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Book Review of Skinwalkers (Joe Leaphorn / Jim Chee Bk 1)

Skinwalkers (Joe Leaphorn / Jim Chee Bk 1)
kerriganm avatar reviewed on + 20 more book reviews


Tony Hillerman brings the Navajo culture and the landscape of New Mexico alive in his books. He manages to educate and enlighten without even being pedantic, and he weaves the scenery deftly into the plot.

The main theme here is the traditional Navajo believe in "skinwalkers"- akin to ghosts or evil spirits. Detective Jim Chee has a foot in both the traditional and modern worlds. Are skinwalkers really afoot, or is all the evil that's about the result of flesh-and-blood evildoers? How can Jim Chee balance his two roles as police officer and a traditional Navajo?

This alternates moments of high suspense and restfulness, as Hillerman books always do. Great characters and tight plot.