Navajo Mystery(Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee)/Walt Longmire Project!

Welcome to the Yearlong Navajo Mystery(Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee)/Walt Longmire Project!

Last year read the first six books in each series. This year we continue with book seven in each series and we will finish the year out with the Longmire short story collection.

Join us as you like. Post your reviews and comments. If you've read the books and would like to follow along please comment. The more the merrier. Basically chime in whenever you would like about your thoughts, feelings, rants or post questions if something leaves you baffled. It is most helpful if you state where you are in the book, Chapter 7 etc..., if discussing a particular point.

Since this is a multiple book group read then after we start the second book please post the book you are referring to. Some of us read the books late and then come back and post.

Always use the Spoiler function when talking about the plot or something a character did if you are way ahead of everyone else. Just assume you are. There will be a lot of beige blank spots as people get going.

When you have finished the book then post a link to your review or if your review is spoiler free then post it to the thread.

That's about it. Feel free to comment as much as you want. Rants about the books, the characters and the author are welcome!

2016 Reading list:

January - Skinwalkers
February - Hell is Empty
March - A Thief of Time
April - As the Crow Flies
May - Talking God
June - A Serpent's Tooth
July - Coyote Waits
August - Any Other Name
September - Sacred Clowns
October - Dry Bones
November - The Fallen Man
December - An Obvious Fact and/or Wait For Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories

2017 Reading list:

January - The First Eagle
February -
March - Hunting Badger
April -
May - The Wailing Wind
June -
July - The Sinister Pig
August -
September - Skeleton Man
October -
November - The Shape Shifter
December -

Januaryl we begin with Skinwalkers


Book description from the publisher: Three shotgun blasts rip through the side of Officer Jim Chee’s trailer as the Navajo Tribal Policeman sleeps. He survives, but the inexplicable attack has raised disturbing questions about a lawman once beyond reproach.

Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn wonders why Chee was a target and what connection the assault has to a series of gruesome murders that has been plaguing the reservation. But the investigation is leading them both into a nightmare of ritual, witchcraft, and blood . . . and into the dark and mystical domain of evil beings of Navajo legend, the “skinwalkers.”

I'm in. I've read some of the newer Hillerman's, it will be interesting to see how they are on are re-read.

You get my first star for 2016, Ro! I'm on the library reserve list for Skinwalkers, so hope to get it before January is over.

I remember back at the beginning of last year you mentioned that there was a movie/TV special based on Skinwalkers? I haven't had any luck finding it anywhere but maybe those who do can report back.

I just picked up Skinwalkers at the library today.

Its been a while since I read this book, but a very nice story!!!

I have requested it from the library!!

I'm with you guys and will start Skinwalkers as soon as I get back to work.

So glad we have many back again this coming year! I do have to give a special shout out to >8 benitastrnad: because she got me thinking about this series in the first place. I was talking with Mark about one of the Iron Druid Chronicles that took place in Navajo country and there was Skinwalkers in it. Benita mentioned this series and once I looked into it I knew I would have to read it. So I have to extra thank you Benita.

I've borrowed the e-book of Skinwalkers from the library.

PS -- this is my first post on the 2016 group!

Confession. I started Skinwalkers and finished it before 2016. I wasn't going to, honest.

Interesting interactions between Chee & Leaphorn.

>10 tymfos: Yay!

>11 dallenbaugh: Nothing wrong with reading out of order. I just finished The Ghostway 2 days ago!

I've got Skinwalkers ready to go.

I finished Skinwalkers this morning; I liked the mystery and I particularly liked the cat we meet on page one.

>14 hailelib: The edition I have has some supplemental material about/by the author. One thing that interested me was the story of how the cat came to be part of the novel!

Just got Skinwalkers from the library! I get extra points for already using the library before the first week of January is out. ; )

>16 Berly: Me too Kim! Do I get extra points for it being an audio narrated by George Guidall who also narrates the Longmire series? Whoop! Too bad he doesn't narrate all of them!

I read somewhere that the publisher of the Hillerman books is doing recorded versions of the novels. I haven't listened to them but the reviews were good. I enjoy listening to books in the car while I do my daily commute, but they are also great to listen to on long road trips. My only problem is that I can't get my iPad to run through my car speakers so I have to have CD's, but that's OK.

>15 tymfos: Can you give us a quickie on how the cat came to be part of the story? I liked that in the beginning of the book.

>17 luvamystery65: Oh sure, outdo me on extra points! Sure, you can have two more for scoring George Guidall as the narrator. ; )

>18 benitastrnad: I am reading this one, but I think these would be great on audio.

I forgot to say that most of the Hillerman books were written before recorded books became popular and were not generally available for libraries to purchase and of course before Audible. However, the demand for recorded books has risen so much and the Hillerman books are still very popular that they make an attractive series for audible recordings. Add to that the fact, that the profit margin on these books is higher due to lower initial publishing costs - because of their copyright dates - and you get something that publishers and in this case, the Hillerman estate, can make money off of. That adds up to a big bonus for readers.

I will be leaving on a business trip tomorrow and will be taking Skinwalkers and Thief of Time with me in hardcopy. I think they will make perfect airport reading.

>19 Berly: Unfortunately, Guidall doesn't narrate all of them. Most of them aren't available on audio yet as Benita notes in >20 benitastrnad:. I would have listened to them all on audio if they were available.

>20 benitastrnad: Good luck with your trip Benita. Skinwalkers is perfect for a trip. I may go to San Antonio on Sunday with my aunt. If I do I will get ahead with Longmire because those are great audios for road trips. My aunt seems to enjoy listening to them too.

Finished Skinwalkers. Yay! I love these books and the characters. This one had a touching side story of Leaphorn's wife, who he fears may be battling Alzheimers. And I love learning about Navajo ways, like how it is disrespectful to stare at people in the face instead of looking to the side and giving them privacy whereas we think people should look us right in the eye so that we know we have their full attention. And I liked the cat. A very good read. Glad to be back in the swing of things on this thread. : )

Finished Skinwalkers last night on the plane. These novels keep getting more and more character driven and that makes them so much more than just a mystery series. I especially appreciated the interplay between the more modern thinking Leaphorn and the more traditional thinking Chee. It was also interesting that Leaphorn is the older of the two and Chee the younger and they have such differing points-of-view. With all that there was a good mystery in it as well. Given its publication date it also foreshadowed all of the health care controversy that has overtaken the country. (the government payments for medicare and medicaid.) It also pointed out the diseases that kill the poor and isolated in this country and foreshadowed the diabetes epidemic. These books are really social commentary.

I also finished Skinwalkers and think its the best one to date. The novels are certainly getting more character driven. >23 benitastrnad: What a great assessment. I also thought the side story about Emma was really good. I want to now how everything went with her.

Yes, I finished Skinwalkers and also appreciated the fact that Hillerman is filling in more personal details about Chee and Leaphorn. Interesting that Chee wanted to help the cat survive, but not turn it into a pet.

#25
The cat part was interesting. I also got it that Chee wanted the cat to survive but that it should become a predator and not be dependent on him. But then he turns around and feeds it. He realized that he was thinking one thing and doing another and was in a dilemma about that. It is also interesting to me that his form of revenge was to send the cat to Michigan to Mary. However, he also realized that Mary wouldn't get the message he was sending by doing so. I also found it humorous that Hillerman used Chee's pride and desire to bring about his downfall (so-to-speek). Chee wanted so badly to do a singing and it was used against him.

>26 benitastrnad: I didn't take the cat to Mary as revenge but more as goodbye in his own way. Kind of like Mary told him goodbye by going to graduate school. Each told the other that they were sticking to their world.

I also found it humorous that Hillerman used Chee's pride and desire to bring about his downfall (so-to-speek). Chee wanted so badly to do a singing and it was used against him. I agree! Leaphorn was so funny about this.

>27 luvamystery65: I didn't see revenge either. I saw it as a way for Chee to remind himself how different they were and to remind Mary of that. The Navajo way was not to keep animals as pets whereas he knew Mary would immediately make a pet out of the cat.

#28
I think he also saw making a pet out of the cat as an aberration of nature, and he thought that about most of the white world. The white's try to make things fit instead of trying to get things into harmony as the Navajo would do.

>19 Berly: Kim, Hillerman said he was looking for a reason why Jim Chee would get up in the middle of the night just in time to not get shot when the bullets came flying through the side of the trailer where he slept. He didn't want it to be a "psychic coincidence," or anything unexplained. Then he remembered the noise a friend's cat door made when his cat came in. It made sense that a cat would be spooked by a stranger on the property. So the whole first chapter came into being with a cat which even helped to discuss some Navajo concepts about the animal world.

>30 tymfos: Thanks T! I love hearing the little stories that go into the making of a book. How interesting that a "device" to save Chee from getting shot in the beginning found its way throughout and helped illustrate Navajo thinking.

>30 tymfos: Nice story tymfos. I just finished Skinwalkersand enjoyed the character developments as well as the mystery and insight into Navajo traditions. I wonder if sending the cat to Mary is a way of separating form both- they can take care of each other?

>31 Berly: The e-book I borrowed through Overdrive had a lot of extra features at the beginning with information like that. Hillerman told how a bunch of the books came into being. It even had a section of data about the Navajo Nation.

