The First Eagle (A Leaphorn and Chee Novel)

The First Eagle by Tony Hillerman is the 13th novel in his Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee series of Navajo mysteries. As is typical with Tony Hillerman, his novels are not just entertaining but also educational.

Two cases seem totally unrelated. Former lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is now working on private investigations to keep himself busy. An aunt of Catherine Pollard asks Leaphorn to find her niece. Pollard is a vector control specialist on the reservation, commonly called a fleacatcher. She is trying to find contaminated fleas that are causing the Black Plaque to return to the area. Meanwhile, acting lieutenant Jim Chee is called to assist a fellow tribal policeman. When Chee arrives, Benny Kinsman is dying and Hopi Indian Robert Jano is at the scene, covered with blood. Kinsman was in search of an eagle poacher, and Jano has a caged eagle with him. The guilt of Jano seems a slam-dunk, but his lawyer, Janet Pete (Chee’s love interest) believes otherwise.

The First Eagle will take the reader into the world of fleas, bacteria, disease and immunology. One expert tells Chee “All the little beasties we had beaten ten years ago are back and meaner than ever. TB is an epidemic again. So is malaria. So is cholera. We had the staph bacteria whipped with nine different antibiotics. Now none of ‘em work on some of it.” It is frightening. And of course, Joe Leaphorn doesn’t believe in coincidences, and it just seems too coincidental that Cathy Pollard disappeared the same day Benny Kinsman was killed.

As with all Hillerman’s novels, the personal lives of Leaphorn and Chee progress. In The First Eagle, Chee’s romance with Janet Pete will be tested in ways that may forever change their relationship. This is one reason why Hillerman’s series should be read in order.

Tony Hillerman was one of my father’s favorite authors and an upcoming trip to New Mexico finally pulled me into reading one of the novels. I chose this one at random. It is about two Native American detectives who live on the Navaho Reservation in New Mexico and solve a crime. The book moves briskly, has goods amounts of local color and native traditions, and the story is about the plague–the bubonic plague–which I was surprised to learn still exists in prairie dogs, rabbits, and other small mammals in New Mexico (and can spread to humans by fleas!).

Hillerman makes constant references to locations in Navaholand, enough so that I bought a guide book to help me get my bearings, Tony Hillman’s Navajoland. It increased my appreciation for the novel and I recommend it if you want to learn more about this fascinating and exotic place.

The novel is detective fiction: painless, fast moving, and a good story sprinkled with unusual characters and locations. Individually the book underwhelms, but as part of a 20 book series I am sure that it provides rich value to the reader who undertakes the whole series. I am not such a reader, but my father was, and I’m glad I read the book.

I have long been a lover of Tony Hillerman stories. I enjoy the cultural landscape that surrounds his mysteries, and appreciate the cultural tensions in which his characters struggle and flourish. This book displays that same depth with the same quality mystery that typifies Hillerman's work.

Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn are two good main characters, and they again put their detecting skills to work to solve a murder and a disappearance. Chee is a Lieutenant with the Navajo Tribal Police and Leaphorn is a recently reteired Lieutenant. These long time partners find themselves working on the same case, with Chee investigating the murder of fellow Tribal Officer Kinsman while Leaphorn is working as a PI to investigate the mysterious disappearance, around the same time and place as the murder, of a vector control officer studying a recent case of Bubonic Plague.

Chee was the first one on the scene of Kinsman's murder, and captured a suspect literally "red handed." But his former fiance and defense attorney for the accused, Janet Pete, insists that there's more than meets the eye. The mystery takes the two all across the desert southwest, and into the world of vector control and research into contagious disease. As they figure out that Cathy Pollard has disappeared in the same vicinity and at the same time as the murder, they must figure out if and how the two events are related. Is she a suspect? Another victim? An unrelated disappearance.This book is vintage Hillerman, and I enjoyed it. It made me yearn for the southwest, and if gas wasn't so expensive I'd hit the road for Santa Fe or Albuquerque to take in some sopapillas and some desert scenery.

SETUP
Jim Chee has become the temporary commander of the Tuba City unit of the Navajo Tribal Police. One of his deputies is killed investigating the poaching of eagles by a young Hopi man. Nearby, Dr. Woody, an epidemiologist, is studying populations of prairie dogs, etc. which serve as reservoirs for various deceases. Suddenly, Woody's assistant dies of the black plaque. In "The First Eagle", "legendary lieutenant" Joe Leaphorn has retired, but is hired, essentially as a private detective, to look for Catherine Pollard, a biologist working for the Indian Health Service as a "vector control specialist, trapping rodents looking for the source of a recent outbreak of bubonic plague, who disappeared.

