Listening Woman

We have read all of the Tony Hillerman Southwest novels. Great history of the area and great detective stories. HIllerman was one of our favorite authors. They are suspenseful and his descriptions take you into the southwest landscape and culture.

I liked Mr. Hillerman's deepness of the characters and his decription of the land. I have never been to the areas in the book, but I feel that if I ever was in the area and the native and white customs it would be familiar to me.

The plot is thick and fast but the most interesting thing to me was the factual insight into the different Indain tribe's beliefs. Now I want to read all Hillermsn's books.

Good news for the store.com!!

As with all of Hillermans Jim Chee, Joe Leaphorn books this one is also excellent. It has been interesting going back to the beginning and re-reading them all. Great entertainment.
Great seller book was new as advertised.

Joe Leaphorn can put the loose ends together even when no one else realizes there are loose ends. The story starts out with an old man being bludgeoned and later Leaphorn is intentionally almost rundown by a mysterious man in gold rimed glasses. He tries to tie these together. Then he uses an old robbery as an excuse to get out of a Boy Scout commitment and track down the antagonist. Needles to say the story gets more convoluted for everyone but Leaphorn.

This is an excellent story with the added plus of the description of the area and the Navaho that occupies this area. What seems at first to be over description later enhances the final scenes.

Speaking about the location and Navaho, even the schools, this story is even more enjoyable if you read “Seldom Disappointed” first. Tony describes how he comes by the plot and the people. He even goes out to locations first as research.

I have read the book but the addition of the voice of George Guidall adds a dimension to the story by helping visualize the people and correcting pronunciation of certain words. I suggest you read the book and listen to the recorded version.

Although I have read Hillerman in the past, I have decided to start at the beginning and read (and reread) his Navajo Mystery series in order; that alone should attest to the fact that these are really wonderful books. "Listening Woman" is the third in the series, and it was thus an early Tony Hillerman mystery. In it, Joe Leaphorn is younger that in the later books, and Leaphorn is a lot more of an action figure than in his later books where his character is dominated by the cerebral as he thinks through the problems and seems to avoid more of the action. Regardless, the story was interesting and compelling, despite a few short comings.

In "Listening Woman," Leaphorn faces a real mess of events: a group of Boy Scouts, a Catholic priest, a missing helicopter, a laughing man with gold-rimmed glasses who has tried to run Leaphorn down, a large vicious dog, a lost woman, and two strange, unsolved murders in a remote corner of the reservation. All the problems seem to connect in some way with Hostein Tso's hogan. Hostein Tso is troubled and calls for `Listening Woman" and her assistant for a song. "Listening Women" knows that Tso will not reveal all he knows to her; he is withholding a secret that goes back to his great-grandfather. "Listening Woman" goes away to speak with the spirits, and while she is in a trance, Tso and her assistant are murdered. Now the blind shaman speaks of witches, restless spirits, and of evil. But Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police is sure the monster who savagely slaughtered an old man and a teenage girl was human. The solution to a horrific crime is buried somewhere in a dead man's secrets.

The battle of wits between Leaphorn and his opponents is interesting. The story starts strong, but the end is a bit predictable and a little over the top; hence a three instead of a 4 here. Still, it is definitely a good read. Hillerman's skill as a story teller is excellent. His ability to develop local color is simply exceptional - excellent reference and description to the geography of the area and the Navajo culture.

Comfortable writing style and Hillerman is really starting to flesh out Joe Leaphorn in this 3rd book of a long series. I love the Navajo Way, myths, ceremonies, taboos and depictions of daily life. A fairly ambitious and slightly implausible storyline that bogs down a bit in the middle and wraps up a bit quickly. Still, a fast, enjoyable read and I’ll keep moving along to Book 4.

Another intriguing complex mystery set in the mesas and canyons of the southwest. Hillerman brings the setting to life. It is well written and hold's the reader's interest so it is a quick read.

It is full of Native American culture and myths. If the reader pays attention, they can also learn a little something as they enjoy the story.

The characters are well developed and engaging. Joe Leaphorn is an intelligent investigator who thinks before he acts to try to make sense of the seemingly unconnected and nonsensical events he encounters.

Always a joy to read.

"Listening Woman" is the third book in Tony Hillerman's Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mystery series. Out of the eighteen novels which make up the series, this novel, and book two, "Dance Hall of the Dead," are amongst my favorites. Although these are early works, the main characters are introduced here and are very well developed, more so than in later books where the public is more familiar with the protagonists. Also, in the early books, ("Listening Woman" was published in 1978), the author really gives a fresh feel for the Navajo and other Native American cultures of the Southwest. His descriptions seem to be more intense in "Listening Woman" than in his later novels. Throughout the entire series, Hillerman's love for the region and its peoples shines through.