I had to read our February book, Hell Is Empty, early because it came in at the library. I won't post about it now but if anyone's interested there's a very short review on my thread.

>34 rosalita: I think that was my least favorite Longmire book.

I also got to Hell is Empty early since I went to San Antonio this past weekend. It was an audiobook that my aunt would tolerate on the drive. I have about 50 minutes left.

>35 tymfos: I continue to really enjoy this series, but I agree that this one has not been my favorite so far. Specifically, I am not a fan of the "lone wolf" method of law enforcement. I found Walt's decision-making completely unbelievable in choosing to go off on his own instead of waiting for backup, especially once he knew that the escapees were heading toward a place from which there was no other way out. It made Walt look dumb and arrogant, and I don't think he's either of those things.

>37 rosalita: Agreed!

February we begin with Hell is Empty


Book description from the publisher: Well-read and world-weary, Sheriff Walt Longmire has been maintaining order in Wyoming's Absaroka County for more than thirty years, but in this riveting seventh outing, he is pushed to his limits.

Raynaud Shade, an adopted Crow Indian rumored to be one of the country's most dangerous sociopaths, has just confessed to murdering a boy ten years ago and burying him deep within the Bighorn Mountains. Walt is asked to transport Shade through a blizzard to the site, but what begins as a typical criminal transport turns personal when the veteran lawman learns that he knows the dead boy's family. Guided only by Indian mysticism and a battered paperback of Dante's Inferno, Walt braves the icy hell of the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area, cheating death to ensure that justice--both civil and spiritual--is served.

>37 rosalita: I agree with you almost entirely Julia. Where I differ in opinion is that Walt has history of dumb and arrogant. I finally gave up defending him in my mind during The Dark Horse when he went undercover in his home county where he still owns and rents out his original home. Don't get me wrong. I love Walt. I just want to smack him sometimes.

>40 luvamystery65: I'm glad we are on the same page, Ro! I didn't see the incident under your spoiler tag as quite the same sort of thing, but I agree it was somewhat far-fetched and also not my favorite Longmire episode. At least in that one he wasn't completely isolated from his fellow officers and staff. That's the behavior that seems particularly egregious to me in this one. It's fine for private detectives to act that way (although it can be a stretch there, too) but there's no way sworn law officers should do so.

So, I have about two hours left on the audio for Hell is Empty and this one is totally one of my favorite Longmires, even though I miss the rest of the regular cast of characters. Maybe it is the narrator, whom I love! I quickly moved past the fact that Longmire was acting ridiculous being a lone investigator and I totally got into his relationship with the Crow Indian. Lots of spiritual exploration in this one and I appreciated learning about the Crow beliefs and it also tied together pieces from (I think) The Cold Dish.

>42 Berly: I enjoyed the interaction between Walt and Virgil as well. I kept thinking that Walt is an unreliable narrator right now due to the concussion and all, but I still enjoyed Virgil. I think it was Another Man's Moccasin's that it answered some questions about. I always wondered why Virgil's son spit in his face. It didn't quite fit, although he was accused of a horrible crime.

I haven't started Hell is Empty yet but will. All of our comments make me want to get to it, and I have to read the book for my book discussion group first.

Walt's behavior has long been a problem for me, so your comments about it mirror what I have thought. That doesn't mean that I don't like the books - I do. It just means that sometimes I have to suspend belief and remember that I am reading fiction.

>44 benitastrnad: I look forward to your thoughts on our latest Longmire Benita. I think you and I have had the most similar opinions on Walt and the gang.

I loved the audio book of Hell is Empty. The narration was near perfect.

>46 EBT1002: Ellen, George Guidall is such a pro. Imagine my delight this past month when I got to hear him narrate both Skinwalkers and Hell is Empty!

I think Guidall could narrate the telephone directory and make it interesting! Seriously, I've always enjoyed anything I've heard him narrate.

I haven't started Hell is Empty yet. I am bogged down in The Goldfinch which is my real life book discussion book for February. After that I will rejoin Walt and Co.

>47 luvamystery65: Score!! :-D

I have Hell Is Empty waiting for me at the library when I return from my Kansas City trip early next week. It's good to have something special waiting for me even though it may not be a favorite. I forgot to report on Skinwalker which was such a good book. Loved the cat being sent to Mary. I'm glad Chee has found someone else who follows the Navajo Way. Those relationships where one wants to change the other never seem to work out!

I've just started listening to Hell is Empty.

PBS did a mystery series in 2002 featuring the Hillerman books, and Skinwalkers is one of them - available through Netflix. I can't decide if I want to watch them or not - the lead characters sure don't look like my mind's eye view of Leaphorn and Chee!

I am just starting Hell Is Empty. Even though I love this series, I think this one will be a challenge for me because I wouldn't typically be drawn to a book with a description like this one's. But we'll see! Maybe I'd be better off with the audio version, but it's not available from my library. :-(

>52 streamsong: Are you sure Skinwalkers is available at Netflix? I just tried searching and didn't come up with any results, either streaming or DVD.

It shows up for me as a DVD :

http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/Skinwalkers/60024865

Coyote Waits, and Thief of Time also show up.

Perhaps try searching on the two main actors: Adam Beach or Wes Studi,

>55 streamsong: Ah. Well, if it's DVD I can't get it anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter. :-)

>57 mdoris: I love it!

>57 mdoris: Nice!

>57 mdoris: Perfect!

I watched one of those episodes on PBS and thought it was well done. It was also liked by the critics. The production crews and cast were Native American as much as possible and that won the production cudos.

>57 mdoris: Perfect!! And I am proud to be a member. : )

>57 mdoris: :-)

>61 benitastrnad: Thanks, Benita. I think I'll give them a watch based on that info.

I'm having a bit of trouble with the believability of Hell Is Empty, but I'm not yet very far into the audiobook.

>63 streamsong: Prepare to suspend all belief while you are reading this one.

I loved this one, but then I love Dante's Inferno. I wasn't expecting to like it because survival stories aren't usually my cup of tea.

I finished Hell is Empty and I wonder if it is meant to parallel Dante's book Inferno. Does Walt's journey parallel the journey into hell as written by Dante?

This was a great way to spend a cold weekend. Curled up in bed with a good book - not the cold. However, I do have to continue to wonder at the credulity of a law enforcement officer taking off on such a journey without support. This simply wouldn't happen. But the lack of Faithful Sidekicks was a welcome refresher. No Vic - Woot! Woot!

No love for Vic, huh?!

I think Vic's great! I missed her in this one.

Vic is a great fictional character but she does get on my nerves at times. Walt does too. I do like this series though, I swear it! I think I'm happy when I have to rant at these folks. I missed ranting at Spenser so now Walt and Vic fill this role for me.

I finished Hell is Empty yesterday and wonder the same thing- I have not read Dante- a gap in my education, but not one I plan to fill soon.
I think this was a better free-standing book than some of the series, but I missed the interplay of the characters. Johnson sure can convey stoicism in harsh terrain and conditions... I've only seen the western mountains in summer, but can extrapolate from New England. Not the place and time to go for a nice walk in the woods.

I also lack the background of Dante's Inferno, but wondered, too, whether there was a parallel.

Loved “the book lists that the extended members of the Absaroka County Sheriff’s Department made up for Saizarbitoria”, which Johnson listed in the appendix. The choices so well fit their characters. I also thought it was funny that, with each person to have made a 10-item list, Ferg had less, Ruby and Dorothy each had exactly 10, and everyone else listed more. That also followed their personalities.

The best thing about Craig Johnson’s writing, for me, is still his dry wit.

”I couldn’t die – I had too many women who would kill me.”

“I thought about the cell phone and what the chances were that it still had battery power – Slim to None: The Walt Longmire Story.”

“I was lying on my steamer chair swaddled in my battered sheepskin coat, the tactical jacket I’d grown fond of, and a few quilts, despite the direct rays of sunshine cascading down. The only part of me that was free to move was my right arm, which I was exercising by doing twelve-ounce curls in an attempt to balance my electrolytes. Cady thought I was balancing my electrolytes too much and wouldn’t allow me to have a cooler on the deck anymore. . . “

The more I read, the more I enjoy this series.

March we begin with A Thief of Time


Book description from the publisher: At a moonlit Indian ruin—where "thieves of time" ravage sacred ground in the name of profit—a noted anthropologist vanishes while on the verge of making a startling, history-altering discovery. At an ancient burial site, amid stolen goods and desecrated bones, two corpses are discovered, shot by bullets fitting the gun of the missing scientist.

There are modern mysteries buried in despoiled ancient places. And as blood flows all too freely, Navajo Tribal Policemen Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee must plunge into the past to unearth an astonishing truth and a cold-hearted killer.

I finished listening to Hell is Empty, which was my least favorite of the series so far. I'm also not familiar with Dante's inferno; and since, I listen to the audio about 15 minutes at a time while I'm in my car, the dream sequences were very confusing. Perhaps I need to revisit this one with a print copy so I can sort it out the sequences more easily.

I just watched the PBS American Mystery Theater of Thief of Time and really enjoyed it. It's been so long since I've read the book that I may try and join in on you with this one.

#73
I had read this one years ago as well, but decided to re-read it next month.

