::AMAZON REVIEWS::

Kindle version lacking
I had missed this title in my reading of Tony Hillerman's works. While different, I found it intriguing to follow Chee and Leaphorn to DC. However, the kindle version had so many typos and errors that I found myself distracted trying to read it. Read another version.

Different setting
Seeing Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn a bit out of their element in Washington DC made this book a bit off from Hillerman's usual fare. The city just didn't come alive the way the Navajo reservation does in other entries in the series.

The mystery was quite interesting. International intrigue, Navajo religion, and the back drop of the National Museum of Natural History make for a great read.

Twists, turns, suspense, miles ahead of most contemporary mysteries and one of Hillerman's best.
This review is written in response to others which seem to want to keep this great writer in a familiar box.
I've read nearly every Hillerman book. Talking God appeals to me most because here, Tony Hillerman has added a level of conflict and interest not found in his other books. Variety is the spice of life and "Talking God" reflects the talent and versatility of this great writer. It's a captivating work, miles ahead of most contemporary mysteries because Hillerman's characters resolve conflict with a fresh view life from a Native American perspective. Read it for yourself.

Native American mystery - Jim Chee - Joe Leaphorn
One of my favorites. The story evolves with Jim and Joe working apart and thenputting their knowledge and finds together for a solution!

A Thriller off the Big Rez
The dead man beside the train tracks near Gallup wore an elegant suit of clothes and narrow leather shoes more suitable to the city than the middle of the desert. The FBI agent called Joe Leaphorn in to search for tracks.

Jim Chee was just doing what he was told. He went out to the back of the Big Rez to the healing sing for old lady Tsosie to arrest a white man calling himself Henry Highhawk. The charge was grave-robbing, something no true Navajo could stand.

This book is not typical of Tony Hillerman's mysteries. For one thing, most of the action takes place in Washington, DC where both his Navajo cops are terribly out of place. For another, the plot runs along thriller lines. The denouement is spectacular, fun and set in the Smithsonian. Could there be a better or more baffling place to hide a body? Hillerman has created a memorable hitman and the "accidental" working out of justice is not to be missed.

Tony Hillerman died Oct 26, 2008 at the age of 83. This is not his best book, but it still beats many thrillers written today!