SIDESTORIES
I don't normally mention sidestories in reviews, but they are important in "The First Eagle" and a few other novels in the series. In these, the mystery (and associated plot) is almost secondary, almost just a vehicle, for the poignant and insightful "sidestories".

In addition to being younger and more impetuous (or hotheaded and impatient, in Leaphorn's view), Jim Chee differs from Joe Leaphorn in being a more traditional Navajo. Indeed, he has trained to be a "singer", that is, a shaman or healer. Chee's fiancee (half-Navaho, lawyer) Janet Pete is returning from work in Washington D.C., and is the public defender for the Hopi accused of killing the deputy. One of Chee's policewomen, (full-blood Navajo) Berndadette Manueletto has a crush on him. Although a widower for a year, Joe Leaphorn is developing a relationship with ("white") anthropologist, Louisa Bourbonette. It is an important element of the series that while Leaphorn is drifting "White", Chee is drifting "Red". It is also significant, or symbolic, that the very traditional Navajo Emma (Joe's wife) died of a narsicomial ("white man's hospital") infection.

COMMENTS ON THE SERIES
In his Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee novels, Tony Hillerman, creates an almost "alternate reality", a world alien to most readers, but vividly filled with fascinating individuals and intriguing mysteries. The major "good guys", are very believable, likable and admirable individuals (despite normal human flaws), who are easy for the reader to become emotionally attached to.

I suspect that many readers, like myself, privately wish that Hillerman's novels were more lengthy. The ending always comes too soon. But that's a key to good writing--to leave the reader wanting more. Hillerman is a very "economical" writer. His novels are almost "long short stories" in which every word in the novel has a purpose. There is no filler. This is particularly important to mystery lovers--virtually every detail is a real clue--there are no "red herrings", per se. Although I would more than tolerate some filler, I still venerate Hillerman's style as that of a master--and superbly appropriate to his subject matter.

VERDICT
One of the best in a series of masterpieces.

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Because this is my first access to Tony Hillerman I can tell you of the worth of this story without having to compare to earlier works. This was a recording Preformed by George Guidall.

I was going for the story. That is why I buy book. However I understand that many people buy Hillerman for the ambiance. I found enough supporting information to make this story stand alone with out having to have a broad background from earlier books. I found the mystery well designed and the characters well rounded.

I have traveled in the locations mentioned in the book. However I only recognize a few of the place names. Probably if I was more familiar with the people of that regain I would have picked up on other things implied and described. I did however recognize the San Francesco Mountains and Shiprock. The big recognition shocker was the reference to the Navaho Taco. Last time I was at Mesa Verde they were five dollars.

The story was narrated by George Guidall. (He has played leading roles on Broadway.

This book stands alone yet makes you want to start the series.

Tony Hillerman has once again created a fresh and involving entry in his fine series about the Navajo Tribal Police. Leaphorn has retired in this one and is at loose ends after the death of his beloved wife, Emma. Chee is the acting Lieutenant, but has reservations over the possibility of it becoming permanent. There is a little less of the Navajo mysticism in this entry, but the vast territory covered by the Navajo Tribal Police is given its due as always.

Hillerman dedicated First Eagle to the six officers who had given their lives in the line of duty from the time he wrote his first book until this one. It is only fitting that while keeping true to the Navajo atmosphere always present in the series, good police work and the very real dangers involved for the Tribal Police are brought to the forefront.

Leaphorn is asked to look for the missing Catherine Pollard and that unofficial inquiry will intersect with Chee's investigation into an officers death. Chee's case is seemingly all wrapped up, but may be more complex than it first appeared. He is chagrined to discover he is still a little intimidated by Leaphorn, but as the two cases cross paths they will once again peel back a little more of the veneer and come a little closer to understanding each other.

This one has everything from poaching eagles to the possibility of the bubonic plague being spread all across the Navajo landscape. Why a pack of prairie dogs are unaffected, and an old Navajo woman who claims to have seen a skinwalker will figure greatly into the exciting conclusion to this one. The ending is also heartfelt for Chee, as his relationship with the pretty lawyer Janet begins to flame out, for she may be Navajo in name only after her time in Washington.

I highly recommend reading the book itself, as this is a particularly good one, but if you can't find the time, this audio version will certainly give you a taste for more of Hillerman's series. One of his best, I believe.

Tony Hillerman has once again created a fresh and involving entry in his fine series about the Navajo Tribal Police. Leaphorn has retired in this one and is at loose ends after the death of his beloved wife, Emma. Chee is the acting Lieutenant, but has reservations over the possibility of it becoming permanent. There is a little less of the Navajo mysticism in this entry, but the vast territory covered by the Navajo Tribal Police is given its due as always.