I finally finished listening to Hell is Empty just under the wire. Thank goodness for an extra day in February. I can't quite see how Walt is going to have the energy to appear in the next novel. Whew! Still it was a pleasure as usual to listen to George Guidall narrate this series.

I checked out A Thief of Time from the library today.

#75
In an otherwise dreary day, your post made me smile.

I do find it hard to believe that all of the first six books in the Longmire series have taken place in just over a year's time. Like so much in the series - that just doesn't seem plausible. But then why should it?

Checking in with everyone. I have lots of reads going on but alas, no Hillerman yet. My library book has been "in transit" for 9 days. I've requested a copy from a different library system because the last time this happened to me my book was 247 days "in transit."

Just finished A Thief of Time yesterday - I had read it before , long ago, but reqading them in order is good, and I appreciated it better this time. I like the combining Chee and Leaphorn in one book , and the mystery is a good one. I enjoy the anthropology, as well as the local color.

I read Thief of Time years ago. I think soon after it was published. A few years after I read the book I ran across a story in the newspaper about Native American Artifact thieves operating out of Las Vegas. I will see if I have time to go and look today and find that story. However, a short preliminary google search brought this more recent Washington Post story to light. This incident happened in 2004. Here is the link: http://nathpo.org/News/NAGPRA/News-NAGPRA45.html

This illustrates how timely and relevant Hillerman's mysteries have been. Thief of Time was published in 1988 and this incident was 2004.

I read and enjoyed A Thief of Time earlier this month. I thought it was a good entry and did not feel as dated as some of the earlier books felt to me. I liked the structure and the way that Leaphorn and Chee worked together (and apart) to solve the mysteries. I'm interested to see how Leaphorn's career situation is handled in the next book and moving forward.

I am not going to hit this one 'till the very end of the month. So la-la-la! Not listening to your reviews!! ; )

>82 Berly: I still haven't read it. I keep putting it off for shiny new things. I even started the next Longmire while on the road from San Antonio yesterday. I needed something to listen to and I figured I might as well. My aunt was with me and she has enjoyed them too.

>83 luvamystery65: It's a good thing the lady running this reading project is such a sweetheart, Roberta, or you might be in trouble for falling behind in your reading. ;-)

>84 rosalita: Thanks Julia! I call it a project rather than a challenge because I don't want participants, myself included, to get caught up in a timeline or reading order. We will gently move along one a month and everyone can squeeze in wherever they are able. No obligations to keep to the timeline. My obligations is to keep the thread moving along. Easy enough. ;-)

Last year I did read out of order a couple of times. It's nice that we have the 2 series because it gives you the 2 months leeway to get back on track.

I am reading Thief of Time now and am enjoying it. The scene with the used car was almost laugh out loud funny and put Chee in a predicament. There is lots of pathos in this novel and I can't wait to read about how Leaphorn resolves his problems.

Since my husband and I had both finished reading A Thief of Time a few days ago, last night we watched the movie on Netflix. The three Hillerman movies became available for streaming in the US recently and we saw "Skinwalkers" a couple of weeks ago. Both were pretty good.

I've got the next Longmire from the library ready to read in a few days.

>87 hailelib:
Thank you for that! I saw that Skinwalkers was on Netflix, but not the others, but when I saw your post I looked a little closer and realized the other two are "underneath" Skinwalkers as parts two and three in the "series." Looks like I have my Sunday afternoon sorted! :)

>88 -Eva-:

I thought someone might find it useful!

THOSE FOLLOWING LONGMIRE

I posted Wait For Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories as our December pick since was no 12th book when I posted it. There will be a 12th book available for December. It is called An Obvious Fact and it comes out in September. I'm thinking most libraries will have this book and if you get in the queue early then most should get a copy by December. I say this because I know many of us are relying on the library to supplement our reading on this project and a brand new hardback is expensive.

Should I put the new book up for December? Should I leave it as is with the short story collection? Would anyone want the choice of either/or?

Let me know.

>90 luvamystery65: Knowing how long it can take my tiny library to get new books, I would vote for having both as the option. I mean, I'm not even sure I can get the short-story collection but I probably have a better shot at that than a book that's only been out a couple of months. But whatever you decide, I'll be here!

I've read the short story collection so would like the option of the new book if it's available.

I'd like the option of the new book, but make it an either/or for those who can't get it.

I vote for the short story collection, as it will take a while for my library to get enough copies of the new book. But who knows - I might get lucky and get a copy early.

I like the option of choosing either one (or both).

I'm for giving us a choice- am I correct that there is not much point continuing with these authors nex year (not enough books?)

I'll list them both for December.

There are six more books in the Hillerman series for next year. This is not counting the ones Ann Hillerman wrote and is writing. I was thinking we could read one every other month. This will give us time to read other things and catch up/discuss Longmire for those that won't get to the last book this year. So it will still be called the Navajo Tribal Police/Longmire Project but the emphasis will be on Leaphorn and Chee.

I am deep into Thief of Time and find that this entry in the Leaphorn/Chee series is much more complex than the previous novels. While this is not a lengthy novel, compared to what is being published currently, it is longer than the previous books by about 50 pages. It is also more in-depth about the characters. I find that the passages that delve into the heads of Chee and Leaphorn are more reflective and complex than what we had read in the previous novels. For instance, Leaphorn's doubts about Chee and his abilities as a detective being clouded by his belief system. The question was, how could a Navajo Singer be objective enough to do the investigative work that is required of a policeman/detective?

It was also noteworthy that some of Leaphorn's methods and ways of thinking are rubbing off on Chee. There is that passage when Chee finds himself thinking "What questions would Leaphorn ask? And how much would Leaphorn tell Nakaii?" All of this makes the novel much more developed and personal while still maintaining the anthropology lessons for the "belaga" reader.

I am so glad that we have taken the time to read these older mystery novels. I read some of them years ago, but didn't think about them in the same way that I am doing now. In this current reading, I am seeing them as much more than just popular mysteries.

Those of you who watched the PBS productions of some of these novels - what did you think of them? I remember at the time, that they critics loved them, but for some reason PBS didn't make more of them. I always wondered why. I might have to investigate that sometime this week.

I have As the Crow Flies held at the library and suspended until April 1 so I can join in for this next installment in the Walt Longmire series.

I finished Thief of Time last night and think this might be the best one of these novels yet. It is definitely more complex in plot and characterization. Leaphorn shows great depth of character and Chee is learning to trust and think more like a policeman without losing his sense of being a Navajo. I loved the last paragraphs where Leaphorn realizes that perhaps he needs to be a little more like Chee where earlier Chee thought he needed to start thinking like Leaphorn. They are going to become quite a team. I also loved the tie-in to the Blessing Way. I find myself telling more and more people about these books and even though they are old I ask them to give these titles a chance. They hold great insights and yet are very satisfying mysteries for my hard core mystery friends. (I'm gushing. I know.)

I am several days behind, but while reading the Wednesday New York Times, I came across this article in the Arts section. It struck a cord with me due to my recent reading of Thief of Time. Points out how relevant Hillerman's novels still are.

Looted Antiquities Are Returned to Italy: The Arts/Cultural Desk
Povoledo, Elisabetta. New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast) New York, N.Y 23 Mar 2016: C.3.

ROME -- Hundreds of looted archaeological artifacts that officials say were handled by the London dealer Robin Symes and destined for markets in the United States, Japan and Britain have been returned to Italy, Italian culture officials said Tuesday.

The artifacts -- dating from the seventh century B.C. to the second century A.D. -- were found two years ago in a storage unit at the Geneva Freeport that investigators traced to Mr. Symes, and were brought to Rome this year, officials said. Freeports are largely tax-free storage sites where dealers and wealthy collectors can store artworks.

"The Geneva Freeport is the largest undiscovered archaeological site in the world," Daniel Berger, a consultant with the Italian Culture Ministry, said, alluding to the many antiquities stashed there.

Gen. Mariano Mossa, the commander of Italy's military art theft squad, said the recovery was an example of "Italian and Swiss synergy as a deterrent against criminality in this sector."

The pieces -- which include Roman and Etruscan sarcophagi, bronze objects, stone sculptures of animals and hundreds of painted terracotta fragments from a sixth-century B.C. temple in Cerveteri -- were presented at a news conference Tuesday. Apulian vases -- broken into dozens of pieces so that they could be spirited out of Italy more easily -- were exhibited alongside the Polaroid photographs snapped when the artifacts were illegally excavated in various southern Italian regions. The pieces were looted decades ago, as indicated by the dates on the Italian and British newspapers in which they were wrapped, an investigator said.

The Italian culture minister, Dario Franceschini, said the artifacts would be given to museums in the Italian regions where they had been looted.

Mr. Symes was once one of the world's most prominent antiquities dealers but became embroiled in a series of investigations into looted art, mostly of Greek and Italian provenance. In recent years dozens of pieces traded by Mr. Symes that ended up in private collections, but also in museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, were returned to Italy after their illegal origin was verified.

Mr. Symes will not be prosecuted in Italy because the statute of limitations has run out on the possible crimes for which he was under investigation.

A civil suit is underway in London for the return to Italy and Greece of other works owned by Mr. Symes.

