened to the audio version of this book (Recorded Books). Narrated by George Guidall, the unabridged audio is just over six hours long -- easy listening length. Guidall reads at a nice even pace and has a pleasant voice. I enjoyed his performance. Listening to the audio really brought the story to life. Excellent listening experience!
This book features Joe Leaphorn by himself. His usual partner, Jim Chee, is not in this story. I remembered immediately why I love this series. The story is well-written and deeply rich in Navajo life and culture. The mystery is intriguing and has great action and suspense. I read this book so many years ago that I didn't remember much about the plot....I was still surprised by the ending. I'm so glad I'm re-visiting this series.
There are 18 books in this series by Tony Hillerman, and 5 more added by his daughter, Anne. I'm going to enjoy reading my way through this series! I'm glad his daughter is continuing the stories!
On to the next book -- Listening Woman.
December 3, 2020
4.5 Stars for Dance Hall of the Dead: Leaphorn & Chee #2 (audiobook) by Tony Hillerman read by George Guildall. I really like that this is set in the southwest. The series has a really unique perspective. It’s interesting to see what it’s like to be a cop on the reservation.
August 1, 2022
Joe Leaphorn is called to the Zuni Indian Reservation to help find Ernesto Cata, who is may be dead based upon a large amount of blood at the crime scene. Then a Navajo boy, George Bowlegs, goes missing. Are their disappearances connected? Then George's father, Shorty is found dead. There is a connection to an archaelogical dig and a hippie commune.
As usual, the writing is excellent. We also get to see the dynamic between the Zuna and Navajo tribes. I learned alot about the Navajo tribe and the subtle dynamic between the law enforcement agencies and how they relate to the Native Americans.
As usual, the writing is excellent. We also get to see the dynamic between the Zuna and Navajo tribes. I learned alot about the Navajo tribe and the subtle dynamic between the law enforcement agencies and how they relate to the Native Americans.
September 29, 2020
Audiobook performed by George Guidall
Book number two in Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn series has Joe investigating the disappearance of two Native-American boys. His efforts are complicated by the unique laws and sacred religious rites of the Zuñi people (Joe is Navajo). There are also federal agents (FBI? DEA?) involved and an important archeological dig in the middle of his search area.
I love the way Leaphorn thinks things through before acting. And I like learning little Native American cultural information in the midst of the mystery plot. Definitely a series I will continue.
George Guidall does a good job on the audio. He has good pacing and I really like the way he voices Leaphorn. There were times when Guidall’s performance transported me to my childhood, listening to my grandfather (or grandmother, or aunts or uncles) telling stories in the dark, as we all sat on the porch of a summer evening. But the press of daily life got in my way and the library deadline was fast approaching, so I abandoned the audio and finished reading the second half of the book in a day.
(Note: Updated on second reading - 29Sep20)
Book number two in Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn series has Joe investigating the disappearance of two Native-American boys. His efforts are complicated by the unique laws and sacred religious rites of the Zuñi people (Joe is Navajo). There are also federal agents (FBI? DEA?) involved and an important archeological dig in the middle of his search area.
I love the way Leaphorn thinks things through before acting. And I like learning little Native American cultural information in the midst of the mystery plot. Definitely a series I will continue.
George Guidall does a good job on the audio. He has good pacing and I really like the way he voices Leaphorn. There were times when Guidall’s performance transported me to my childhood, listening to my grandfather (or grandmother, or aunts or uncles) telling stories in the dark, as we all sat on the porch of a summer evening. But the press of daily life got in my way and the library deadline was fast approaching, so I abandoned the audio and finished reading the second half of the book in a day.
(Note: Updated on second reading - 29Sep20)
July 18, 2023
This is the second novel in the series featuring Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police. It was published in 1973 and won the Edgar Award for Best Novel. It is set in New Mexico, primarily in Ramah (part of the Navajo Reservation) and the Zuni village. The title comes from a Zuni concept, Kothluwalawa. The "Dance Hall of the Dead" is what the Zuni Indians call heaven.
In the opening Ernesto Cata is training to play his role as Shulawitsi the Fire God in an upcoming Zuni religious ceremony. He sees a kachina that can only be seen by the initiated or by those about to die. The next day, his friend George Bowlegs leaves school early, after learning Ernesto is not there. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is called in to find George, who is Navajo, while the Zuni police search for Ernesto. Shortly blood is discovered in the sand and Ernesto is found, brutally murdered.
George is a proficient hunter who sometimes skips school to hunt so that he can feed himself, his father Shorty (an alcoholic), and his younger brother Cecil. Being the only Navajo in a Zuni school George is a lonely boy with mystical inclinations and wants to be a Zuni.
While investigating near the Bowlegs home Joe Leaphorn is approached by Cecil, who tells him that George is running away from the kachina, the one that got Ernesto. Cecil says that Ernesto had stolen some flints from an archaeological dig site. The site is being worked by a graduate student named Ted Isaacs for his advisor, Chester Reynolds. Reynolds wants to prove that Folsom Man culture continued long after accepted beliefs of its duration. Both Isaacs and Reynolds deny there were any thefts from the site but days earlier Reynolds barred Ernesto and George from the site. He also barred Isaacs girlfriend, Susanne.
Susanne lives on a nearby Hippie commune called Jason's Fleece which is an abandoned Navajo death hogan. When Leaphorn goes to investigate and interview Susanne he sees a Zuni kachina next to the death hogan. When he talks to Susanne she tells him that George was afraid of something and asking questions about absolution in the Zuni religion. It seems that the FBI and federal drug enforcement agency is also interested in Jason's Fleece and their leader. Jason's Fleece may be involved in distribution of narcotics.