Hillerman dedicated First Eagle to the six officers who had given their lives in the line of duty from the time he wrote his first book until this one. It is only fitting that while keeping true to the Navajo atmosphere always present in the series, good police work and the very real dangers involved for the Tribal Police are brought to the forefront.

Leaphorn is asked to look for the missing Catherine Pollard and that unofficial inquiry will intersect with Chee's investigation into an officers death. Chee's case is seemingly all wrapped up, but may be more complex than it first appeared. He is chagrined to discover he is still a little intimidated by Leaphorn, but as the two cases cross paths they will once again peel back a little more of the veneer and come a little closer to understanding each other.

This one has everything from poaching eagles to the possibility of the bubonic plague being spread all across the Navajo landscape. Why a pack of prairie dogs are unaffected, and an old Navajo woman who claims to have seen a skinwalker will figure greatly into the exciting conclusion to this one. The ending is also heartfelt for Chee, as his relationship with the pretty lawyer Janet begins to flame out, for she may be Navajo in name only after her time in Washington.

I highly recommend reading the book itself, as this is a particularly good one, but if you can't find the time, this audio version will certainly give you a taste for more of Hillerman's series. One of his best, I believe.

After reading a number of recent mysteries from a variety of authors, I tired of the violence, gore, unneeded foul language and occasional sexual hijinks common to most contemporary writers. So I went back to an old friend, unfortunately no longer with us, and one his stories of Navaho and Hopi and other native American culture, set in New Mexico and Arizona.

I was not disappointed in finding now-retired Lt. Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, thrown together in a story with many tangled threads, but mainly about a missing researcher involved in trapping fleas from rodents and the disease possibilities involved. Chee's former romantic interest, Janet Peete, is back, a publicity-seeking district attorney attempting to be the first to convict under a new law that permits the death penalty, and a variety of other minor but well-drawn characters. As usual, one learns about Navaho culture and its subtle workings on insights and practices.

It is not fast-paced--Hillerman novels usually move with deliberate speed--but of sufficient interest to keep one wanting to know how it will work out. As title, a pleasant respite....

Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee is on the scene of the death of his fellow policeman within minutes of his death. Also there is a Hopi Indian whose blood is mingled with the policeman's. Chee arrests the Hopi and the case appears solid. Solid enough that the local district attorney decides to make a big splash of it in the news media since he is planning on running for congress on a "law and order" platform. The Hopi claims that he arrived at the scene just moments before Chee did and was trying to see if the policeman was still alive at the time that he was arrested. As to his blood? That is explained by him having captured an Eagle that cut him up which he let go earlier.

On a seemingly separate case, Joe Leaphorn is hired by a wealthy woman to investigate the disappearance of her niece. That niece is a health researcher studying the persistence of the bubonic plague in Prairie Dog colonies and on the day she disappeared, she was planning on working in the exact same location that the murder took place.

Joe Leaphorn does not believe in coincidences. Tony Hillerman has always respected the various Indian cultures in the southwest and he depicts the Hopi as very peace loving and non-violent, and in this case, the capture of the Eagle is for a religious ceremony that requires the capturer to remain pure in thought and deed. So, the setup is complete. Did the Hopi kill the policeman? Or, is there another resolution to this?

As you read the book, you will quickly agree that the answer is the latter. However, the key is who did it and why. This is where the beauty of Hillerman's writing comes to the fore. Even though you know that the answer is more complex than what you initially thought, you are slowly drawn to understanding the real situation. I know that I picked up on the murderer and the reason for it about midway through the story, but I was compelled to keep reading because I wanted to see if I was right and how Chee and Leaphorn would figure it out. Their resolution matched mine, and the path that they followed was logical.

But that is not all that is in this book. Chee also has a different problem. His engagement with Janet Pete has been in question since the last volume and in this book he is still trying to figure out what is going on. By the end of the book this too is resolved. It is resolved in a way that allows Chee the freedom to move back away from the administrative duties he abhors and back to finding the peace in executing his duties along the path of the Navajo way that he follows. Some of us - me included - can see where this is headed and be sad that this is the path he chose as he could have been a much greater influence for good in his community. But, this is Hillerman's creation and he is certainly allowed to take it along the path that he chooses. And, at least this choice is making sense given the larger picture of what Jim Chee is and what he represents.

In summary, the murder mystery is good and the background stories are fine and that makes this one of the better books I have read in a long time and one well deserving of the five stars that I gave it.

Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee believes he has an open and shut murder case when he catches a known poacher standing over the dying body of a fellow policeman. What he doesn't know is that his former boss, the now-retired Joe Leaphorn, has been hired by an elderly woman to locate her missing niece, a specialist in infectious diseases who went missing on the same day and in the same area as the murder. Are the two instances related? Does this have anything to do with the death, from bubonic plague, of an Indian man? As leads narrow and evidence (or lack of it) accumulates, Chee and Leaphorn come together once again to solve another baffling case. Hillerman's greatest attribute seems to be his ability to make the Southwest come alive. As much as the characters, the terrain and landscape seem to dictate the tone and feel of the story. The Navajo reservation, with its sacred mountains and endless skies, provides most of the backdrop for the tale. After producing numerous books featuring the Chee and Leaphorn characters, Hillerman writes them as if they were his oldest friends, with a familiarity and ease that make the reader instantly get a sense of who they are and how they think and feel. Chee and Leaphorn go back a long way, and their relationship is as much father-son as anything else. The supporting characters are better than one would expect, though their development is minimal. Some of them seem to have been around for other books, so long-time readers may be more familiar with them than newcomers, but Hillerman works hard to make sure that the reader becomes acquainted with each one. Most interesting are the relationships between Chee and Leaphorn and their would-be or past love interests, who crop up in the story. Violence is minimal, as is rough language. No sexual content to speak of. Hillerman's familiarity with Navajo and Hopi traditions make for some good background material, and do help explain the motivations and beliefs of many of the characters-and play a part in the eventual resolution. The book unfolds at a leisurely pace, with occasional bursts of energy. There are a few plot holes, and the ultimate fate of the culprit is left hanging (though there is some irony in what does happen to him/her).

I have read number of Hillerman's Navajo series now and fine them ranging from good to outstanding this one is former. The characters continue to grow with each book I read as does the information on the area and bubonic plague is excellent. This book we here about Skinwalkers again. Jim Chee is backing up a Tribal policeman and find the apparent KILLER standing over the man cover with blood. He arrests the man a Hopi Indian and it is felt by the FBI that the case is complete. The Hopi says he caught and eagle and was injured by it. There is no blood on the eagle.
Joe Leaphorn is hired to find a woman who went missing the same day. These two different cases are brought together skillfully. I found it hard to put the book down.

Tony Hillerman novels explore two landscapes - the red rock/AAA Indian Country map landscape and the landscape of intersecting cultures and law enforcement agencies. The First Eagle spends most of its time in the second landscape, and for that reason, it's good police procedural and good but not great Hillerman. Chee is now an Acting Lieutenant and Leaphorn is retired [but still the Legendary Lieutenant Leaphorn in Chee's mind]. Despite the fact that Chee is a cop and Leaphorn is trying out the role of private investigator, our two main characters still solve the crime when they put their heads together. This is a story of agencies - health agencies looking for plague bacteria and hantavirus and law enforcement agencies looking for killers and good press. Differing points of view provide much of the tension in the story [Hopi v. Navajo, Washington v. the rez, Jim Chee v. Janet Pete, the truth v. political gain]. Yells Back Butte is the place where Jim Chee's murder investigation and Joe Leaphorn's missing person case intersect. If you must have lots of red rock in your Hillerman, First Eagle may disappoint you. I enjoyed The First Eagle, but not enough to give it the fifth star. A plea to all mystery reviewers: please don't give away the ending! I read some of the reviews on this site when I was part way through the book and one of the reviews gives away too much information about the killer while stating the reasons for the reviewer's displeasure.

"The First Eagle", by Tony Hillerman, Audio Cassette version read by George Guidall, Harper Audio, 1998.
Another good Jim Chee/ Lt. Leaphorn mystery, well done and very easy to read. I was steered to this book by checking library listings on the Black Plague and other airborne illness, after I had read "The Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis. The so-called hanta virus had affected, in particular, the Navaho Nation in the American Southwest. The disease, spread by the droppings of small mice and other rodents, provided an opportunity for a cottage industry to grow up in the Southwest where many aspiring Ph.D. students were attempting to make a name for themselves.
In the midst of all this, Acting Lt. Jim Chee charges a Hopi Indian, caught while poaching eagles, with the murder of a Navaho Tribal Policeman. The Hopi was arrested red handed, literally!, and Jim Chee believes that he has an open and shut case. But, Chee's once and future fiancée, Janet Pete, returns from Washington, DC, as public defender, and, you guessed it, she is assigned to defend the Hopi
The plot is twisted and involved enough, when retired Lt. Leaphorn is hired as a "private investigator" to look into the disappearance of Cathy Pollard, a researcher, who vanished on the same day the Navajo policeman was killed. Both Chee and Leaphorn are then immersed in the academic scene as they seek to sought out the involved relationships of prairie dog colonies, fleas, the Black Plague, the disappearance of Ms. Pollard, and the deaths of some Indians from the plague. Hillerman continues to develop the characters of Leaphorn and Chee. For example, there is a poignant scene in the hospital, where Leaphorn's memories of watching his wife, Emma, being wheeled away on a gurney, never to be seen alive again, are described. Leaphorn's life as a widower, also shows up now and then, as in the shower scene in the motel and, later, when he is enjoying eating another person's cooking in the restaurant.
I have come to identify George Guidall's voice with Lt. Leaphorn, and, if I ever meet Tony Hillerman in person, I would expect him to sound like Mr. Guidall. Guidall does an excellent job of developing distinct vocal identities for each character, and his portrayal of FBI agents who have been hoodwinked by the "not-so-stupid" Tribal Policeman Lt Chee, is very appropriate. I enjoyed Guidall's reading of "The First Eagle" as I drove Interstate 495 around Boston. Hillerman has another winner.

