- Hardcover
- Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (1 Sep 1998)
- ISBN-10: 0060192550
- ISBN-13: 978-0060192556
- Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (55 customer reviews)
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Product details
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Tony Hillerman’s novels are always eagerly awaited and highly praised:
‘Hillerman is strong on story, certain about character, and hard to over-recommend’
New Yorker
‘The man is a master’
The Independent
An outstanding new mystery to welcome bestselling Tony Hillerman to HarperCollins UK.
The plague that decimated Europe in the fourteenth century appears to have returned today in the high, dry land of the American South-West. But Tony Hillerman’s famous pair of detectives, Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, discover an even deadlier killer. The victims include not only police but also scientists hunting the key to the dread disease. And the outcome links modern scientific techniques with age-old stories and habits.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Hillerman dedicated this book to the six officers who had given their life 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 this 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 and his unofficial case will intersect with Chee's investigation into an officers death, that while seemingly all wrapped up, may indeed be more complex that it first appears. Chee is chagrined to discover he is still a little intimidated by Leaphorn, but as the two cases cross paths they will once again peel back a little more of the veneer and come closer to understanding each other.
This one has everything from poaching eagles to a very real possibility of the bubonic plague being spread all across the Navajo landscape. Why a pack of praire 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 only be Navajo in name after her time in Washington.
As usual, I enjoy reading about the Native American issues touched upon in Hillerman novels. I knew next to nothing about life on a Reservation and little than nothing about the different Navajo traditions, beliefs and cultural taboos.
I find it wonderful how Hillerman weaves a regular whodunnit into all of that Native American background information.
On another point: for me, the bubonic plague is a scary thing, that symbolizes death and horrible suffering. Yet, it seems that the characters we meet in the story are quite casual about it. Hillerman's dialogue talks about it like I would calmly discuss a flu.
I did not like this story line as much as I have liked previous books. This is a definite read, just to revisit Leaphorn and Chee, but I wouldn't say this was the best of the series.
I don't like Chee's relationship with Janet and I will wait until the next issue to see what's up with that! Janet strikes me as being unsure of what she wants and is stringing Chee along. I imagine Chee as a "hero" character, the big, strong silent type and I don't want someone playing with his heart. Call me sentimental.
Good Book, not a great book. I finished in 5 days of evening reading before bed.
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