The story is a window into both Zuni and Navajo beliefs through the eyes of Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn. Leaphorn is a unique character in fiction. He is a graduate of Arizona State University, and soft spoken. Tony Hillerman is well known for the cultural details in his stories. If you enjoy a good mystery and want to learn more about the Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi this is the series to read.
In the opening Ernesto Cata is training to play his role as Shulawitsi the Fire God in an upcoming Zuni religious ceremony. He sees a kachina that can only be seen by the initiated or by those about to die. The next day, his friend George Bowlegs leaves school early, after learning Ernesto is not there. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is called in to find George, who is Navajo, while the Zuni police search for Ernesto. Shortly blood is discovered in the sand and Ernesto is found, brutally murdered.
George is a proficient hunter who sometimes skips school to hunt so that he can feed himself, his father Shorty (an alcoholic), and his younger brother Cecil. Being the only Navajo in a Zuni school George is a lonely boy with mystical inclinations and wants to be a Zuni.
While investigating near the Bowlegs home Joe Leaphorn is approached by Cecil, who tells him that George is running away from the kachina, the one that got Ernesto. Cecil says that Ernesto had stolen some flints from an archaeological dig site. The site is being worked by a graduate student named Ted Isaacs for his advisor, Chester Reynolds. Reynolds wants to prove that Folsom Man culture continued long after accepted beliefs of its duration. Both Isaacs and Reynolds deny there were any thefts from the site but days earlier Reynolds barred Ernesto and George from the site. He also barred Isaacs girlfriend, Susanne.
Susanne lives on a nearby Hippie commune called Jason's Fleece which is an abandoned Navajo death hogan. When Leaphorn goes to investigate and interview Susanne he sees a Zuni kachina next to the death hogan. When he talks to Susanne she tells him that George was afraid of something and asking questions about absolution in the Zuni religion. It seems that the FBI and federal drug enforcement agency is also interested in Jason's Fleece and their leader. Jason's Fleece may be involved in distribution of narcotics.
The story is a window into both Zuni and Navajo beliefs through the eyes of Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn. Leaphorn is a unique character in fiction. He is a graduate of Arizona State University, and soft spoken. Tony Hillerman is well known for the cultural details in his stories. If you enjoy a good mystery and want to learn more about the Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi this is the series to read.
November 20, 2017
I read my first Tony Hillerman book back in far off Boston after a friend recommended it. His mysteries intertwine details about southwest Indian culture with the murder investigations of Navajo tribal police detective Joe Leaphorn. Now that I have moved to New Mexico, I have an even greater interest in these stories, which I am trying to read in order. This is the second book in the series.
The contrast between the Zuñi and Navajo cultures is a focal point of this book. The Zuñi believe in a spirit afterlife; the Navajo don't. The Zuñi spirits are believed to dance forever at a sacred ground of origin, Kothluwalawa. The Navajo had a bleaker vision. “There was no heaven in the Navajo cosmos, and no friendly kachina spirit, and no pleasant life after death. If one was lucky, there was oblivion. But for most, there was the unhappy malevolent ghost, the chindi, wailing away the eons in the darkness, spreading sickness and evil.” (Location 1375) The Zuñi have one major god, Awonawilona, the Creator. The Navajo have a semi-heroic mythologic pantheon. Zuñi congregate in population centers. The Navajo live in isolation, tending their individual herds of sheep. Leaphorn wonders: “What force caused the Zuñis to collect like this? Was it some polarity of the force that caused his own Dinee to scatter, to search for loneliness, as much as for grass, wood, and water, as an asset for a hogan site?” (Location 672) The Zuñi year is governed by a calendar of sacred festivals which re-enact their mythology through clan-designated celebrants trained in the execution and meaning of rigorous dances. The Zuñi understand themselves to be individual elements of a natural and harmonious balance. Religious observances focus on restoration of a perceived imbalance in this harmony. Certainly, the Zuñi outlook would have an appeal to a certain kind of person. It suggests predictability, a pattern of social acceptance, and an outlook of optimism.
George Bowlegs, a Navajo boy, was attracted by this culture. Even for a Navajo he was isolated. His father was a hopeless alcoholic. His mother had run off. He lived with his younger brother in desperate poverty with no known extended family. George's only friend was a Zuñi classmate, Ernesto Cata who shared many of the sacred activities including his designation as Shulawitsi (the Little Fire God) in the upcoming Shalako ceremonies. At school George was a misfit. George decided he would rather be a Zuñi. The only problem was that you couldn't convert. George ignored that inconvenient fact. It's a background that encourages the reader's empathy for two characters who appear only briefly in person in this mystery.
Much of the tension between the two cultures is reflected when Leaphorn is summoned by the Zuñi tribal police to find George who has disappeared the day after the apparent murder of Ernesto. A radio dispatcher, sensing Leaphorn's mood, jokes about the Zuñi Bow Society having discontinued the initiation rite of taking a Navajo scalp (at least that was the belief among the Navajo). Meeting with the Zuñi police chief Ed Pasquaanti and state patrol officer Highsmith, Leaphorn thinks privately that he should inspect the incident spot himself — a Zuñi might miss what a Navajo could see. Later, Leaphorn recalls his Zuñi college roommate who taught him about Zuñi beliefs with an air of unconscious superiority.
Leaphorn is perfectly comfortable with his own type of loneliness. When the F.B.I. suddenly seizes jurisdiction, he is only too happy to pursue his limited assignment of locating George Bowlegs for questioning. Pasquaanti and Highsmith as well as Leaphorn have quickly surmised that the F.B.I. has no interest in the fate of the two boys or in seeking out justice. Ham-fisted commands and an obvious covert agenda reinforce Leaphorn's own preference for privacy.
