As always, I enjoy reading Tony Hillerman's novels. I read and re-read them (both in print and as audio books). I was glad to see in this book that Jim Chee is getting over Janet Pete and starting to take notice of Officer Bernadette Manuelito. Chee and the retired Leaphorn solve the mystery long before the FBI guys which, of course, is pleasing. And then at the end of the book one of the robbers gets away. Now I need to be sure and read the next book in the series. This book is a good combination of Navajo culture, interesting characters, and suspense. ( )

Chee, with Leaphorn working in the background, solve a case while the FBI swarms over the area and with all their expertise manage to miss the significant clues. They are the first to recognize that some of the clues are a deliberate red herring left by the master mind of the murder/robbery they are trying to solve. Navajo and Hopi folk history become a significant part of the case. Unusually for Hillerman, the book ends with a shoot out involving Leaphorn and Chee. ( )

It was an okay read. ( )

Addendum: I initially gave ‘Hunting Badger’ 5 stars, but downgraded it to 4 stars for the following reasons. After I wrote my review I began to wonder why the ratings for this book on Amazon seemed to be all over the place. A number of reviewers stated that they were Hillerman fans but downgraded ‘Hunting Badger’ because of poor editing. Some of the complaints seemed ill-founded. The story does not tie up all the loose ends – the book’s part of a series after all – and sometimes things just get nicely wrapped up with all the bad guys in jail and the good guys riding into the sunset.

However, one reviewer asserted that a conversation between Chee and Leaphorn concerning coal mine shafts was essentially repeated thirty pages later as if it was new topic of conversation for them. That comment bugged me. I used the ‘search inside this book’ feature on Amazon and, lo and behold, there it is on pages 192 and 222, the same basic conversation.

That’s inexcusably bad editing. I still rate the book highly because for me Hillerman’s tales are as much about the setting and the cultural background as it is about solving a mystery. What follow is my original review.

The Legendary Lieutenant, Joe Leaphorn comes back out of retirement and Jim Chee gets back from vacation just as a tribal casino is robbed of $400K. What is worse, two off-duty cops working as security guards are gunned down. As is their common motif, Leaphorn and Chee are simultaneously working on parallel tracks in ignorance of the other's efforts, but they come together to solve the crime.

Hillerman sets this story in the heart of the Four Corners area, the Big Empty, and by the time I was done I was pining for a trip to the desert canyons. Navajo culture is also interwoven into the fabric of the tale. And Hillerman again creates believable tension between the Navajo and the outside, especially between the tribal police and the FBI.

If you are already a Hillerman, I think you will find this work especially enjoyable.

If you are new to Hillerman, this book may very well make you a fan. Hillerman has written some 18 Navajo mysteries. Leaphorn and Chee first worked together in 'Skinwalkers' (1986) and did so for four more books before taking a break. 'Hunting Badger' (1999) was their first book back together after about 5 or 6 years. Reading this series in sequence is really not much of an issue, but you may want be aware of the background. Several of Hillerman's books were also made into PBS Mystery episode a few years ago.

Highly recommended for fans of the mystery genre. ( )

Jim Chee returns from vacation to find himself thrown into what looks like another FBI debacle. A casino has been robbed, two policemen killed and the authorities are all jockeying for position in the ensuing manhunt. Retired Lieutenant Leaphorn enters the picture from another direction to help Chee solve the case.

This was a quick read, and I actually solved the case before the end, which I've never done with a Hillerman before. It didn't lessen the joy of the read however. Reading these books is like entering another plane of existence. Time runs slower, a person can see the scenery around them and feel the existence of the people who have lived there for centuries.

I don't keep these books, but only because my mother has them all, so I can borrow them whenever I feel the need of escape to the red country. ( )