I just read A Thief of Time. It was an excellent mystery and since I have driven and hiked a lot of the areas Hillerman shows on his map at the front of the book I felt especially close to the story. I have hiked and climbed to many of the small Anasazi ruins, and it is thrilling to find these and then handle some of the potsherds and arrow points found at the sites and made so many years ago. Many of these ruins are listed on topographic maps and some I discovered on my own. If I can ever get some of my prints into digital format (this was a long time ago) I will put a couple on this site.

>78 luvamystery65: : I'm sharing your pain. I'm next in line for this month's Hillerman, but it's more than two weeks late. So I started on the next Longmire while I'm waiting.

>104 countrylife: I really liked the next Longmire.

I finally got my Hillerman and I'm about two-thirds in. So far I agree with the assessment that this mystery is more complex.

April we begin with As the Crow Flies


Book description from the publisher: Embarking on his eighth adventure, Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire doesn't have time for cowboys and criminals. His daughter, Cady, is getting married in two weeks, and the wedding locale arrangements have just gone up in smoke signals. Fearing Cady's wrath, Walt and his old friend Henry Standing Bear set out for the Cheyenne Reservation to find a new site for the nuptials. But their expedition ends in horror as they witness a young Crow woman plummeting from Painted Warrior's majestic cliffs. Is it a suicide, or something more sinister? It's not Walt's turf, but he's coerced into the investigation by Lolo Long, the beautiful new tribal police chief.

I finished A Thief of Time. I really liked it - especially the very ending.

>107 tymfos: The ending was really unexpected but so perfect.

I just finished As the Crow Flies - much enjoyed. I'll hold the spoilers, but this was among the best so far.

Really liked As the Crow Flies! And continue to love this series on audio. It is not the usual cast of characters, but Longmire and Henry are more than sufficient, along with some great new characters.

Will be starting "Crow" when I get home tonight. Looking forward to it.

I'm not quite done; I'm on the last disc of the audiobook. I agree with >109 Helenoel: & >110 Berly: 's comments. So far, this is one of my favorites.

I agree with everyone that this Longmire is one of the most enjoyable.

I finished listening to the audio which was wonderful as always. Definitely my favorite in the series so far.

I totally missed the clues to the villain - after finishing I went to Amazon and searched the perp's name to see how it all came together.

If I'm truly trying to figure out the who-dun-it, clearly audio isn't the best choice for me.

I've gotten myself pretty thoroughly hooked on the Longmire television series, which is available for streaming in the U.S. at least on Netflix. I think I'm about three-quarters of the way through Season 1 (of 4 total). I had resisted watching until I read more of the series but really there's no worry because other than a couple of episodes the series doesn't follow the books at all and while some of the characters are the same (Walt, Vic, Henry, Ruby) some of the others are either new or differently characterized. It's really good, but not as good as the books for me. I miss the Indian spirituality angle which is pretty much nonexistent, but Walt is sexy as hell so there's that. :-)

>115 rosalita: I showed my aunt Dora a picture of Walt in the series last night and she just got a big huge smile and asked me to download Netflix to her iPad. ;-)

I haven't seen the TV series, but listening to the Longmire series on audio, I always think of Walt as sounding like George Guidall.

>116 luvamystery65: Ha! I like the way your Aunt Dora thinks, Roberta!

>118 rosalita: I asked her if she knew Gibbs from NCIS knew that she was planning to cheat on him. LOL! This is the picture that sealed it for her.

>119 luvamystery65: Mmmm-hmmmm.

I really liked the first three seasons. The fourth was good but I thought that Netflix (it was picked up by Netflix after being cancelled at the end of season three) changed the direction some of the characters were headed.

Good to know that the rest of the series doesn't give anything away from the books--I have watched the first 3 or 4 and saw some similarities. I do prefer the books and Guidall as narrator, but I do love Henry on the show. And I prefer Gibbs. : )

Totally enjoyed As the Crow Flies. Planning to listen to A Serpent's Tooth in June since George Guidall's narration is perfect. I've read all but Hell is Empty, which I listened to. And Guidall's narration is so wonderful that I heard his voice as I read this latest. :-)

I, too, have heard Guidall's voice in my mind on the Longmires I've not listened to. He is wonderful -- boy, howdy!

>122 Berly: Well, Kim, I've never seen NCIS so I will defer to your and Aunt Dora's opinions on the comparative fineness of the mystical Gibbs. :-)

Re: Longmire TV show: Similarities, yes, but for example there is an early episode that kinda sorta seems like The Dark Horse — there's a fire in a barn full of horses — but it's actually completely different plot- and perp-wise. Which is interesting and I'd love to know how they decided to do that rather than either follow the book or just make something up completely.

Craig Johnson just announced on his Facebook page that his novella coming out next month will have an audio recorded by George Guidall. If you read the comments, he replies to someone that Tony Hillerman was the one who told him to ask for George Guidall to narrate. "I was lucky, when I was first starting out Tony Hillerman told me to campaign for him. Boy howdy."

Boy howdy, indeed!

Ha, ha! That would be today.

I see three of the Hillerman books on today's Kindle daily deal.

I finished As the Crow Flies and liked it. I think the reason why is that Vic is NOT in this book at all. I liked the new reservation sheriff and hope that she continues to make appearances in subsequent books. I also liked the increased presence of Henry in this book. He finally became more of a character. I had hopes this would happen after the adventure in Philadelphia, but that didn't happen. Now it has. I also liked the references to Virgil and the bear. The part about the visit to the Peyote Church was very well done and reminded me of something we read in one of the Hillerman books. It tied the two series together in more ways for me.

About the TV series. The series is completely different from the books. I enjoy both and find the TV portrayal of the area very honest and not Hollywoodized at all. I didn't like Vic in the books and I didn't like her on the TV show either. And I agree - Walt is nice to look at in the TV series, but Henry is even better. I like Henry's role in the TV series. It is clear that Henry is more than just Tonto in the TV series, and it seems harder for him to become a character on his own in the books. Reading the books makes me wonder why Henry and Walt have such close ties, but in the TV series it seems more evident to me.

May we begin with Talking God


Book description from the publisher: Reunited by a grave robber and a corpse, Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is trying to determine the identity of a murder victim, while Officer Jim Chee is arresting Smithsonian conservator Henry Highhawk for ransacking the sacred bones of his ancestors.

But with each peeled-back layer, it becomes shockingly clear that these two cases are mysteriously connected—and that others are pursuing Highhawk, with lethal intentions. And the search for answers to a deadly puzzle is pulling Leaphorn and Chee into the perilous arena of superstition, ancient ceremony, and living gods.

Oh Darn! I picked up the wrong book from the library. I got Coyote Waits. Oh well - It's a good excuse to go look at books.

I finished Talking God tonight. I didn't love it, partly because it is set outside Navajo Nation in Washington, D.C., and partly because it felt much too similar to previous books. Ah, well. They can't all be blockbusters.

I finished it, too. Not a favorite in the series for me. Some interesting issue involved, but the plot seemed a bit too convoluted for me.

>134 rosalita: & >135 tymfos: What I did enjoy about this installment was that we still get to see a few layers peeled back from Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. I think especially since they were out of their element.

I am in the middle of Talking God and I was fascinated by the explanations of the Talking God ceremony given at the beginning of the book. For me this sort of sets up the plot, but more than that it is another way of educating me about the Navajo culture and the religious beliefs.

I was also very interested in the descriptions of the Kachina Dolls that Chee found in Highhawks house. Chee's comment that whatever Highhawk was he was a real artist and that he must have been highly educated about Navajo art and culture because he knew what he was doing. This showed respect for the art so I read the descriptions of the dolls and masks with interest.

Once again I think that Hillerman has done an excellent job of educating his readers about the culture and religion, and has done so unobtrusively and with finesse.

The problem is, if all I want is to learn more about Navajo art and culture there are plenty of better sources than a fictional book that is only tangentially about that topic. When I read these books, I expect them to work as what they actually are — mystery novels. This one simply does not, for me. So it goes. Maybe the next one will be better.

>138 rosalita: Have you read the Nathan Active mysteries? They are decent mysteries with a peek into the North Alaska Inupiat culture. I have read the first two. If you can get them they would make a nice replacement for the Longmire series once we are done.

Talking God was the first book I read this month. Alas, as usual, I forgot to come over here to share my feelings about it. This is what I wrote on my thread:

"This Night Chant ceremonial was one that Chee had hoped to learn himself someday. Yeibichai, his people called it, naming it for Talking God, the maternal grandfather of all the spirits." (34)

Jim Chee is at the nine-day ceremony to arrest Navajo wannabe Harry Highhawk for his symbolic desecration of a grave to bring attention to the thousands of skeletons of Native Americans being stored in the Smithsonian archives. Not too far away we find Lt. Joe Leaphorn looking for clues to a well-dressed man found dead in the desert. Both policemen are going the extra mile to travel to Washington, D.C. on their own to follow more clues in their separate investigations. Coincidentally (ahem), they find they are both working on different aspects involving the same case of Chilean terrorists.

I love this series, but this one was too farfetched for me to swallow. It was fun to see our protagonists on different turf but I missed the southwest setting. I'm glad the book was a quick read because I am eager to get back to the reservation!

I pearl ruled this one after 50 pages. Just wasn't working for me...

