Friday, May 29, 2009

Dance Hall of the Dead

Several months ago, there was a segment on the NPR Books podcast about Tony Hillerman. Hillerman died late last year. He wrote wrote more than 30 books total including 18 books in his Navajo mystery series. I was intrigued by the podcast and brought Dance Hall Of The Dead which received the 1973 Edgar Award for Best Novel. I finished reading the book earlier in May.

Dance Hall Of The Dead is the second of the Navajo Tribal Police series of crime fiction novels. It is centered around the character of police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn on the Navajo Reservation in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. Themes of the book include the Zuni religion and hostility between the Navajo and the Zuni.

We had a chance to spend some time in Northern New Mexico in 2007. I always enjoy reading books set in places I have actually been.

I enjoyed Dance Hall of the Dead immensely. I liked reading style and the pacing of the book. I will eventually pick up another of Hillerman's books to read.

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