Hosteen Tso is sick.and calls upon Mrs. Margaret Cigaret, known as Listening Woman, a blind Navajo healer, to diagnose and cure him. As she blesses the old man with corn pollen, she tells him, "You got trouble in your body." She directs her young niece, Anna Atcitty, to sing the song of "The Talking God," the one about "Born of Water and Monster Slayer." Anna is a pretty teenager, who proudly wears a T-shirt bearing the legends Ganado High School and Tiger Pep. Listening Woman chants, "In beauty it is finished. In beauty it is finished." The juxtaposition of the modern ways of Anna's more Anglo culture with that of her aunt's ancient customs is striking. Listening Woman asks Tso about his dreams, and about possible witches, dogs and wolves as characters who might people these dreams. He has not experienced visits from the supernatural while asleep, but informs the healer that there are some things he cannot talk about....things he promised, long ago, not to discuss. She leaves his hogan and goes to listen to the earth, which will hopefully tell her what makes the man sick.

Hosteen Tso and young Anna Atcitty are brutally murdered while Listening woman is out seeking her vision. The FBI are called in to investigate, but know little of the Navajo culture, nor are they familiar with the Four Corners region reservation, located where the states of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado abut one another. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, the "Legendary Lieutenant," from the Navajo Tribal Police takes up the case after several months have passed. Listening Woman speaks, once again, of ghosts and of witches. Leaphorn is skeptical of traditional values and the supernatural, although he takes reports of witchcraft, and other related phenomena, seriously. He may not be a believer, but "he still treasures the old ways of his people," and realizes that the murder can be solved only with some inside knowledge of Navajo customs and traditions. He recruits Listening Woman and John McGinnis, the old trader on Short Mountain Trading Post, to assist him in acquiring more insight into local lore.

As with most of the author's novels, this mystery is complex and compelling. Lieutenant Leaphorn barely escapes with his life when a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses attempts to run him down with a car. Added to the mix are the theft of a helicopter, a radical Indian group that advocates violence, a seemingly wayward catholic priest, a large vicious dog, and a dead man's secret which stretches back more than one hundred years. All clues bring Leaphorn back to Hosteen Tso's hogan.

There is lots of action in this fast-paced thriller. Once more, what I love about Tony Hillerman's novels are the underlying themes which contrast Navajo ways with those of the "white" culture. He describes in glorious detail and awe the beauty of the Southwest. A must read!!
Jana Perskie

The Shape Shifter
Tony Hillerman's Navajoland: Hideouts, Haunts, and Havens in the Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee Mysteries
Blessing Way, The

Tony Hillerman's third Navajo thriller written in 1978, "Listening Woman" is a true classic. Lt. Joe Leaphorn is on the case and must battle danger at every turn. Hillerman has such wonderful characters to read. His characters come alive off the pages full of life and depth. Even Hillerman's bad guys are finely crafted . ""Listening Woman, at a very quick 289 pages was an incredible thriller. With each page it's seems to transport the reader to Canyon de Chelly, or along the Arizona/ Utah border. At times it's feels like the story is being read within a hogan from the mouth of a Navajo. This classic read is a real 5 star out of 5 stars must read. If you haven't read any of tony Hillerman's books as of yet, why not ?

Navajo Detective Joe Leaphorn works on several cases: the murder of an old Navajo man and a young girl, a missing helicopter, and a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses who tried to run over him. The search for answers takes him to the remote canyon country along the Arizona-Utah border.
This is the third novel in Hillerman's masterpiece series. The star of the show, Joe Leaphorn, is a likeable, honest, methodical man with a compulsion to find out the truth. Hillerman's strengths are authenticity and atmosphere. Navajo culture, religion, and folkways are woven into the fabric of his novels. His landscapes are harsh and spectacular. Nature is magnificent, but also menacing. In this exotic setting, the supernatural seems almost possible and little chilly fingers tickle your spine.
Leaphorn, something of a passive investigator in the first two novels of the series, is an action figure in "Listening Woman," confronting several ultra-violent killers. Hillerman allows his characters to grow and adds and subtracts characters as he goes along in the series. Captain Largo, Leaphorn's sardonic boss, makes his first appearance in this book.
"Listening Woman" suffers slightly from an ending drawn from action movies rather than real life, but it's a top quality mystery/western nevertheless. Anybody who is drawn to wide-open country and American Indian culture will love Tony Hillerman's books.

The Leaphorn books are generally informative as to Navajo culture, and I like reading about the ceremonies, etc. There is a glaring historical error early in this book, however, that took me right out of the story. Hillerman relates how Narbona, the legendary Navajo warrior and leader, resisted being relocated to Bosque Redondo, and fought with Kit Carson. Further, he states that Narbona and his group spent the winter of 1863 hiding out on Navajo lands, then turned themselves in in 1864. None of this is correct. Narbona was killed in 1849 by troops under the command of Colonel John Washington, while attending a peace talk. To my knowledge, Carson never crossed paths with Narbona. The Navajo warrior who resisted relocation to Bosque Redondo was Manuelito, but he turned himself in in 1866, not 1864.