Leaphorn is motivated by his own curiosity, and a commitment to safeguard Navajo interests. These motives give him a refreshing open-mindedness. He considers and critiques all of the possibilities to explain George's disappearance. At first, none of these options makes any sense. He interrogates George's younger brother with patience and tact, emphacizing their common interests as Dinee (“The People,” their own term for the Navajo Nation). It is a successful approach, persuading George's brother Cecil to divulge more information than he intends, and alleviating some of his suspicion about a policeman's questions. Hillerman captures perfectly Leaphorn's vacillating inflections, phrasing many of his questions as benign suppositions.
This was an engaging book that integrated cultural details with a suspenseful plot. By the end of the book, readers will feel invested not only in solving the mystery but in seeing that justice is done.
NOTES:
Photo and notes on Shulawitsi (the little fire god) http://ehillerman.unm.edu/node/2939#s...
Photo from several views of a Salamobia kachina holding two yucca whips
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...
The contrast between the Zuñi and Navajo cultures is a focal point of this book. The Zuñi believe in a spirit afterlife; the Navajo don't. The Zuñi spirits are believed to dance forever at a sacred ground of origin, Kothluwalawa. The Navajo had a bleaker vision. “There was no heaven in the Navajo cosmos, and no friendly kachina spirit, and no pleasant life after death. If one was lucky, there was oblivion. But for most, there was the unhappy malevolent ghost, the chindi, wailing away the eons in the darkness, spreading sickness and evil.” (Location 1375) The Zuñi have one major god, Awonawilona, the Creator. The Navajo have a semi-heroic mythologic pantheon. Zuñi congregate in population centers. The Navajo live in isolation, tending their individual herds of sheep. Leaphorn wonders: “What force caused the Zuñis to collect like this? Was it some polarity of the force that caused his own Dinee to scatter, to search for loneliness, as much as for grass, wood, and water, as an asset for a hogan site?” (Location 672) The Zuñi year is governed by a calendar of sacred festivals which re-enact their mythology through clan-designated celebrants trained in the execution and meaning of rigorous dances. The Zuñi understand themselves to be individual elements of a natural and harmonious balance. Religious observances focus on restoration of a perceived imbalance in this harmony. Certainly, the Zuñi outlook would have an appeal to a certain kind of person. It suggests predictability, a pattern of social acceptance, and an outlook of optimism.
George Bowlegs, a Navajo boy, was attracted by this culture. Even for a Navajo he was isolated. His father was a hopeless alcoholic. His mother had run off. He lived with his younger brother in desperate poverty with no known extended family. George's only friend was a Zuñi classmate, Ernesto Cata who shared many of the sacred activities including his designation as Shulawitsi (the Little Fire God) in the upcoming Shalako ceremonies. At school George was a misfit. George decided he would rather be a Zuñi. The only problem was that you couldn't convert. George ignored that inconvenient fact. It's a background that encourages the reader's empathy for two characters who appear only briefly in person in this mystery.
Much of the tension between the two cultures is reflected when Leaphorn is summoned by the Zuñi tribal police to find George who has disappeared the day after the apparent murder of Ernesto. A radio dispatcher, sensing Leaphorn's mood, jokes about the Zuñi Bow Society having discontinued the initiation rite of taking a Navajo scalp (at least that was the belief among the Navajo). Meeting with the Zuñi police chief Ed Pasquaanti and state patrol officer Highsmith, Leaphorn thinks privately that he should inspect the incident spot himself — a Zuñi might miss what a Navajo could see. Later, Leaphorn recalls his Zuñi college roommate who taught him about Zuñi beliefs with an air of unconscious superiority.
Leaphorn is perfectly comfortable with his own type of loneliness. When the F.B.I. suddenly seizes jurisdiction, he is only too happy to pursue his limited assignment of locating George Bowlegs for questioning. Pasquaanti and Highsmith as well as Leaphorn have quickly surmised that the F.B.I. has no interest in the fate of the two boys or in seeking out justice. Ham-fisted commands and an obvious covert agenda reinforce Leaphorn's own preference for privacy.
Leaphorn is motivated by his own curiosity, and a commitment to safeguard Navajo interests. These motives give him a refreshing open-mindedness. He considers and critiques all of the possibilities to explain George's disappearance. At first, none of these options makes any sense. He interrogates George's younger brother with patience and tact, emphacizing their common interests as Dinee (“The People,” their own term for the Navajo Nation). It is a successful approach, persuading George's brother Cecil to divulge more information than he intends, and alleviating some of his suspicion about a policeman's questions. Hillerman captures perfectly Leaphorn's vacillating inflections, phrasing many of his questions as benign suppositions.
This was an engaging book that integrated cultural details with a suspenseful plot. By the end of the book, readers will feel invested not only in solving the mystery but in seeing that justice is done.
NOTES:
Photo and notes on Shulawitsi (the little fire god) http://ehillerman.unm.edu/node/2939#s...
Photo from several views of a Salamobia kachina holding two yucca whips
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedi...
December 21, 2017
December is a good time to re-read Dance Hall of the Dead, which centers around the Zuni Shalako ceremony, timed to the winter solstice. When Hillerman wrote this, his second Joe Leaphorn mystery (1973), the ceremony remained open to non-Natives, who flocked to witness it. The impressive rite was subsequently closed to outsiders, however. (From what I heard, it was because Anglo guests simply did not know how to behave.) Leaphorn, too, is something of an outsider here, negotiating the challenges of working both with somewhat secretive Zuni law enforcement, investigating the bloody murder of a Zuni youth, and with the FBI, investigating something that long remains unclear—in Hillerman’s world, the Feds use their Rez colleagues but rarely share with them. Despite the generous infusion of aspects of Zuni culture, the overriding theme still tends toward the Dinee Way: the dangerous life imbalance that out-of-control greed and/or personal ambition can provoke.