I find myself in the liked Talking God camp. This is not the first time that Leaphorn has visited a big city and dealt with museum curators. While I agree that the coincidence of both policeman being in Washington at the same time is far-fetched, I have to say that I find most mystery books to have farfetched and coincidental plot lines and by no means true to life so this plot device did not bother me. What I found interesting was the barely concealed contempt for Henry Highhawk. By that I mean the categorization of him as an Indian Wannabee. Since I moved away from Kansas but come back often to visit I have noticed this same attitude in many of my family members and friends where they dismiss ideas and social affectations from outsiders who are "trying to hard to be one of us, and we know that they never can be because living outside has corrupted them" kind of attitude. To see this attitude so blatantly displayed in this book bothered me. To be fair I have also noticed it to a lesser degree, in the Longmire books as well. I would like to think that we are a more accepting society than that.

Thursday May 19th at Murder by the Book, Houston Texas



What a great guy Craig Johnson is. He was over an hour late due to flash flooding and his flight delayed. He was still charming. Told some great stories, did an excellent reading and answered many questions. I was a fan, but doubly so now.

With my friend Chris. He's a typical cowboy! He said, "A thorn between two roses." when we were posing.

I finished Talking God over the weekend. Literary first world problem: although my list says i own a copy, I could not find it, so got it from the library. Though not my favorite Hillerman, I enjoyed it. I share some of Benita's unease about the contempt for the "Indian Wannabee", but thank her for giving it voice. I was not so perceptive.

Both Talking God and Thief of Time pointed out a real problem for the native peoples around the world. The demand for authentic artifacts by collectors is growing. Just look at what is happening in the Middle East where people are being robbed of their heritage by pillagers. For some reason the scene from "Thief of Time" where Leaphorn goes to see the Collector in New York City kept coming back to my mind while I was reading "Talking God" and museums are not exempt from this pressure. While visiting my sister in Bozeman, Montana a few weeks ago, I went to the Museum of the Rockies - the home of the most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton ever discovered. I saw it, but then learned the real one was sent to the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. I have mixed feelings about that move. I understand that more people will see it in Washington, but it was discovered by professors from Montana State University in Bozeman in a fossil bed in Montana. The question of what to do with Native American artifacts becomes even more of a sticky issue. I think that Hillerman tried to address that issue and needed some way to plot a mystery and still get the reader to think about the issue. The novel that resulted might have been clumsy with plot points that were artificial and to contrived but I do think I saw the point he was trying to make.

Roberta, So cool that you got to meet Craig Johnson!

>146 benitastrnad: Yes, still quite a timely issue!
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/native-groups-protest-planned-fren...

>147 EBT1002: Ditto!

June we begin with A Serpent's Tooth


Book description from the publisher: It’s homecoming for the Durant Dogies when Cord Lynear, a Mormon “lost boy” forced off his compound for rebellious behavior, shows up in Absaroka County. Without much guidance, divine or otherwise, Sheriff Walt Longmire, Victoria Moretti, and Henry Standing Bear search for the boy’s mother and find themselves on a high-plains scavenger hunt that ends at the barbed-wire doorstep of an interstate polygamy group. Run by four-hundred-pound Roy Lynear, Cord’s father, the group is frighteningly well armed and very good at keeping secrets.

Walt’s got Cord locked up for his own good, but the Absaroka County jailhouse is getting crowded since the arrival of the boy’s self-appointed bodyguard, a dangerously spry old man who claims to be blessed by Joseph Smith himself. As Walt, Vic, and Henry butt heads with the Lynears, they hear whispers of Big Oil and the CIA and fear they might be dealing with a lot more than they bargained for.

>149 luvamystery65: Just picked it up from the library - got a few pages in before sleep last night.

The Highwayman, his new one, was pretty good. This ghost story was a bit on the "slight" side for me, but still (of course) enjoyable.

>149 luvamystery65: I just got the notification from the library that this one has arrived for me, so I hope to be getting to it soon!

I just finished listening to A Serpent's Tooth. Hmm. I'll withhold comments till more people have finisihed.

Finished!!! I feel like I wasn't up to speed on the characters and the development between them, almost like I missed a book, but I don't think I have. And I read this one instead of listening to it, as I have the past two or three. I miss hearing the voices, but I still love the setting and characters. Again, not really buying that Longmire really had to charge in to save the day, but then there wouldn't have been as much drama and adventure, so I'll let it go. ; )

I finished up last night and thought this was quite a ride. Such excitement. I agree with Berly on my assessment of this novel. It was fun to read, but I am not really thinking of Longmire and Co. as real people. Not in the same sense as Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn. Hillerman has managed to make his novels about people living a somewhat normal life. Johnson just hasn't done that so far. But like Berly, the novels are great mind candy and fun to read, so I let some things go.

However, I am not willing to let the Walt/Vic thing go. That is just not a match. While toned down in this novel, she is still crass and over-the-top. I am also disappointed that there isn't more development on the relationship between Walt and Henry. Somehow I thought that the retirement of the football numbers would be a clue, but it was just a meaningless dead end.

I didn't like this novel as well as I did the previous entry in the series. I really liked all the mysticism in that one, but this was a fun read.

I finished the audio over the weekend. I didn't like this one quite as well as the last two. >154 Berly: I discovered last night that there is a short story between As the Crow Flies and A Serpent's Tooth. The previous short stories have been more about character development than mystery, so maybe we've missed out on some character development by not reading it. I'm next in line for the library's Overdrive copy.

>155 benitastrnad: However, I am not willing to let the Walt/Vic thing go. That is just not a match.

Agreed! Especially now that Walt's daughter is married to Vic's brother.

#156
What is the title of the short story? Maybe I should read it so I can ease up on the author. So far, in my book, Hillerman has proved to be the better author simply because he has created heroes I can like and understand what motivates them. Walt and company seem like cardboard cutouts compared to the more fully fleshed Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn.

>156 cbl_tn: In all fairness, Walt was interested in Vic from the very beginning and they had something going before Michael knew who Katy was.

>156 cbl_tn: & >157 benitastrnad: It is a mismatch to me as well, but at this point I don't doubt that they have real feelings for each other even if we don't understand the attraction.

I thought this installment was a little "too much". All the build up of the retiring of the numbers ended up in a big head scratching nothing. Still, I enjoy this cast of characters a lot more now than I did at first. Not enough Henry, but he sure is awesome when he is around.

I think I mentioned it last year, but I heard Craig Johnson speak during last year's book tour. He said the character Vic is modeled after his wife. So I can't see anything but more attraction between Walt and Vic and the relationship furthered. I wonder how much Walt is Johnson's alter ego?

The tangled relationship/generations bother me, too.

>156 cbl_tn: I loved your review! The phrase inside the spoiler brackets is exactly the one that came to me, too.

>155 benitastrnad: >157 benitastrnad: I really like your comparison between the Hillerman and Johnson characteriations.

>155 benitastrnad: >159 streamsong: That is a good point about the different characterizations, but for me since I listen to Johnson and read Hillerman, the Johnson characters are more "real" to me. George Guidall brings them to life. Maybe it is also a difference between the quieter Navajo personalities compared to the gun tote'n sheriff of the wild west who is almost expected to be bigger than life.

The relationship between Walt and Vic really isn't working for me, especially since she seems so very different from his first wife. But it isn't killing the story for me either. I think the fact that Walt skipped the retiring of his number and instead spent it with the unconscious Vic in the hospital was supposed to signify just how much he really cares for her.

#161
I agree with you. However, I grew up and lived in a small western town (population 100) until I was in my 30's. I can tell you that a popular high school football hero whose number was going to be retired would be a BIG deal in those small towns. People would come to that event from miles around. These would be voters. Even with the death of a deputy and another in the hospital the Sheriff would be at that event. Or he would not be re-eleted. The townspeople would see it as a snub. In real life I can't see either Henry or Walt being absent from this event. In real life they both would have been there even if it was only for a few minutes. That part of the story just didn't ring true and, in my opinion, the author passed up on a great opportunity to provide some insight about his characters to his readers.

I do find the novels entertaining and so like the rest of you I am wiling to go along with these flaws.

July we begin with Coyote Waits


Book description from the publisher: The car fire didn't kill Navajo Tribal Policeman Delbert Nez—a bullet did. And the old man in possession of the murder weapon is a whiskey-soaked shaman named Ashie Pinto. Officer Jim Chee is devastated by the slaying of his good friend Del, and confounded by the prime suspect's refusal to utter a single word of confession or denial.

Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn believes there is much more to this outrage than what appears on the surface, as he and Jim Chee set out to unravel a complex weave of greed and death that involves a historical find and a lost fortune. But the hungry and mythical trickster Coyote is waiting, as always, in the shadows to add a strange and deadly new twist.

Posting this early as I will be out of home internet service for 2 weeks.

>164 luvamystery65: Ugh! No internet!

>163 luvamystery65: I've checked the book out of the library.

>165 tymfos: I know! Thank goodness for books. I do have a mobile hotspot for bills and emergencies. I picked up my library copy yesterday.

I have a copy of the book and hope to read it over this weekend.

>167 benitastrnad: Once I read Coyote Waits I will watch the films on Netflix.

I got sidetracked by my current sci/fi series and just started reading Coyote Waits last night. This one has a bang up start. I wonder where it will take me.