Joe Leaphorn can put the loose ends together even when no one else realizes there are loose ends. The story starts out with an old man being bludgeoned and later Leaphorn is intentionally almost rundown by a mysterious man in gold rimed glasses. He tries to tie these together. Then he uses an old robbery as an excuse to get out of a Boy Scout commitment and track down the antagonist. Needles to say the story gets more convoluted for everyone but Leaphorn.

This is an excellent story with the added plus of the description of the area and the Navaho that occupies this area. What seems at first to be over description later enhances the final scenes.

Speaking about the location and Navaho, even the schools, this story is even more enjoyable if you read “Seldom Disappointed” first. Tony describes how he comes by the plot and the people. He even goes out to locations first as research.

More than ussual action in this installment of the Chee-Leaphorn detective series, still maintaining the cultural flavor of the Navajos and backdrop of the desert and mountains it is rich detail. This was an intriguing and complex mystery. i fully enjoyed it. There are several elements and crimes going on at the same time, and you get a view of LT Leaphorn and his detective thought processes. This highlights two different brothers who took different paths in life. For any adult, you can certainly relate to this.

If you are looking for an exciting read, stop right here because the Listening Woman is it! From the opening chapter to the astounding ending, each page is entertaining. More than a mystery where the reader can gage the facts in order to learn the many answers, one must become involved in the heart and customs of the Navajo if you are to hope to solve this tale before the end.
In The Listening Woman the reader becomes a part of the action. This is largely due to the awesome descriptions of the land and the people, along with the situations which keep you on the edge of your seat! The characters come to life and the empathetic reader will cry and laugh with them. You will also feel the fear of being pursued by an unbelivable beast and the dark terror of being trapped with little hope of escape.
A word of warning - you may need to set aside a few hours to read this book because it will be difficult to put down!

There are few things as satisfying in the modern mystery novel as looking into the methodical mind of Detective Joe Leaphorn. While many people read Tony Hillerman for his insights into Navajo culture, I most enjoy his depiction of the always thoughtful Leaphorn.
In Listening Woman, Leaphorn faces his usual intertangled mess of events: being nearly run over by a maniac, the theft of a helicopter, and two unsolved deaths in a remote corner of the reservation. The joy of this book is its window into Leaphorn's mind as he tries to make sense of seemingly random events.
Hillerman's myteries are enjoyable because he keeps the details in front of the reader. His detectives express bafflement, hold erroneous assumptions, and are very much prone to mistaken judgement. As such, they are real and believable.
Listening Woman features a remarkable and intense closing sequence, which I have no intention of ruining. This is one of Hillerman's best novels and I heartily recommend it.

I reviewed one of his books recently, with young Joe Leaphorn as the protagonist. This one was written much later, and "Legendary Lieutenant" Leaphorn comes out of retirement to look over Jim Chee's shoulder and maybe give him a complex. Hillerman has, over the years, given us some depth and texture in his characters and their interactions, and I always enjoy spending a bit of time with these folks. Still living on that slow Navajo time, and there's no crime in that. In this particular mystery, well, I have to say it. The mysteries and the plots aren't his strong suit. Nobody cares. It's a diverting read and you'll enjoy it. I did.

The inside jacket of this book, copyright 1978, says: Tony Hillerman is past president of the Mystery Writers of America and has received their Edgar and Grand Master Awards. Among his other honors are the Center for the American Indian's Ambassador Award, the Silver Spur Award for best novel set in the west, and the Navajo Tribe's Special Friend Award."

Others have described the plot of this book, so I'll skip that. Reading this book is like going on an adventurous vacation. Expect beautiful scenery, Native American culture and mystery. I gave it four stars because it's perfect - there isn't one change that could be made to improve it.

Despite a few glaring historical errors, Hillerman truly was the undisputed master of the Native American Mystery genre and "Listening Woman" may well exemplify his best work. This is a fast paced, well written novel, that truly shows the progress Hillerman made as a writer. The hallmark of a good writer is that you enjoy reading their work. I really enjoyed reading "Listening Woman" and highly recommend it.

The first half of Listening Woman, the third in the Joe Leaphorn series, is vintage Hillerman. There's lots of desert scenery and insights into Native American life. Unlike other books, this book is focused entirely within the Navajoes but even then we learn that there are 58 clans, 57 who keep Navajo time and then this clan that's slow even by Navajo standards. Of course, much of the mystery takes place on their turf.
Joe is investigating a variety of backburner cases as an excuse to be in an area where a motorist had nearly hit him. As he digs deeper, a missing helicopter and an FBI investigation seem to be involved in whatever is going on. Enter the Dirk Pitt side of Joe's personality. I won't spoil the surprise but suffice it to say that Joe endures flame, flood and a host of other harrowing experiences as he solves the crime and saves the day.
Bottom line: Less religion and culture, more action than the other Hillerman's I've read. Still, a fun, entertaining read.