A Hopi eagle poacher, the murder of a Navajo Tribal Policeman, a missing vector control agent sudying bubonic plague cases among the prairie dog burrows... Follow retired NTP Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and acting Lieutenant Jim Chee on their search for the truth. This story is full of angles, troubles between local law enforcement on the reservation and the FBI, along with the return back to the reservation of Chee's half Navajo ex-fiance turned public defender that makes this novel a spellbinding story. Hillerman weaves the theme of plague and the study of antibotic resistant pathogens expertly. In the backdrop of the Navajo nations, he weaves so many elements together, but keeps you guessing until the end whodonit.

Tony Hillerman has been writing detective novels about Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, Navajo policemen who fight crime on the reservation and deal with things that are often wrapped up in tribal justice, and sometimes possibly supernatural things, too. Each of these stories is strong, in its own way. This one is standard, middle-of-the-road Hillerman, with the difference that there's no supernatural element to the story.
Instead, we get a short crash course in infectious diseases, including the bubonic plague and hantavirus, among others. A Navajo dies of plague, and a Navajo policeman is murdered, apparently by a Hopi who's poaching eagles on the Navajo reservation. Chee (now an acting Lieutenant in the Navajo tribal police) catches the poacher leaning over the dead cop, makes the expected deduction, and arrests him. Things heat up a bit when he discovers that his old flame, Janet Pete, is back from Washington and coincidentally acting as the poacher's defense attorney.
I like Tony Hillerman, and I liked this book. It did lack some of the atmosphere of some of his earlier novel, as there isn't much of the tribal mysticism that made other books so interesting, but it is a good story and fun.

I love the southwest having grown up in Salt Lake City, California, and visiting my grandparents in Mesa, Arizona. Hillerman has created his own unique genre...because there is no one who deals with Native americans and their own problems. This book especially was good because a few years ago they had many young people die from the Hantavirus (Hillerman adds the bubonic plague...but the Hantavirus is the main concern down there. With too much water, the pinion trees produce too muchand encourages the population growth of mice and rats who live under the homes of the Native Americans. When their fecal matter dries out, it aerosolizes and exposes the lungs to the virus in the fecal matter. the Center for Disease control had their hands full with that one.

Leaphorn and Chee are two diverse characters...each with their own flaws. Trying to be a cop down in that area must be very stressfull since they have to patrol large distances with huge problems, including being careful of the many diverse tribes with differnt religious beliefs and the need to honor those beliefs.

Hillerman knows the four corners area (Utah, arizona, colorado, and New Mexico) well. This particular story had to do with illegal poaching of eagles in that area, as well as people dying from exposure to a resistant strain of plague virusl. These guys are expected to be and do impossible things including deal with bodies that may have infectious disease in them and trying to get tribal permission to do autopsies, since most of the Navaho and Arapahos and Utes do not believe in desecrating the body of the deceased.

Interesting topic and a good read.

karen Sadler

As with Mr. Hillerman's other Leaphorn/Chee books, I enjoyed the story, his references to Navajo culture and his trademark descriptions of the weather patterns over Navajo/Hopi country. I was disappointed, though, at the number of both factual errors and errors of continuity. After catching the first couple of mistakes, I found myself paying more attention to looking for them than to following the plot, I'm sorry to say.
Most factual errors involved what he had his biologists doing and saying, which I imagine wouldn't matter to most readers, but there were some others that will jump out at anyone familiar with the area. Just one example: He has Joe Leaphorn and his friend looking through the windshield at the San Francisco Peaks, which are actually south of Cameron, Arizona, while driving north from Cameron to Tuba City.
This won't keep me from reading anything and everything Hillerman gets into print, but I do hope he gets more competent help in copy editing next time. This book strikes me as being a rush job on the publisher's part.