Although there is still no sign of Leaphorn’s future side-kick, Jim Chee, and not much about the love of Joe’s life, the novel includes a rich cast of interesting characters: an earnest Zuni youth, destined for a time to play an important role in Shalako, his Dinee best buddy, largely bereft of family of his own, who would do anything to become Zuni; Anglo anthropologists, determined to rewrite the history of Clovis Culture and confound their scoffing academic colleagues; a motley crew of ’70s Anglo hippies, mouthing counter-culture mottoes, who have foolishly moved into a Dinee “death Hogan” on the Ramah Reservation, plus sundry members of law enforcement with various allegiances.
Joe’s accustomed skills at unhurried, sensitive interrogation (inevitably contrasting with those of culturally oblivious Anglo colleagues) are much on show, as is his impressive, adept reading of physical evidence and tracking signs. It is a pleasure to watch him work.
The gradual pile-up of bodies induces regret in some cases (given Hillerman’s sympathetic characterization) and mystery in others. When justice is eventually and inevitably done, it may leave some readers, deeply committed to Anglo judicial process, less than fully satisfied—not the first (nor the last) time that happens in Tony Hillerman.
Although there is still no sign of Leaphorn’s future side-kick, Jim Chee, and not much about the love of Joe’s life, the novel includes a rich cast of interesting characters: an earnest Zuni youth, destined for a time to play an important role in Shalako, his Dinee best buddy, largely bereft of family of his own, who would do anything to become Zuni; Anglo anthropologists, determined to rewrite the history of Clovis Culture and confound their scoffing academic colleagues; a motley crew of ’70s Anglo hippies, mouthing counter-culture mottoes, who have foolishly moved into a Dinee “death Hogan” on the Ramah Reservation, plus sundry members of law enforcement with various allegiances.
Joe’s accustomed skills at unhurried, sensitive interrogation (inevitably contrasting with those of culturally oblivious Anglo colleagues) are much on show, as is his impressive, adept reading of physical evidence and tracking signs. It is a pleasure to watch him work.
The gradual pile-up of bodies induces regret in some cases (given Hillerman’s sympathetic characterization) and mystery in others. When justice is eventually and inevitably done, it may leave some readers, deeply committed to Anglo judicial process, less than fully satisfied—not the first (nor the last) time that happens in Tony Hillerman.
October 6, 2017
This was a superb mystery, and is up there with the best I have read--it is suspenseful, engaging, informative, and rich in detail and local color. Like most of Hillerman's stuff, it is set in the Navajo country of Arizona and New Mexico. This, I believe, was his first big hit, and it won the Edgar Award.
In this story, a Zuni Indian teenager is found slashed to death. He was training to be the Fire God in an upcoming religious ceremony and he was privy to secret tribal knowledge. There is evidence that he was sharing this knowledge with his Navajo buddy George Bowlegs, contrary to tribal doctrine. Everything seems to point to some sort of renegade tribal justice, and there is a mysterious figure in a kachina mask (personifying the spirit of justice and vengeance) lurking about.
Navajo tribal police lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is called to investigate, along with a few other law enforcement officers from different organizations, leading to a confusing investigation. Young Bowlegs, fearing for his life, takes off on horseback to a secret Zuni place to try to make amends to the spirits, and Leaphorn must track him down before the killer does. A few other characters round out the cast: A sweet girl and her suspicious boyfriend who live at a nearby commune, and an ambitious young anthropologist and his egoistic mentor. The story builds to a climax at the Zuni Shalako (a major annual celebration and spiritual ceremony--this book is interesting in that it provides insights into Zuni culture as well as Navajo.) Leaphorn finally solves the crimes in a first rate surprise denouement.
In this story, a Zuni Indian teenager is found slashed to death. He was training to be the Fire God in an upcoming religious ceremony and he was privy to secret tribal knowledge. There is evidence that he was sharing this knowledge with his Navajo buddy George Bowlegs, contrary to tribal doctrine. Everything seems to point to some sort of renegade tribal justice, and there is a mysterious figure in a kachina mask (personifying the spirit of justice and vengeance) lurking about.
Navajo tribal police lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is called to investigate, along with a few other law enforcement officers from different organizations, leading to a confusing investigation. Young Bowlegs, fearing for his life, takes off on horseback to a secret Zuni place to try to make amends to the spirits, and Leaphorn must track him down before the killer does. A few other characters round out the cast: A sweet girl and her suspicious boyfriend who live at a nearby commune, and an ambitious young anthropologist and his egoistic mentor. The story builds to a climax at the Zuni Shalako (a major annual celebration and spiritual ceremony--this book is interesting in that it provides insights into Zuni culture as well as Navajo.) Leaphorn finally solves the crimes in a first rate surprise denouement.
November 3, 2017
Back in the mid-1950's, Horace Miner wrote an article called "Body Ritual among the Nacirem," which described what Americans did in the bathroom in social scientist language. Some people found this particularly clever, and it's become quite influential in the field.
One can clearly see the influence of this article in this early entry in the Leaphorn and Chee series, as Leaphorn is constantly saying he wants to understand White people.
The plot concerns the murders of young Indian boys. Many think it was because one of the boys broke some kind of taboo, but there's archaeologists and hippies also thrown into the mix.
One can see why the series caught on, as there's some good writing and a decent mystery here.
One can clearly see the influence of this article in this early entry in the Leaphorn and Chee series, as Leaphorn is constantly saying he wants to understand White people.
