REVIEW: Dance Hall of the Dead

Dance Hall of the Dead
Author: Tony Hillerman

I first read this book as a teenager back in the 1980s. I loved this series! I read a few books before life intervened and I no longer had a lot of time to read. College ...relationships ....marriage ...work....kids. Those things tend to suck up so much time that books take a back seat. Now that the kids are grown and I'm older, I have time for books again.....and I'm re-visiting favorites. Tony Hillerman definitely made my list of required reading!

Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is with the Navajo police. When a 12-year old Zuni boy and a 14-year old Navajo disappear, Leaphorn knows he has to work fast to find the boys. One boy is found dead...gruesomely murdered. Did the other boy kill him? If not, where is the other boy? Leaphorn soon discovers there is much more to this case than a missing child.

I listened to the audio version of this book (Recorded Books). Narrated by George Guidall, the unabridged audio is just over six hours long -- easy listening length. Guidall reads at a nice even pace and has a pleasant voice. I enjoyed his performance. Listening to the audio really brought the story to life. Excellent listening experience!

This book features Joe Leaphorn by himself. His usual partner, Jim Chee, is not in this story. I remembered immediately why I love this series. The story is well-written and deeply rich in Navajo life and culture. The mystery is intriguing and has great action and suspense. I read this book so many years ago that I didn't remember much about the plot....I was still surprised by the ending. I'm so glad I'm re-visiting this series.

There are 18 books in this series by Tony Hillerman, and 5 more added by his daughter, Anne. I'm going to enjoy reading my way through this series! I'm glad his daughter is continuing the stories!

On to the next book -- Listening Woman.