Tony Hillerman has once again created a fresh and involving entry in his fine series about the Navajo Tribal Police. A retired Leaphorn is at loose ends after the death of his beloved wife, Emma. Chee is the acting Lieutenant, but has reservations over the possibility it might become permanent. There is a little less of the Navajo mysticism in this entry, but the vast territory covered by the Navajo Tribal Police is given its due as always.

Hillerman dedicated First Eagle to the six officers who had given their lives in defense of their people from the time he wrote his first book until this one. It is only fitting that while keeping true to the Navajo atmosphere always present in the series, good police work and the very real dangers involved for the Tribal Police are brought to the forefront.

Leaphorn is asked to look for the missing Catherine Pollard and that unofficial inquiry will intersect with Chee's investigation into an officer's death. Chee's case is seemingly all wrapped up, but may be more complex than it first appeared. He is chagrined to discover he is still a little intimidated by Leaphorn, but as the two cases cross paths they will once again peel back a little more of the veneer and move closer to understanding each other.

This one has everything from poaching eagles to the possibility of the bubonic plague being spread all across the Navajo landscape. Why a pack of prairie dogs are unaffected, and an old Navajo woman who claims to have seen a skinwalker will figure greatly into the exciting conclusion to this one. The ending is also heartfelt for Chee, as his relationship with the pretty lawyer Janet begins to flame out, for she may be Navajo in name only after her time in Washington.

I highly recommend this entry in the series, though a bit different than some others. A fine read.

A murder mystery and a medical mystery coincide with the appearance of bubonic plague on the reservation. The usual FBI swaggers appear as comic relief in the Hillerman style, referred to by Navajo Police Detective Jim Chee as the Federal Bureau of Incompetence.

With the rich cultural backdrops, the brusque Feds always manage to overlook the sensitive worldview issues and come off looking stupid due to their arrogance and ignorance of the local factors in a case. George Guidall's clear vocal acting enables us to identify and follow the interaction of the generous cast of characters peopling this Hillerman novel.

From most authors, this would be an impressive book. From Hillerman, it is not. He's coasting with this one -- worth reading, but don't buy it. I checked mine out of the library.
Yes, it has Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, and it's set on the reservation. But the precipitating conflict is between two non-Native American researchers on the reservation. Leaphorn gets hired by one of the researcher's parents to solve her disappearance. Glimpses of Navajo culture and thinking, and Hopi culture, are here. But they are only glimpses, of what was fully laid out in exquisite and compassionate detail in Hillerman's previous books.
As other reviewers note, this appears to be a "rush" book. I finished it in less than 24 hours after I picked it up. The hardback edition is 278 pages long, _but_ there are 31 lines per page, instead of the typical 40+ lines per page most hardbacks have. If you've heard great things about Hillerman, they're true -- but NOT in this book. Please start with one of his others.

I recently decided to reread as many of Tony Hillerman's novels as possible, and circumstances deemed that I begin with The First Eagle, the thirteenth book in the Leaphorn/Chee series. Hillerman transitions between scenes and chapters better than any author I've ever read. His words are as sparse as Hemingway's, and like Hemingway, he advances his story through dialogue rather than description or overused adjectives. His skill as a writer amazes me each time I read one of his books. If you've never read Hillerman, you should start with the first in the series, The Blessing Way, but the novels do stand alone fairly well.

"First Eagle" is another great Tony Hillerman novel. I think this one deserves extra praise due to the continuing character development Hillerman provides us with. Joe Leaporn is still as "classic" as ever, but is starting to show another side especially as a civilian. Chee is starting to live up to his ancestral name by picking up more of Leaphorn's techniques. Some of the smaller characters are also being developed, not abandoned like some many authors do. The only character I dislike and do not see any development with his Janet Pete. The Black Plague part of the story is interesting and realistic. I remember driving through this area in the early 90s when this was hot subject.
Also, if you have never tried an audiobook before, try one where George Guidall is the speaker. I read the first few Hillerman books and then discovered the audiobook version. After listening to dozens of audiobooks, there is no doubt that George Guidall is the best male speaker I have heard. He does an unbelievable job with both the Leaphorn and Chee characters. He also has done the entire Patrick Robison submarine series which is worth looking at.
One last note, I had the opportunity this summer to visit Tuba City. It is really great when you can tie the Hillerman books to the geographic locations he discusses in his books.