The plot concerns the murders of young Indian boys. Many think it was because one of the boys broke some kind of taboo, but there's archaeologists and hippies also thrown into the mix.
One can see why the series caught on, as there's some good writing and a decent mystery here.
August 2, 2025
I love Tony Hillerman's books. He had a way of drawing you in and letting you learn about different Native American tribes all with a mystery attached to it.
July 12, 2008
This 1974 Edgar Best Novel winner was a re-read for me -- I've read and enjoyed all of Tony Hillerman's novels featuring Lt. Joe Leaphorn and
Sgt. Jim Chee, alone and together. And, by the time I was 7/8 of the way through it, I had remembered the motive and the perpetrator; but
Hillerman's writing maintained me in a state of suspense until the last page.
In this, one of the earliest of his Navajo novels, the character of Lt. Joe Leaphorn is just beginning to be developed. We hear nothing at all
of his home life, which becomes important in the later books, and his childhood and college experiences are brought in only as they serve to
illuminate his ideas and reactions to events in the story. We do learn that Leaphorn is conscientious almost to a fault, and that although he may no longer "believe" in the Navajo religiou in the same way that Jim Chee does, its ideas of harmony and balance still inform his thoughts and way of life, and sometimes bring him into conflict with the rules of his chosen profession.
DANCE HALL OF THE DEAD deals with the Zuni religion, taking place just before and during the major festival of the Zuni year. When the young
boy who has been chosen to enact the Little Fire God is brutally murdered, and his Navajo best friend disappears, Leaphorn must join members of a number of other law enforcement agencies who may have jurisdiction or interests in the matter. In the process of finding the missing Navajo boy, he will learn more about the Zuni and about
himself. He will also spend a good deal of time outside, giving Hillerman the opportunity to transport the reader to the Four Corners
area that is the setting for his books.
It's difficult for me to discuss the plot of this book much without inadvertently adding a spoiler, and I wouldn't want to do that, in case
there is anyone reading this who hasn't yet read Hillerman's fine books. If you are one of those (probably rare) people, I'd urge you to find a
list and read them in order of publication. I can't recall ever being really disappointed in one of them, and right now I'm tempted to start
re-reading them all in spite of my looming TBR shelves and all the other enticing books out there. This was an excellent choice by the Edgar
Best Novel judges. It is just as relevant and exciting now as it was 35 years ago.
Sgt. Jim Chee, alone and together. And, by the time I was 7/8 of the way through it, I had remembered the motive and the perpetrator; but
Hillerman's writing maintained me in a state of suspense until the last page.
In this, one of the earliest of his Navajo novels, the character of Lt. Joe Leaphorn is just beginning to be developed. We hear nothing at all
of his home life, which becomes important in the later books, and his childhood and college experiences are brought in only as they serve to
illuminate his ideas and reactions to events in the story. We do learn that Leaphorn is conscientious almost to a fault, and that although he may no longer "believe" in the Navajo religiou in the same way that Jim Chee does, its ideas of harmony and balance still inform his thoughts and way of life, and sometimes bring him into conflict with the rules of his chosen profession.
DANCE HALL OF THE DEAD deals with the Zuni religion, taking place just before and during the major festival of the Zuni year. When the young
boy who has been chosen to enact the Little Fire God is brutally murdered, and his Navajo best friend disappears, Leaphorn must join members of a number of other law enforcement agencies who may have jurisdiction or interests in the matter. In the process of finding the missing Navajo boy, he will learn more about the Zuni and about
himself. He will also spend a good deal of time outside, giving Hillerman the opportunity to transport the reader to the Four Corners
area that is the setting for his books.
It's difficult for me to discuss the plot of this book much without inadvertently adding a spoiler, and I wouldn't want to do that, in case
there is anyone reading this who hasn't yet read Hillerman's fine books. If you are one of those (probably rare) people, I'd urge you to find a
list and read them in order of publication. I can't recall ever being really disappointed in one of them, and right now I'm tempted to start
re-reading them all in spite of my looming TBR shelves and all the other enticing books out there. This was an excellent choice by the Edgar
Best Novel judges. It is just as relevant and exciting now as it was 35 years ago.
January 29, 2015
This mystery features Joe Leaphorn and is set in Zuni land. Joe is called to a conference of police officers because a Zuni boy has been found almost beheaded and his best friend a Navajo, George Bowlegs is missing. Leaphorn only job is to locate the Navajo boy. As he investigated he vegans to feel George is not the killer and must him before George is killed. He has the help a white girl Susan.
There is much cultural information about the Zuni story of man's beginning and the Navajo beginning that very good. He explains how to hunt. The ending will surprise and leave you wondering.
There is much cultural information about the Zuni story of man's beginning and the Navajo beginning that very good. He explains how to hunt. The ending will surprise and leave you wondering.
February 26, 2021
An interesting mystery, and a better story than The Blessing Way.
Two boys have gone missing. Due to jurisdictions, Leephorn is called to investigate Navajo George Bowlegs' disappearance, while the feds go looking for the Zuni boy, Ernesto. The searches turn desperate after a large patch of blood is found in the desert...
Hillerman turns over the rock on cultural superiority/ inferiority, child neglect, FBI snobbery, and shady archaeologists.
Two boys have gone missing. Due to jurisdictions, Leephorn is called to investigate Navajo George Bowlegs' disappearance, while the feds go looking for the Zuni boy, Ernesto. The searches turn desperate after a large patch of blood is found in the desert...
Hillerman turns over the rock on cultural superiority/ inferiority, child neglect, FBI snobbery, and shady archaeologists.