Finished Coyote Waits yesterday. I think this is one of the best Hillermans so far- Good interplay between Chee and Leaphorn, more Navajo spirituality and developments in the personal lives of both main characters.

I am almost finished with this novel and I am surprised at the differences between Leaphorn and Chee. Hillerman really brought those out in this novel. I was thinking that Chee was the more traditional character and it seems that this book is taking great pains to point out that he is unconventional for a Navajo. At times Leaphorn finds him disrespectful, and that was surprising to me as a Hillerman reader.

Finished reading this novel last night and the ending surprised me. This novel really highlights the differences between Leaphorn and Chee. Can't wait until the rest of us finish so we can talk about these differences and what they mean for the characters.

I noticed in the last chapters of the book that Hillerman mentioned a weatherman, Howard Morgan, from Channel 7. Does anybody know if there really was a Howard Morgan giving the weather on TV in that area? I would bet that there was as weather people in rural areas often develop quite a following and become minor celebrities. Such is the case here in Tuscaloosa with James Spann the weatherman. It is also the case in my home, very rural, area with Ken Simic. In my experience people do love their weather announcer and I would bet that Hillerman and the people of the Four Corners area were no exception.

Good old Wikipedia comes through again. Yes a real weatherman out of Albuquerque named Morgan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Morgan_(weather_forecaster)

>173 benitastrnad: , >174 dallenbaugh: Love it!

I'm just getting started with Coyote Waits, as I've been juggling other books that have come available on hold. I should move through it fairly quickly now, I think.

>175 tymfos: I had to return my library book unread and now waiting for it to come back to me.

#174
How cool is that? A little bit of local color inside the book! As if we, as readers needed more. It does remind me of the time I found the Brookville Hotel Fried Chicken mentioned in one of the Longmire books. So cool when an author works those little bits into the story.

So cool when an author works those little bits into the story.

Yes -- IF they get them right. One author, whose book series was set near where I lived, mentioned the local County Fair in her book. Only, she had the wrong month and the wrong town for the fairground location. I had loved the books because they were set in our region, but that mistake was so glaring (and should have been so easy to research properly) that I stopped reading that author.

#178
I agree that they have to get it right, but most people reading books won't be from the local area so that kind of mistake is easily overlooked by editors and authors. I am not excusing it, but it happens easily.

Both Hillerman and Johnson lived and live in the areas about which they write but in the case of the Brookville Hotel Fried Chicken, Brookville, Kansas is 1,000 miles southeast of Casper, WY so I still wonder how the heck Johnson knows about the Brookville Hotel Fried Chicken?

This has been one of my favorite Hillermans so far. Plus - it came my turn in the library in time to finish it in the correct month. Win-win for me.

Still waiting for Coyote Waits from the library, but I will post next month's Longmire.

August we begin with Any Other Name


Book description from the publisher: In Any Other Name, Walt is sinking into high-plains winter discontent when his former boss, Lucian Conally, asks him to take on a mercy case in an adjacent county. Detective Gerald Holman is dead and Lucian wants to know what drove his old friend to take his own life. With the clock ticking on the birth of his first grandchild, Walt learns that the by-the-book detective might have suppressed evidence concerning three missing women. Digging deeper, Walt uncovers an incriminating secret so dark that it threatens to claim other lives even before the sheriff can serve justice—Wyoming style.

I really liked Coyote Waits. Like somebody else up-thread, I think this was the best Hillerman book yet. There was so much in it. The conflict between the ways of thinking of Leaphorn and of Chee just fascinated me. On the surface it appears that Chee is the traditional thinker, and yet Leaphorn says he is impetuous and to independent. Leaphorn however, is always looking for the things that are out-of-harmony and not part of the pattern. He seeks to return things to a balance so that they will be in sync with the Navajo Way. What a great paradox between the two! Yet, it seems to me that Leaphorn is a "company man" and that Chee is more of what I think of as a free-thinking and conformist Native American policeman. Does that make him or me locked into a stereotype?

Just got my audio of In Any Other Name!

I finished Coyote Waits last night. Very good story!

I have been trying to get to the thread for over a week to type in this quote that I found interesting about the Navajo culture and the Navajo Way. I finally made it. Here it is -

"This interruption broke the flow of whatever Red was trying to tell them. And, by Navajo standards, such an interruption was rude. One let a speaker finish, and then waited to make sure he was indeed finished before one spoke. But then Janet Pete was really Navajo only by blood and birth. She hadn't been raised on the Reservation in the Navajo Way. Had never had a kinaalda to celebrate her puberty,had never been taught ..." this was on page 465 & 466 of my omnibus version of Coyote Waits.

Clearly, Jim Chee thinks the Navajo Way is learned and not something inherent.

Last week, I hiked to a local lookout and camped there overnight by myself (first time ever camping by myself)

Here's the photo of the old wooden bound log book and the book I took along to read. I didn't get much reading done as I was hoping to see meteorites - I was a day too early and didn't see any, but spent most of the time in the dark to keep my night vision sharp.

As always, I had a long debate with myself to choose a book. The one that I had only one chapter left? No, I didn't want to run out of reading, and backpacking in, I didn't want to carry two books. My LTER book which is about the outdoors? No, it was a larger format and heavy. A creepy thriller? Ha! Not staying by myself on top of a mountain. Craig Johnson? Perfect! ETA: Perfect -er would have been to have it on audio, so I could have listened while sitting in the dark.

And another sideways note - I see Anne Hillerman will be at the Montana Festival of the Book in October. I've enjoyed her first two continuations of the Bernie/ Jim Chee series and hope to hear her talk.

>187 streamsong: Great choice for your camping book!

Agreed -- great camping book!

I started reading Any Other Name last night and was amused by the first chapter. The description of the length of the trains in Wyoming, and Nebraska was no where near accurate. Those trains are HUGE! They go on forEVER! Sitting at a crossing waiting for them to go past takes a very long time. I spend most of my time here in Alabama and live near a railroad track. I am close enough that if I am on my patio in the evening I can't hear the person talking to me on the phone. The people here in Tuscaloosa complain all the time about the time they spend waiting on trains so that they can cross the tracks. I merely laugh when I hear this. These people don't know what long trains are. They need to move out West.

The world's largest railroad switching yard is located outside of North Platte, Nebraska and it covers approximately 8 square miles of land. I want to stop there sometime and take a tour of the place. They have an observation tower and offer tours of the yards. I think it would be interesting to go see this.

Yikes! I've fallen terribly behind in the Walt Longmire reading. A Serpent's Tooth is next for me. Maybe it can be my next audiobook...

I can't tell you why, but Any Other Name was not my favorite of the series. I think my audio time kept getting interrupted. But I did enjoy the buffalo scene and the tongue-lashings Cady gave her dad.

I am about done with Any Other Name and can't wait to get back to reading this novel. It is a thriller - just like every other thriller - but it is thrilling to read. Johnson has done his job as an author. The reoccuring snow is in this novel, but in this one so are trains. Those huge long coal trains that are so common in the American West.

I laughed about the trains - here is Tuscaloosa there was an article in the student newspaper, the Crimson and White, about all the delays that students experience in getting to class. Being from the West, I just laugh and think that they don't know anything about waiting on trains. The federal Trade Commission rule is that a crossing can not be blocked for more than one half hour. I think it would take that long for some of those trains to get across a crossing in places out West. In fact on page 232, Johnson takes a paragraph to describe how much distance it takes to get one of those coal trains stopped. The expository writing in that one paragraph is outstanding. In the old days pilots and ships captions, as well as locomotive engineers had to be able to figure such formulas in their heads while driving these behemoths. Amazing.

I also read Any Other Name in September instead of August, but enjoyed it much. Like some other folks I felt that the train theme and the snow theme and the general pressure of the personal situations all came together to make it one of his better books.

I plan on starting the September read tonight. Sacred Clowns is up next.

I just started Coyote Waits last night.

I'm starting it tonight, too.

An Obvious Fact is out today! Woohoo!

Well, I meant to start the Hillerman last evening, but was too tired to read. Then today, the library's copy of An Obvious Fact was available and I was #1 on the hold list. Soooooo......change of plans! Boy, howdy!

>200 tymfos: Almost two weeks later, and I still haven't started Sacred Clowns. I've already renewed the book once . . .

I am waiting for October and the next Longmire...Also the next season is out on Netflix. : )

I am reading Sacred Clowns and listening to Dry Bones, and enjoying both.

I will get to Sacred Clowns next month as well as Dry Bones. I'm headed for vacation next on Thursday so I'm going to post next month's read.

Just realized I never posted Sacred Clowns !!! Sorry. Will post it now and also the one for next month. Headed out to vacation on Thursday.

September we have been reading Sacred Clowns


Book description from the publisher: During a kachina ceremony at the Tano Pueblo, the antics of a dancing koshare fill the air with tension. Moments later, the clown is found bludgeoned to death, in the same manner a reservation schoolteacher was killed only days before.

Officer Jim Chee and Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn believe that answers lie in the sacred clown's final cryptic message to the Tano people. But to decipher it, the two Navajo policemen may have to delve into closely guarded tribal secrets—on a sinister trail of blood that links a runaway, a holy artifact, corrupt Indian traders, and a pair of dead bodies.