I've been disappointed in Hillerman's recent Leaphorn/Chee novels: I felt that "Sacred Clowns" had a truly lame plot, and "Fallen Man" was better plotted but often read more like a rough draft than a finished novel. This mystery focuses on a compelling issue, the characters and settings are vivid, and both Chee's emotional roller-coaster and Leaphorn's developing relationship with his lady friend are well done. Unfortunately, if you're familiar with Hillerman's previous novels you'll figure out who done it, and why, about 1/3 of the way through -- but that doesn't necessarily ruin the book, as in these novels most of the pleasure is in watching the characters themselves figure it out! This isn't one of his best, but it's still head and shoulders above the past few novels in the series.

I am very familiar with this series, so I expected to like this book, and I was not disappointed. The mystery was deliciously complicated, bringing together disperate threads that, finally, wove themselves into a very nice, logical web. I especially enjoy the background against which these stories are set, and the Navajo and Hopi cultures are far more than touches which make this series unique. In fact, they are a necessary part of the fabric of the story, and the foundations on which the main characters stand. This book was written in 1998, but it is in no way dated. Recommended.

Nice show of Indian beliefs, a little about life on the reservation, and a missing woman who is (surprise!) actually dead. The first eagle was a witness to the murder... sort of.

Add a little plague, and you've got some urgency to solving the case. The plague-solver is a complete jackass, and isn't interested in solving the murder of a single person - its far more important to solve the mystery of the plague, which can kill millions.

I love these mystery series, which blend familiar characters and a thread of their continuing life story from book to book. I also like the Indian lore, culture, and religion insights and variation of same between tribes. I think the books engaging, without the detailed blood dripping gore of so many modern mysteries. Nice read...keeps me entertained since TV has gotten to be such a turn off.

Everything a reader wants except for a soft chair and a tall glass of tea. Suspence, action, expanding plot, deep character development, and of course it's a page turner. I read about 3 or 4 books a week and I really don't understand any of the critics comments. The only thing I've read this summer that compares to it in excitement was the new book, Alien Rapture by Brad Steiger which is the most outstanding book I've read in years. Ufortunately Tom Clancy's new book was a 2 star repeat of his past plots. Watch out Clancy, Hillerman is writing circles around you. Yes! Buy it.

The first editor or agent, I forget which, to read the first novel in Hillerman's long series of best-selling mysteries said to take out all the Navaho elements. How stupid is that? Meanwhile you've heard so much about Hillerman, and you're looking at the library or bookstore, and there's a big pile to choose from. Where do you begin? Chronology is one way, but you know he got better as he progressed, maybe had a slip or two, and whatever else befalls the author of a long-running series. So, where do you start? I recommend right here. If you enjoy this book, you'll know you can spend dozens or hundreds of hours with this author, just enjoying. That's a great feeling.

This pair is a little like Batman and Robin, except Leaphorn is a lot smarter than Batman (and waaaay older), and Chee is not nearly as ingenuous as Robin. But still. It's the older guy as prickly friend and wise mentor to the younger upstart. Chee is now a Lieutenant in The First Eagle, and Leaphorn, whose wife has died, is retired and trying the role of PI on for size. Chee has got a murder to solve, and Leaphorn's working on a missing person case; the two cases merge on Yells Back Butte while, on the side, we have hantavirus rearing its ugly head.
Good Hillerman stuff. Not the best, but really, just good stuff.

Please note that this Audio CD is ABRIDGED. This means none of the reviews are applicable and this particular version is not worth listening to. You will miss the landscapes, the local color, the subplots and backstory, etc. Find an unabridged audio version or just read it in print. Otherwise, you will get a very inaccurate idea of the true quality of Tony Hillerman's excellent books.

After reading this (or any other Hillerman book), you will want to read them all. Everything I have read of Hillerman's (including non-fiction) has been well worth reading.

If you like this, you would probably also enjoy Judith A. Jance's Hour of the Hunter and her Joanna Brady books, starting with Desert Heat (Joanna Brady Mysteries, Book 1). Also, check out the Glynis Tryon novels by Miriam Grace Monfredo.

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In the "The First Eagle" Tony Hillerman incorporates the latest buzz -- bacteria/viruses gone mad -- with the ancient customs and tribal rituals of the northeast Arizona tribes -- the Navajo and the Hopi. He wraps his story around the lives of three endearing characters: Jim Chee of the Navajo Police, Joe Leaphorn -- Chee's (now retired) mentor-- and Chee's inamorata-to-be, Janet Peete. Chee and Leaphorn combine forces to solve the mystery of a missing scientist and a murdered policeman. But the mystery of whether Chee will ever corral Peete (and in fact whether he should!) remains unsolved. Hillerman powerfully intertwined the lives of his investigators with the dusty atmosphere and the unique lifestyles of the region's Native Americans. Skinwalkers and an aspiring Nobel lauriate play key roles in Hillerman's yarn. And, at the end, everything is neatly resolved except for the star-crossed affections of Hillerman's Romeo and Juliet -- Jim and Janet. Give us a break, Tony -- a decade (as measured in reader's lives) is long enough for a courtship.