August 31, 2021
I read a lot of mystery authors and each of their popular character driven series… Robert B. Parker, John Sanford, Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, Louise Penny, and Craig Johnson to name a few. And now I am taking a step back, and based on positive comments from the creator of Longmire and Spenser, I am taking a chance on Tony Hillerman’s classic Leaphorn and Chee Navajo mystery series. One that has been popular enough, like the Robert B. Parker estate, to be successfully continued his daughter, Anne Hillerman.
The second book in the series, “Dance Hall of the Dead” was originally published in 1973, about 48 years ago and way before mystery and suspense became the successful bestselling genre that it is today with well-known established writers. I was interested to see how well Hillerman’s Navajo centered culture, characters, and leading protagonists stood the test of time in consideration of well-developed the genre has become in the current day.
Overall, the results were growth and improvement over the first book. “Dance Hall of the Dead” moves Detective Joe Leaphorn to the lead protagonist role (although no Jim Chee until the fourth book) and makes him the central point around which the mystery unfolds.
When the book begins, two boys have gone missing near a Zuni Indian village in New Mexico. The Zuni police find blood at the scene and fear the boys may have been taken or killed. Since one boy is Navajo, Leaphorn is called in to assist the search for them.
Leaphorn’s investigation involves the Navajo’s family, a father and brother who have personal challenges of their own. It also brings Leaphorn to an important archeological dig that uncovering a great historical revelation, as well as a local hippie commune that may be hiding dangerous secrets of their own. In addition, Leaphorn finds himself dealing with the sacred laws and religious practices of the Zuni people that are providing a killer an opportunity to kill again…
Like the first book, I loved the way that Hillerman not inly includes Navajo and Zuni Indian culture and history into the story, but weaves it in as a living and breathing character that is an essential element of the written canvas.
There were several things to appreciate with this second book that showed significant development and improvement over the first. I personally liked the choice to move Leaphorn into the lead character role and developing him. He is smart, committed to his work and Navajo culture, and has an analytical mindset when it comes to analyzing crime scenes and clues. It’s also nice that his brain is more his strength than physical prowess and the ability to fight.
Hillerman’s plotting also improved, kicked off better at the beginning, and the elements stay connected more consistently throughout the book. The mystery felt more developed and tighter. One of Hillerman’s continued strengths was his ability to created several suspenseful moments along the way that kept me paying attention, and adding in that extra element of Navajo mysticism helped amplify those moments. There were several times throughout the book when I found myself appreciating the plot twists and surprises along the way.
Overall, this was a pretty good book which improved on the first one in both use of character and plotting. You can see Hillerman developing his writing persona as well as the strength of his Leaphorn character to carry the series. My score is 3.5 out of 5 stars and I am optimistic that things will continue getting better enough to move on to the next book in the series.
The second book in the series, “Dance Hall of the Dead” was originally published in 1973, about 48 years ago and way before mystery and suspense became the successful bestselling genre that it is today with well-known established writers. I was interested to see how well Hillerman’s Navajo centered culture, characters, and leading protagonists stood the test of time in consideration of well-developed the genre has become in the current day.
Overall, the results were growth and improvement over the first book. “Dance Hall of the Dead” moves Detective Joe Leaphorn to the lead protagonist role (although no Jim Chee until the fourth book) and makes him the central point around which the mystery unfolds.
When the book begins, two boys have gone missing near a Zuni Indian village in New Mexico. The Zuni police find blood at the scene and fear the boys may have been taken or killed. Since one boy is Navajo, Leaphorn is called in to assist the search for them.
Leaphorn’s investigation involves the Navajo’s family, a father and brother who have personal challenges of their own. It also brings Leaphorn to an important archeological dig that uncovering a great historical revelation, as well as a local hippie commune that may be hiding dangerous secrets of their own. In addition, Leaphorn finds himself dealing with the sacred laws and religious practices of the Zuni people that are providing a killer an opportunity to kill again…
Like the first book, I loved the way that Hillerman not inly includes Navajo and Zuni Indian culture and history into the story, but weaves it in as a living and breathing character that is an essential element of the written canvas.
There were several things to appreciate with this second book that showed significant development and improvement over the first. I personally liked the choice to move Leaphorn into the lead character role and developing him. He is smart, committed to his work and Navajo culture, and has an analytical mindset when it comes to analyzing crime scenes and clues. It’s also nice that his brain is more his strength than physical prowess and the ability to fight.
Hillerman’s plotting also improved, kicked off better at the beginning, and the elements stay connected more consistently throughout the book. The mystery felt more developed and tighter. One of Hillerman’s continued strengths was his ability to created several suspenseful moments along the way that kept me paying attention, and adding in that extra element of Navajo mysticism helped amplify those moments. There were several times throughout the book when I found myself appreciating the plot twists and surprises along the way.
Overall, this was a pretty good book which improved on the first one in both use of character and plotting. You can see Hillerman developing his writing persona as well as the strength of his Leaphorn character to carry the series. My score is 3.5 out of 5 stars and I am optimistic that things will continue getting better enough to move on to the next book in the series.
November 8, 2025
Moving right along
Having discovered this series of books by Tony Hillerman, I am enjoying the unfolding tale of Navajo policeman Joe Leaphorn. I love the setting and the characters. The death of two young boys provides the main plot here. Looking forward to the next book in the series. What a treasure to have found.
Having discovered this series of books by Tony Hillerman, I am enjoying the unfolding tale of Navajo policeman Joe Leaphorn. I love the setting and the characters. The death of two young boys provides the main plot here. Looking forward to the next book in the series. What a treasure to have found.