October we begin with Dry Bones


Book description from the publisher: When Jen, the largest, most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found surfaces in Sherriff Walt Longmire’s jurisdiction, it appears to be a windfall for the High Plains Dinosaur Museum—until Danny Lone Elk, the Cheyenne rancher on whose property the remains were discovered, turns up dead, floating face down in a turtle pond. With millions of dollars at stake, a number of groups step forward to claim her, including Danny’s family, the tribe, and the federal government. As Wyoming’s Acting Deputy Attorney and a cadre of FBI officers descend on the town, Walt is determined to find out who would benefit from Danny’s death, enlisting old friends Lucian Connolly and Omar Rhoades, along with Dog and best friend Henry Standing Bear, to trawl the vast Lone Elk ranch looking for answers to a sixty-five-million-year-old cold case that’s heating up fast.

Tony Hillerman has done it again. On page 25 of my copy of Sacred Clowns he mentions another television weather forecaster. This time it is Robin Marshment of KRQE. I love these little details. This is a great mystery and a much more complex plot than several of the previous novels. This one is full of Tano culture and religion.

I finished Sacred Clowns yesterday - this is a good one. Complex mystery, lots of Navajo and Tano culture and progress on personal lives of both Chee and Leaphorn.

Yes, I finished Sacred Clowns yesterday also. My favorite Hillerman so far.

I finished Sacred Clowns late on Thursday night and really liked it. These books are just full of history, culture, religion, and personal details. Great stuff.

I'm way behind but I just downloaded A Serpent's Tooth which is next for me in the Walt Longmire series. I love George Guidall's narration of these mystery novels.

I had to laugh when I read the passage early in Sacred Clowns about watching the movie Cheyenne Autumn at the drive-in. It drove home the point, in a gentle way, that most bilagaana think of Native American's in a sort of monolithic way, while the Native American's definitively think of themselves as separate and distinct peoples. They even think that each tribe looks different. On page 26 of my copy the description of Harold Blizzard as a Cheyenne was enlightening in that way. It says "Even with the Yankees cap on, he looked like a Cheyenne. He had that hard, bony face. Profile like a hatchet. Chee had grown up seeing the Cheyennes and the Sioux with their war bonnets and lances, fighting the cavalry in the drive-in movie at Shiprock. Even when the movie had been made south of Gallup and you knew the Cheyennes were actually Navajos making some beer money as extras, they took on the aura of warriors under those war bonnets. When Chee and his friends at boarding school played cowboys and Indians, the Indians were always Cheyenne. It was a hang-up Chee hadn't quite grown out of. To Jim Chee the man, as to Jim Chee the boy, the Cheyenne was the Indians' Indian."

>213 benitastrnad: I found it funny too and then sad when Harold and Janet shared their POV.

Has anyone started Dry Bones yet? I am on chapter 2 of the audio book. I have been reading and listening to October/Spooky themed reads as of late.

I finished Dry Bones by audio early this month. It was one of my favorites, but who can go wrong with Guidall & Johnson.

I got Dry Bones in both book and audio from the library. I haven't started them yet, but will do so this weekend. I also picked up Spirit of Steamboat. This is a novella that apparently takes place between Any Other Name and Serpent's Tooth. I thought I might read it this weekend. By the time I finish that I should have also finished my current audio book in the car and can read and listen to Dry Bones at the same time. I have not heard Guidall so I will get to find out why everybody thinks he is a great narrator.

I got Dry Bones from the library, and finished it early in the month. I do think it is one of the better books in the series

I'm glad that hear that everyone who has finished Dry Bones thinks it's the best so far.

Benita, I've listened to George Guidall narrate a great many books. Mostly, he is spot on and deserves his reputation. I think Longmire is his finest, spot on work. He also has narrated a couple of the Leaphorn/Chee novels. Tony Hillerman told Craig Johnson to insist as Guidall for his narrator. I hope you enjoy. Let us know your thoughts.

I'm just now ready to start the audio of Dry Bones. Looking forward to it!

>219 cbl_tn: whoop!

Okay, I am pissed that Katie's husband is killed in Dry Bones. Man. Just reached this point. Otherwise, I am loving it. Guidall is the best for this series!

>221 Berly: I don't dare click on that spoiler function yet Kim! Now you have me so curious.

>221 Berly: Yes, I just got to that point last night. I had a feeling that there couldn't be anything else coming up in the book that I would feel more strongly about, so I went ahead and clicked on your spoiler. I feel the same way.

>222 luvamystery65: You'll know when you get there!

I'll post next months read this weekend, but it got me thinking about next year. We will be mostly caught up with Longmire in December except for a few us that will still need to get the last one or some of the short stories and novellas. With that in mind I propose we continue with the Leaphorn/Chee/Longmire format next year. We can do a Hillerman book every month and that will complete the Hillerman series for us as written by Tony Hillerman. His daughter, Anne Hillerman, has taken over the series but for our purposes we will finish at book #18. Next year will look like this.

2017 Reading list:

January - The First Eagle
February -
March - Hunting Badger
April -
May - The Wailing Wind
June -
July - The Sinister Pig
August -
September - Skeleton Man
October -
November - The Shape Shifter
December -

The next Longmire should be out next September, so we can read that together in October.

I'm also thinking ahead for a new series to start in 2018. If anyone has a series they absolutely love please send me a PM. I'm thinking we could have a few discussions on alternating months and if we find a series several want to read, we can vote towards the end of next year.

If we want to stay with the Western mystery theme there are the Keith McCafferty books. He writes a series that is set in the Bozeman, Montana area. The Sean Stranahan series. So far there are 5 books in that series. That would get us through next year (2017). There are also the C. J. Box series, set in Wyoming.

I finished reading Spirit of Steamboat and will probably finish Dry Bones tonight. I enjoyed the Steamboat book. There was no Vic, and lots of back story on Walt and Lucian and a few other characters in the books. There was also some Wyoming lore and that was fun. Although I admit, I knew about Steamboat and Operation Haylift.

I am listening to and reading Dry Bones. Not sure I like the narrator. Guidall. He doesn't sound right to me. To southern. But then ...

Listening and reading is making the whole book go by fast.

Finished. I liked this novel - but I didn't love it. I am beginning to have some quibbles with Walt. If he is such a family man, how come he is never there for the big events in the life of his family? And the author setting us up for more in this series is so obvious that I didn't really like it. Sort of like being led around by the nose.

I did like the increased presence of Henry and more of the community at large. I also hope that Lolo Long makes more appearances in this series. She is a very interesting woman.

>225 benitastrnad: Thank you for your ideas and keep them coming, but I'm not going to add a new series next year. I'll keep the thread as is so those that need to catch up with Longmire can. We can also discuss the series for those that watch and wait for the next book to come out in the fall of 2017. Hillerman and Johnson go perfect together so we will close out the thread this way.

Carrie also suggested the Joe Pickett by C.J. Box. I would love to continue with a western setting when we pick up a new series, but I do want to explore whatever series any of our participants want to bring up. I think we can focus on discussing these series throughout the year and then chose a new project for 2018.

For those that have followed or participated in our project, I'm keeping a list of series suggested so please feel free to comment if you have any ideas or PM me as well.

November we begin with The Fallen Man


Book description from the publisher: Human bones lie on a ledge under the peak of Ship Rock mountain, the remains of a murder victim undisturbed for more than a decade. Three hundred miles across the Navajo reservation, a harmless old canyon guide is felled by a sniper's bullet. Joe Leaphorn, recently retired from the Navajo Tribal Police, believes the shooter and the skeleton are somehow connected and recalls a chilling puzzle he was previously unable to solve. But Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee is too busy to take an interest in a dusty cold case ... until the reborn violence of it hits much too close to home.

I really enjoyed Dry Bones this month. I learned a bit about archaeology and loved how the locals jumped on the 'Save Jen!' bandwagon. I hope we get to see more of Cady and Lola as the series progresses…I just wish we didn't have to wait so long for the next installment.

>232 luvamystery65: Donna I really enjoyed this one too. Go Omar!

The next installment was out in September, An Obvious Fact. We will then have to wait a year for the following one. Are you watching the series on Netflix? I'm on season 3 right now.

I finally finished Sacred Clowns. I've already read all the Longmires, including the new one, but always enjoy the discussions here.

>233 tymfos: Have you read all the short stories and novella? I'm saving those for next year.

>234 luvamystery65: Yup, all read -- at least all that I know of.

>235 tymfos: Well we still have the Hillerman books.

I've started The Fallen Man on audio and I'm really enjoying it so far. I could really smack Jim Chee sometimes, but he's finally met someone worthy of him. Let's hope he is not so thick headed for long.

I just finished listening to Dry Bones and agree that it was my favorite so far.

I need an Omar in my life!

It might be interesting to read Anne Hillerman's continuation of the Bernie/Jim Chee series starting with Spider Woman's Daughter. There are two out now, with the third next April. Although she doesn't quite have her father's way with words, she does update many of the anthropological facts that were in her father's books that are now considered to be in error. "We used to think, but now we believe ...." stuff.

>237 streamsong: I'll likely read the Anne Hillerman books, but I don't want to read one a month next year so I'll end the year with the last Tony Hillerman book. I know there are those that don't like another author taking over a series so I'll respect that. If you read the new books before I do please let me know your thoughts.

