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Dance Hall of the Dead Tony Hillerman Books

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Dance Hall of the Dead Tony Hillerman Books

In 1970 Tony Hillerman wrote his first book which was also the first of the Leaphorn and Chee novels, The Blessing Way, but before writing another in that series he wrote an unrelated novel, The Fly on the Wall, his second book, in 1971. Both books were OK, worth reading once, but to my taste they were unremarkable. He didn't write a third novel, the second of the Leaphorn/Chee novels, this one, The Dance Hall of the Dead, for another two years after that in 1973. I have no idea what happened in those two years but he went from the modestly fleshed out setting in The Blessing Way to the full blown mature world we have in the following books-frequent and vivid descriptions of the beauty of the reservation lands, well done data dumps on Indian mythology, a good mystery, solid poking of ridicule at federal law enforcement agents, characters fleshed out with depth and breadth and what really hooks me-a generous helping of heart. By the end of the the series the books ran out of steam but entries two through eleven are ones I will probably continue rereading every few years for the rest of my life. Thank you, Mr. Hillerman.


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Dance Hall of the Dead Tony Hillerman Books Reviews

The only complaint I have about Dance Hall of the Dead is that I wanted it to go on and on...but instead, I got the next book in the series. Tony Hillerman is flat-out the best writer I've encountered in several years, and I don't know why it took me so long to discover him.
Tony Hillerman's "Dance Hall of the Dead" is a very well done book. The writing is really well done, Joe Leaphorn has been nicely fleshed out from the first book, and the dichotomy in world views he's presenting is darn interesting. About the only thing I can ding is that the mystery is fairly obvious from pretty near the beginning. But, still, it's a very well done, enjoyable book. I rate it at a Very Good 4 stars out of 5.

Hillerman's "Leaphorn & Chee" novels are

1. The Blessing Way
2. Dance Hall of the Dead
3. Listening Woman
4. People of Darkness
5. The Dark Wind
6. The Ghostway (Jim Chee Novels)
7. Skinwalkers
8. A Thief of Time
9. Talking God
10. Coyote Waits
11. Sacred Clowns Novel, A
12. The Fallen Man
13. The First Eagle
14. Hunting Badger
15. The Wailing Wind
16. The Sinister Pig
17. Skeleton Man
18. The Shape Shifter
Interesting story. Good plot. Good pacing. Like the first novel in the Leaphorn/Chee books, the atmosphere and physical descriptions painted a very descriptive and detailed visual of the settings, people and places. The dynamics of the different law enforcement groups were all interesting and added to the story, however, The shortcomings (for me) are typical...damsel in distress, hero in some adventure crisis in which he prevails. The ambivalent, atypical ending was a plus...it made me think the author takes chances and it is enticing me to go on to the next book in the series.
I'm no literary expert and have never read novels very much - too busy reading stuff I needed for work. However, I am a huge lover of the southwest and all things Native American, so I am really enjoying the detailed descriptions of the landscapes, peoples and culture, as well as the murder/mystery story line. My late uncle gave me "A Thief of Time" years ago and that got me interested in Tony Hillerman. Now with my new , I've started at the first book (The Blessing Way) and am proceeding through this series in order. I love them - I'll probably read the entire series (19 or so books).
In Dance Hall of the Dead, celebrated Southwestern author Tony Hillerman will introduce you to the people of the Four Corners. There, four Native American nations sprawl across the states of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado. The Navajo Nation is by far the largest, encompassing a population of 360,000 in some 27,000 square miles, a little larger than the state of West Virginia and more than twice the size of Maryland. The much less populous Hopi, Ute, and Zuñi Nations occupy much smaller expanses of adjoining territory. This diverse and culturally mesmerizing region is the setting for the eighteen novels in Hillerman's award-winning series featuring tribal detectives Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee.

Dance Hall of the Dead is the second novel in Hillerman's series. (In fact, the author didn't introduce Chee until the fourth book.) The action unfolds over the first six days of December, as winter first threatens, then descends on the high plateau of the Four Corners. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Nation Police is dispatched across the border to meet with the chief of the Zuñi police. Two teenage boys, one Navajo and the other Zuñi, have gone missing, and foul play is suspected. Leaphorn's unhappy assignment is to track down the fourteen-year-old Navajo boy, George Bowlegs, who appears to have disappeared somewhere within the vast Navajo Nation. Bowlegs' friend, twelve- (almost thirteen-) year-old Ernesto Cata, may have been murdered, as a copious amount of blood has been found at the site where the two were to meet. Meanwhile, several other law enforcement agencies have become involved, including the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Law and Order Division, the local New Mexico county sheriff, the Zuñi police, and (for reasons that are not at all clear at first) the DEA. The case threatens to become a jurisdictional nightmare. When the Navajo Police investigate a crime on their land, they're usually on their own, and unhappy if anyone interferes.

As Leaphorn doggedly pursues his investigation, he comes into close contact with a team of anthropologists who are digging for ancient Native artifacts, a small hippie commune, a Franciscan brother who runs a local school, Bowlegs' drunken father, and the masked kachinas preparing for a major Zuñi religious festival.

As Hillerman explains, "The word 'kachina' had three meanings. They were the ancestor spirits of the Zuñi. Or the masks worn to impersonate these spirits. Or the small wooden dolls the Zuñis made to represent them." The author's attention to detail in Dance Hall of the Dead is remarkable, conveying a strong sense of the rugged Southwestern landscape and the cultural and religious character of the people.

In addition to the eighteen books in the Leaphorn and Chee series, Tony Hillerman wrote four other novels and seven nonfiction books or memoirs. His work was widely recognized by his peers, winning him numerous literary awards and gaining him the presidency of the Mystery Writers of America for a year. Hillerman died in 2008. His daughter Anne is continuing the Navajo Police series; she has published three of those books to date.
In 1970 Tony Hillerman wrote his first book which was also the first of the Leaphorn and Chee novels, The Blessing Way, but before writing another in that series he wrote an unrelated novel, The Fly on the Wall, his second book, in 1971. Both books were OK, worth reading once, but to my taste they were unremarkable. He didn't write a third novel, the second of the Leaphorn/Chee novels, this one, The Dance Hall of the Dead, for another two years after that in 1973. I have no idea what happened in those two years but he went from the modestly fleshed out setting in The Blessing Way to the full blown mature world we have in the following books-frequent and vivid descriptions of the beauty of the reservation lands, well done data dumps on Indian mythology, a good mystery, solid poking of ridicule at federal law enforcement agents, characters fleshed out with depth and breadth and what really hooks me-a generous helping of heart. By the end of the the series the books ran out of steam but entries two through eleven are ones I will probably continue rereading every few years for the rest of my life. Thank you, Mr. Hillerman.