April 17, 2018
In Dance Hall of the Dead, celebrated Southwestern author Tony Hillerman will introduce you to the people of the Four Corners. There, four Native American nations sprawl across the states of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. The Navajo Nation is by far the largest, encompassing a population of 360,000 in some 27,000 square miles, a little larger than the state of West Virginia and more than twice the size of Maryland. The much less populous Hopi, Ute, and Zuñi Nations occupy much smaller expanses of adjoining territory. This diverse and culturally mesmerizing region is the setting for the eighteen novels in Hillerman's award-winning series featuring tribal detectives Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee.
Dance Hall of the Dead is the second novel in Hillerman's series. (In fact, the author didn't introduce Chee until the fourth book.) The action unfolds over the first six days of December, as winter first threatens, then descends on the high plateau of the Four Corners. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Nation Police is dispatched across the border to meet with the chief of the Zuñi police. Two teenage boys, one Navajo and the other Zuñi, have gone missing, and foul play is suspected. Leaphorn's unhappy assignment is to track down the fourteen-year-old Navajo boy, George Bowlegs, who appears to have disappeared somewhere within the vast Navajo Nation. Bowlegs' friend, twelve- (almost thirteen-) year-old Ernesto Cata, may have been murdered, as a copious amount of blood has been found at the site where the two were to meet. Meanwhile, several other law enforcement agencies have become involved, including the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Law and Order Division, the local New Mexico county sheriff, the Zuñi police, and (for reasons that are not at all clear at first) the DEA. The case threatens to become a jurisdictional nightmare. When the Navajo Police investigate a crime on their land, they're usually on their own, and unhappy if anyone interferes.
As Leaphorn doggedly pursues his investigation, he comes into close contact with a team of anthropologists who are digging for ancient Native artifacts, a small hippie commune, a Franciscan brother who runs a local school, Bowlegs' drunken father, and the masked kachinas preparing for a major Zuñi religious festival.
As Hillerman explains, "The word 'kachina' had three meanings. They were the ancestor spirits of the Zuñi. Or the masks worn to impersonate these spirits. Or the small wooden dolls the Zuñis made to represent them." The author's attention to detail in Dance Hall of the Dead is remarkable, conveying a strong sense of the rugged Southwestern landscape and the cultural and religious character of the people.
In addition to the eighteen books in the Leaphorn and Chee series, Tony Hillerman wrote four other novels and seven nonfiction books or memoirs. His work was widely recognized by his peers, winning him numerous literary awards and gaining him the presidency of the Mystery Writers of America for a year. Hillerman died in 2008. His daughter Anne is continuing the Navajo Police series; she has published three of those books to date.
Dance Hall of the Dead is the second novel in Hillerman's series. (In fact, the author didn't introduce Chee until the fourth book.) The action unfolds over the first six days of December, as winter first threatens, then descends on the high plateau of the Four Corners. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Nation Police is dispatched across the border to meet with the chief of the Zuñi police. Two teenage boys, one Navajo and the other Zuñi, have gone missing, and foul play is suspected. Leaphorn's unhappy assignment is to track down the fourteen-year-old Navajo boy, George Bowlegs, who appears to have disappeared somewhere within the vast Navajo Nation. Bowlegs' friend, twelve- (almost thirteen-) year-old Ernesto Cata, may have been murdered, as a copious amount of blood has been found at the site where the two were to meet. Meanwhile, several other law enforcement agencies have become involved, including the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Law and Order Division, the local New Mexico county sheriff, the Zuñi police, and (for reasons that are not at all clear at first) the DEA. The case threatens to become a jurisdictional nightmare. When the Navajo Police investigate a crime on their land, they're usually on their own, and unhappy if anyone interferes.
As Leaphorn doggedly pursues his investigation, he comes into close contact with a team of anthropologists who are digging for ancient Native artifacts, a small hippie commune, a Franciscan brother who runs a local school, Bowlegs' drunken father, and the masked kachinas preparing for a major Zuñi religious festival.
As Hillerman explains, "The word 'kachina' had three meanings. They were the ancestor spirits of the Zuñi. Or the masks worn to impersonate these spirits. Or the small wooden dolls the Zuñis made to represent them." The author's attention to detail in Dance Hall of the Dead is remarkable, conveying a strong sense of the rugged Southwestern landscape and the cultural and religious character of the people.
In addition to the eighteen books in the Leaphorn and Chee series, Tony Hillerman wrote four other novels and seven nonfiction books or memoirs. His work was widely recognized by his peers, winning him numerous literary awards and gaining him the presidency of the Mystery Writers of America for a year. Hillerman died in 2008. His daughter Anne is continuing the Navajo Police series; she has published three of those books to date.
September 13, 2018
These Tony Hillerman Navajo Mysteries are a walk down memory lane for me! My Mom was born in New Mexico and the minute Hillerman started churning out these books, she read them as fast as they were published. I also read many of them, but have no memory of the specifics so it's fun to read them here in the 21st Century.
This book takes place at the intersection of Zuni and Navajo spiritual practices, which added greatly to the interest for me. A Zuni teenager is killed and his Navajo pal is on the run. George Bowlegs, the Navajo, had an interest in becoming a Zuni because of their mystical/spiritual traditions and ceremonies. He is hunted by the police and the FBI, and possibly by a malevolent kachina. Throw in an archeological dig, a hippie commune, and possible drug trafficking and it's easy to become riveted. I was wondering why this group of white people were camped out on the Navajo reservation and then I remembered it was 1973!!
