Name: Dance Hall of the Dead
ISBN: 9780061000027

Tony Hillerman

When a youth from the Zuni reservation is murdered and his missing Navajo friend becomes the prime suspect, Lt. Joe Leaphorn investigates

Dance Hall of the Dead

Sarah Sammis

I'm re-reading / re-listening to the audiobook. 

Good re-read. Remembered quite a bit.


This mystery overall seems less grounded in the time period it was written. The situations described are more generic, being driven by human frailties than specific events. There are a few details that set it apart from later books: Leaphorn's wife is still alive, Leaphorn is youngish, there's no Chee, there's certainly no Manuelita, nor are there any modern communication devices, meaning Leaphorn is often cut off from the rest of the world when he's in some very remote areas.

http://pussreboots.com/blog/2023/comm...

Colleen

4 Stars

Dance Hall of the Dead certainly improved upon its predecessor, The Blessing Way. Hillerman seemed to have a better idea of where the series would go and was able to continue to develop the characters. 

The mystery itself was still straightforward. These aren't Agatha Christie books, but they are still very engaging. What I love about the series is how Hillerman brought the setting to life. Dance Hall of the Dead not only explores Navajo culture but also Zuñi culture. People have a bad habit of lumping all Native American culture together, so it was interesting to see both cultures especially considering this was written in the 70's. Even though many books have copied off of this series, I would still recommend it to any Mystery fans.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 4 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 3 Stars
Level of Captivation: 4 Stars
Originality: 4 Stars