Hunting Badger

What fun! This is the best Hillerman I've read in a long time, an invigorating story from the first page. It really moves without leaving out any of the touches of personality Hillerman is so good at. Jim Chee, recently parted from Janet Pete and just back from vacation, is caught up in a search involving a casino robbery, the FBI, his old boss Lieutenant Leaphorn, and Bernie Manuelito, as well as old legends and history. He and Leaphorn both show signs of recovering from the difficult events of their lives, and I look forward to the next stage in their parallel journeys.

As I read this book I thought about how the training you give your mind helps you see things that others can't. I read this mystery and was surprised by how Leaphorn takes a set of 'clues' and then looks at them from a completely different perspective and sees a different crime. You have to admire that kindof thinking - even in a fictional character. Loved the way Leaphorn's retirement and widowerhood has changed both the way he interacts with others and also how they see him.

Chee relies on the retired Leaphorn quite heavily. Not sure that was plausible although Hillerman's portrayal of Leaphorn is always enjoyable. Intriguing twists to the plot although a repetitive theme of criminals hiding out in the labyrinth of arroyos and canyons is getting old. Bernie Manuelito is developing as an interesting, multi-dimensional character. Sam Nakai's death (Chee's maternal uncle) was passed over too lightly, considering Hosteen Nakai's influence on Chee.

Even for a light, unchallenging reading experience, I found this work to be disappointing. On the one hand, the plot is original, with unexpected twists. However, the story is somwhat flat and bland, with weakly drawn characters. Hillerman's much - vaunted knowledge of Native American culture here provides only a superficial gloss.

A particular problem is that the book is very poorly edited, and replete with typographical errors and other editing mistakes. For example, main character Jim Chee is referred to as "Cree"; his love interest Bernadette Manuelito is referred to as "he"; we get sloppy mistakes like "It you see" (rather than "If you see ..."); "Leaphorn had starting (sic) thinking about... " What's more, some conversations are show more redundant with those occurring earlier in the book. A few errors appear to have been corrected in a later edition.

Given size of the text and blank pages between chapters, this is at best a novelette. Harper Collins should be ashamed at having published such a brief and unfinished work at the exorbitant price of 26 dollars. Readers deserve much better. However, fans of Tony Hillerman's western novels will not want to miss this work, as it does demarcate ongoing changes in the main characters' lives. Readers new to Hillerman's work are advised to avoid this novel in favor of his earlier work. show less

I love this series and try to choose a title that is set where I am traveling and this was perfect. I loved learning about the mining industry in southeast Utah. Hillerman also explores the conflicts among the various peoples - various Native American tribes, ranchers, newcomers and law enforcement.

I haven't spent time with Leaphorn and Chee for many years. They are still a comfortable fit. The mystery is secondary to the people and the stories, and that's just fine.

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 show more I can borrow them whenever I feel the need of escape to the red country. show less