>238 luvamystery65: I've read the first two and will read the third when it comes out. Definitely not as nuanced as her father's series, but I like the fact that she focusses on Bernie. And I like the updated anthropological insights.

Whatever the group decides for continuation next year is fine by me.

I've finally caught up to the current read since my turn finally came in for the books further back in the series. Plus, now I'm even ahead. Just finished An Obvious Fact, which is my favorite Longmire so far. I loved the banter between Walt and Henry with Sherlock Holmes' quotes.

Just finished The Fallen Man. It was pretty good; I liked the ending.

I just finished reading Fallen Man and this one was a good one. I like all of the regional details that Hillerman puts into these novels and they continue to amuse me. In this one the author once again used the radio call letters KOAT. Things like that make me feel more a part of the world in which these characters live.

This novel also had lots of landscape and weather descriptions. Towards the end the description of the winter snowstorm building and building, and being able to watch it build as Chee and Manulelito drove south added to the urgency of the situation. This was just a very well put together novel.

>239 streamsong: Good to know about the continuation of the series. Thanks for your input. I love the character of Bernie in this months book so let's see how she is further revealed by Tony Hillerman. I would think that Anne Hillerman, as a woman, would do her justice. I've read some great comments on her FB page.

>240 countrylife: I am 3/4 of the way on An Obvious Fact. Really enjoying it. I do plan to read all the short stories and novellas next year. I'm also halfway through season 3 of Longmire on Netflix. Boy howdy! That Walt on the series is easy on the eyes.

>241 hailelib: The Fallen Man was my first book of the month and it is my favorite of the series so far. I really like Bernie. I think Chee is flaky but I always have. I didn't think Mary or Janet were right for him. I'm disappointed that Leaphorn's potential romance just disappeared, but I'm not entirely surprised. Overall, a great installment.

December we begin with An Obvious Fact


Book description from the publisher: In the midst of the largest motorcycle rally in the world, a young biker is run off the road and ends up in critical condition. When Sheriff Walt Longmire and his good friend Henry Standing Bear are called to Hulett, Wyoming—the nearest town to America's first national monument, Devils Tower—to investigate, things start getting complicated. As competing biker gangs; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; a military-grade vehicle donated to the tiny local police force by a
wealthy entrepreneur; and Lola, the real-life femme fatale and namesake for Henry's '59 Thunderbird (and, by extension, Walt's granddaughter) come into play, it rapidly becomes clear that there is more to get to the bottom of at this year's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally than a bike accident. After all, in the words of Arthur Conan Doyle, whose Adventures of Sherlock Holmes the Bear won't stop quoting, "There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.

I am headed to the library this afternoon to take back my Thanksgiving recorded books, so will see if this one is available.

#243
I do like the actor who plays Walt, but he is a little on the young side to be the Walt in the novels. According to the novels both Walt and Henry should be 65. But then TV is not reality. Not even written reality.

Forgot to add that I am glad to see a novel about Sturgis. The motorcycle rally there is a big event in my home country. It has a real impact on the economics of the county and "passin' through on the way to Sturgis" about the only big tourist thing all year. Even if Sturgis is about 800 miles away. Motorcyclists love those two lane highways through Kansas and Nebraska. Gives them lots of chances to head west into the sunset on their steel horse.

I already read An Obvious Fact, but I'm late getting to The Fallen Man, so I'll use December to catch up. And since An Obvious Fact is so new and recently read for me, I'll actually remember enough of it to get in on the conversation.

I'm late, but just finished The Fallen Man Good story- good character development. nice interplay between Chee and Leaphorn.

Okay, I'm behind. I am still on the hold list for An Obvious Fact but am not moving up very fast. It will probably be next month before I get it. The good news is that I picked up Spirit of Steamboat which is a Christmas story so I'll be reading that next week AFTER I finish The Fallen Man. Reading time has been hard to come by the past few weeks but I'll get it done!

I've heard many good things about the TV adaptation of Longmire. I may start it next year while we wait for the new book to come out in the fall. Are we going to read Hillerman every other month? Surely we must be nearing the end of the series… Okay, I looked it up and there are six more to go which will complete 2017. I will look forward to see what we'll be reading the following year. I trust you, Roberta, to choose another good series or two. I enjoy this group and want it to continue. Maybe I should post more. lol

>249 Donna828: No worries about not having An Obvious Fact Donna. Whenever you read it you can post it here or in next years thread. I discussed some in >229 luvamystery65: that I would not add a new series next year but continue with the Hillerman every other month. My reasons are that the Leaphorn/Chee and Longmire pair so well together it would seem almost criminal to pair something else. When we started this journey, I did not know that Hillerman was Craig Johnson's mentor. It makes so much sense doesn't it? I know not everyone will be able to get a copy of the latest Longmire so we can still discuss Longmire in the off months next year. There are also short stories and novellas we can discuss. I'm on season 4 of the series and next season will be the final for the TV show. I figured we can discuss the show as well.

I myself personally will be reading The Barsteshire Chronicles for my Category Challenge every other month so you can see why I don't want to tackle another series right now. I also want to get back to Spenser. I've committed to reading a Spenser a quarter next year. Remember how our little Project started with Spenser? So much fun! Please join me if you are able, but I won't start a thread. We can just comment on our threads.

My thoughts are that we can also discuss next year which new series or two we would like to move forward with once the Hillerman books are finished. I am not counting Anne Hillerman's continuation of the series in this project because the time line doesn't fit our frame and some have expressed that they don't like when people take over a series.

I'm so glad you have been part of this journey from the start and have continued.

ETA: I listened to Spirit of Steamboat this month. What a great Christmas story!

For those just getting to or completing Fallen Man I thought it was so well done. The characters are really working well together. I was thrown off by Leaphorn suddenly not having a "friend" anymore and of course Chee's love life drives me crazy. I do like Bernie.

Normally I don't like it when another author "continues" a series. (It seems mercenary to me.) However, the purpose of this discussion was to "compare" the two series so for the sake of "comparison" I would be willing to read an Anne Hillerman novel.

There is also Tony Hillerman's memoir -which many of my friends have told me is excellent.

I also enjoyed listening to Spirit of Steamboat.

I also enjoyed listening to Spirit of Steamboat. I am listening to An Obvious Fact this month and missed reading The Fallen Man but will get to it next month.

>250 luvamystery65: Roberta, I do agree that these two authors have complemented each other. I am fine with finishing the Hillerman books every other month. I may slip in a Robert B. Parker book here and there just for fun.

My last two books have been for this group. The Fallen Man had Leaphorn and Chee working well together which was a treat. I think Jim is growing up. I wish he would have better luck with the women!

I loved Spirit of Steamboat and read it in one sitting. The grumpiness of Lucian and the way he and Walt interact have added a different dimension to the series. It was good to see him as a younger man being superpilot. Craig Johnson had me on the edge of my seat during most of the book.

>252 benitastrnad: Thanks, Benita, for mentioning the Hillerman memoir. I will look for it next year. I admire his work and would like to learn more about him as a person.

I just started reading An Obvious Fact and because of a discussion over on Joe Welch's thread about Newbery medal winners the name of Lola hit me right between my literary eyes. In 1965, the Children's and Young Adult author Maia Wojciechowska won the Newbery medal for the novel Shadow of a Bull. It was one of the books I remember so well from my 5th and 6th grade classroom. Mrs. Trzicky had it in our classroom library. (I thought I would include the name of my teacher just because her name is as outstanding as Lola's.)

Because Craig Johnson makes references to all kinds of literary things in these Longmire novels I do not think the last name of Lola is insignificant. I think it references Shadow of a Bull and that author. Maybe someday if I see Craig Johnson I will ask him. In slavic names female last names end in a or ova, so the proper way of writing Lola's name would be Wojciechowska, or Wojeciechowskova, (the former is probably the Polish way of doing it, and the latter is the Russian), just as my last name in Czech would be Strnadova instead of Strnad.

I am also going to try Anne Hillerman's continuation of the series. One thing I like is that she writes from the perspective of Bernie. I will give her a try.

>256 benitastrnad: You should ask him on social media. He is very fan friendly and interacts on FB and Twitter. You can also email him at his webpage.
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Speaking of Craig Johnson's webpage, if you sign up for his news letter and updates, he will email you the latest Longmire Christmas story, Eleven/Twenty-Nine, on Christmas morning.

"A reminder that if you want to receive the short story in your inbox on Christmas morning you need to sign up at www.craigallenjohnson.com by hitting the contact button and telling us you want to be on the list for the Post-It Newsletter and Christmas story."

Finished An Obvious Fact This was a good one. I am grateful to this project for introducing me to Johnson. However we decide, I'll follow along for another year- it has been fun.

Finally a Walt Longmire mystery with an interesting character, Lola, and the supporting cast gets a chance to shine. Especially Henry. In this episode, Henry Standing Bear plays a major role in the novel, and that obnoxious Vic tones it down to a barely tolerable screech. The setting for this entry in the Longmire mysteries takes center stage and Johnson has the event and the place nailed accurately. There is a good supporting cast of good guys and bad guys and many literary and historical references that keep the novel interesting and entertaining. This is one of the better entries in this series. I think that is because Vic isn't so foul mouthed and bratty.

Next year's thread is set up

https://www.librarything.com/topic/244007#5843659