I enjoy Hillerman's portrayal of the Native American culture through these books and through Joe Leaphorn's approach to solving crimes. Looking forward to book 3, Listening Woman
This book takes place at the intersection of Zuni and Navajo spiritual practices, which added greatly to the interest for me. A Zuni teenager is killed and his Navajo pal is on the run. George Bowlegs, the Navajo, had an interest in becoming a Zuni because of their mystical/spiritual traditions and ceremonies. He is hunted by the police and the FBI, and possibly by a malevolent kachina. Throw in an archeological dig, a hippie commune, and possible drug trafficking and it's easy to become riveted. I was wondering why this group of white people were camped out on the Navajo reservation and then I remembered it was 1973!!
I enjoy Hillerman's portrayal of the Native American culture through these books and through Joe Leaphorn's approach to solving crimes. Looking forward to book 3, Listening Woman
October 28, 2024
Good solid three star rating. Kept my interest, fairly fast moving. Liked it enough to continue to the next book in the series. Clean, no profanity, just the way I like it.
February 12, 2018
I love the Hillerman books...
Having said that, this book fell flat for me. I felt as though Leaphorn was tied up too much in regulations and tradition and when he should have a bit more forceful - and a little less patient - he might have saved himself some immense trouble and...
In this one our Navajo policeman,Joe Leaphorn, must solve the murder of a young boy in order to stop the possible murder of another. He follows clues zigzagging across the Southwest landscape, always pausing to admire a beautiful sunset or distant cluster of slate-gray clouds. I love the description, but really, get on with business, Mr. Leaphorn!
Along this zigzagging pathway we encounter a hippie commune, an anthropologist hunting for ancient stone tools, and native Americans of two very different communities or backgrounds: Navajos and Zunis. It's a lot to take in, but the book is rich in description, cultural history, religion and geography.
And I do love the character of Joe Leaphorn. He's wise and patient, respectful of native traditions, including those which vary widely from his own. (He's Navajo, but navigates through a world of other tribes or clans, in this book, the Zuni people.) He's also kind and unflinchingly brave, which for me, are two of the key characteristics of any good man. Enough about him.
I often view a mystery novel as a huge puzzle, in which most of the pieces should fit together into a whole by the end. If you lose a few pieces, or some don't fit - well, that's a mirror on life, too. We don't always get all the answers we want, esp. from the people in our lives. We're short-circuited, or we run around following a lot of red herrings, so why should a book be any different? However...
I do expect - in a book - that MOST, if not ALL, the pieces should be there and should FIT. In this book there were so many misdirections I just did not understand, follow, or find resolved. So for me, just three stars. Joe Leaphorn is one enigmatic character, for sure, and I think Mr. Hillerman was the same way in his life and personality, but too much was left unanswered. Too much!
Three stars.
Having said that, this book fell flat for me. I felt as though Leaphorn was tied up too much in regulations and tradition and when he should have a bit more forceful - and a little less patient - he might have saved himself some immense trouble and...
In this one our Navajo policeman,Joe Leaphorn, must solve the murder of a young boy in order to stop the possible murder of another. He follows clues zigzagging across the Southwest landscape, always pausing to admire a beautiful sunset or distant cluster of slate-gray clouds. I love the description, but really, get on with business, Mr. Leaphorn!
Along this zigzagging pathway we encounter a hippie commune, an anthropologist hunting for ancient stone tools, and native Americans of two very different communities or backgrounds: Navajos and Zunis. It's a lot to take in, but the book is rich in description, cultural history, religion and geography.
And I do love the character of Joe Leaphorn. He's wise and patient, respectful of native traditions, including those which vary widely from his own. (He's Navajo, but navigates through a world of other tribes or clans, in this book, the Zuni people.) He's also kind and unflinchingly brave, which for me, are two of the key characteristics of any good man. Enough about him.
I often view a mystery novel as a huge puzzle, in which most of the pieces should fit together into a whole by the end. If you lose a few pieces, or some don't fit - well, that's a mirror on life, too. We don't always get all the answers we want, esp. from the people in our lives. We're short-circuited, or we run around following a lot of red herrings, so why should a book be any different? However...
I do expect - in a book - that MOST, if not ALL, the pieces should be there and should FIT. In this book there were so many misdirections I just did not understand, follow, or find resolved. So for me, just three stars. Joe Leaphorn is one enigmatic character, for sure, and I think Mr. Hillerman was the same way in his life and personality, but too much was left unanswered. Too much!
Three stars.
January 22, 2020
I really enjoyed this western crime thriller set in Arizona. The MC is a Navajo Police Officer, Joe Leaphorn. A boy is found missing from the Zuni tribe, and Leaphorn is called in because one of his friends a Navajo is also missing. I loved learning more about the history and mythology of the Zuni and Navajo tribes. I also liked the mystery of the story and didn't figure it out until Joe said what happened. Great story telling.
October 2, 2015
Second book in the series and winner of the 1974 Edgar for Best Mystery, this provided a unique look at the Zuni religion and Navajo life. Leaphorn is a patient policeman and the plotting was fairly deliberate but the setting made this well worth the time. Listened to the audio version which was ably read by the always good George Guidall.
January 20, 2019
I love these books about Leaphorn and Chee so much that we went through the area and drove past the towns while on vacation in 2017. It was great seeing what I have been reading about for so long.
August 29, 2022
A hunt for two boys, one Zuni, one Navajo. They may be in mortal danger and it's up to Joe Leaphorn to find out why and try to save them. During the investigation the reader is given an interesting look into one of the Zuni's religious ceremonies, its background and why it's practiced today. This along with the ongoing mystery make for an entertaining read.
March 10, 2025
The second installment of Tony Hillerman's Southwest series. Dance Hall of the Dead is an improvement over his first novel The Blessing Way. I really enjoyed this story which had much better rhythm and transitions between chapters. I was engaged throughout and enjoyed how he brought the story to a climax and close.
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