The Ghostway (original 1984; edition 1992)

The third of the Jim Chee books and the last where Leaphorn is not involved as well. This time Chee follows a murder trail to Los Angeles, and it's very interesting to see him evaluating the differences in culture, and the differences in the way poverty exhibits itself in the city and the res. There's a touch of the West Coast noir about it, as Chee spends time in the poorest sections of the city, and the most dangerous.

This was a decent book, but wouldnt recommend anyone buy it. Very bland and uneventful. I have read books in this "series" before and they have been very good, this one was just very bland. ( )

Hillerman knows his characters and their land and culture. ( )

There are three levels that the reader can look at regarding The Ghostway. The actual mystery is the least satisfying part of The Ghostway by far. The ending is convoluted and looses what ever tension Hillerman had been able to develop leading up to the conclusion.

The exploration of the Navajo way is really well done though and makes up for some of the let down the reader feels regarding the mystery. Even some of the boring parts where Hillerman has Jim Chee driving all over the reservation, even in blizzard conditions, helps to give the reader a sense of the vastness and the harsh nature of the reservation. To further expand on this theme he has Chee follow a young Navajo girl to Los Angeles where the contrast between the reservation and Los Angeles is only part of what Hillerman wants not only the reader but Jim Chee to see and recognize. There is a part where he has Chee observe a nursing home and recognize that what white people do with the old members of thier families is very different than what the Navajo have learned to do regarding their elders. But the real heart and soul of the exploration into the Navajo way is where the religious aspects intersect with the mystery. This part is very well done as Jim Chee has to question his values and how they have been formed in relationship to his religious beliefs.

**Spoiler Alert**

But the best part of the book is surely the realtionship between Jim Chee and his white girlfriend, Mary Landon. She does not actually appear in the book very much, but she is in Jim's thoughts at every step of the way. He is struggling with his relationship with her because she wants him to leave the reservation and become an FBI agent. Chee understands why she thinks this is best for them and their future children. And he tries very hard to do this for her throughout the book because he does love her. He knows she loves him and he wants to be able to do this for her. But the trip to Los Angeles and then the pull that his Navajo beliefs continue to have on him as he unravels the mystery, all lead to what we the readers believe about both Jim and Mary. He can not be a white man and she can not be a Navajo woman. They are what they are, even if they do love each other. ( )

His use of Officer Chee to bring the reader into the intimacy of the story is superb. ( )