Every Hillerman book for me is an opportunity to revisit my friendship with Jim Chee, and Lt. Leaphorn, or in this case both of them together again. Having spent some time in the four corners area of Arizona, I look forward to his description of not only the culture, but also the natural environment. The fact that he combines these with a good detective yarn, is icing on the cake. Unfortunately "The First Eagle" is not up to his normally high standards. The interweaving of Chee and Leaphorn seems to be more of separate story lines rather than the meshing of each of these normal detective skills and styles. The addition of the female "relationship" characters in this story seems to be forced and their relationship to their "men" is undeveloped and uninspiring.
The normally rich descriptions of the Hopi and Navaho cultures and environs are only lightly touched on. In the past Hillerman would have described in greater detail the religious implications to the Hopi of the Eagle, and not just brush it off as being "secrectative to the HOPI religion". The decriptions of the land are as slim as the book itself and lack the normal punch that Hillerman gives them.
Unfortunately we say goodbye to Chee's Uncle only in passing. This shaman who has given Chee so much of his character and personality just slips away in the story line.
The end of the mystery left me asking for more, more understanding of the motive, of why Officer Kinsman machosisms with Officer Benito and Catherine Pollard are even brought up in the first place. If it is to lead us on a red herring, the effect is lost when that story line is dropped halfway thru the book.
Lets hope that Hillerman's next book rises to his normally exceptional standards.

I have been eagerly, and somewhat impatiently, awaiting this latest installment on the lives of Chee and Leaphorn-- as I am sure all Hillerman fans have. Well, unlike so much else in life, this book does not disappoint!! Everything that I love about these books is included, and better than ever: the beautiful scenery that is almost like another character, the liberal dose of Navajo culture, the tension between the traditionals and the city folks, the subtleties of personal relationships, main characters that feel like old friends, the good and bad in all of us. And a great mystery plot on top of all that. I only have one thing to ask of the talented Mr. Hillerman in the future: Please, please, PLEASE give us a continuing female character that is sympathetic!! I am so tired of these shallow, materialistic women like Mary and Janet. Can't you give us one woman we can care about as much as Joe and Jim? To paraphrase a phrase from old western movies, in Hillerman's ! books it seems that the only good woman is a dead woman (Emma). But whatever else you do, Mr. Hillerman, please give us more Navajo Tribal Police mysteries!!

After "Fallen Man," I had been anxiously awaiting Tony Hillerman's next novel, and was elated when I found it at our local library this past week. However, I have to admit I was quite disappointed.
With "Fallen Man," I thought that Mr. Hillerman was going to expand Jim Chee's character...make him "blossom," so to speak. Unfortunately, he took one step forward in that direction, but three back in "The First Eagle." Also, I have to agree with an earlier posting that Jim Chee and Janet Pete's relationship has remained stagnant long enough. Mr. Hillerman, push Jim Chee ahead WITHOUT! Janet Pete!
Although I thought the book began well, it seemed as if Mr. Hillerman didn't know what direction to take with this novel. Furthermore, I felt he was way out of his element on the bubonic plague storyline. I am all for his sticking with traditional Navajo storylines!
In summation, although I was disappointed with "The First Eagle," I'm hoping Mr. Hillerman's next novel will be back on par with his earlier works!

By the time of "The First Eagle," Lt. Joe Leaphorn has become Mr. Leaphorn and Jim Chee is acting lieutenant of the Navajo police. But some things have not changed. Murder is still a problem on the reservation as is bubonic plague, carried by fleas from rodents, especially prairie dogs. The plague has brought investigators from different labs hoping to gain knoweldge of how the new, resistant strain can be combated.
The police investigation begins when one of their own, Officer Kinsman, is killed by a Hopi poaching eagles on the reservation. Chee catches the man red-handed (with blood) and arrests him. Meanwhile, Leaphorn has been asked to try and find Catherine Pollard, a young biologist who has been working for the health service on the plague problem. As the separate investigations progress, their paths begin to converge.
To complicate matters, Chee is surprised and guardedly optimistic to find his one-time fiance has returned from Washington, and she is working with the public defenders office and will be defending the Hopi. He agonizes over whether her feelings have changed and is noncomittal when the prosecutor and FBI agents ask about his relationship with her.
Much hinges on whether there were one or two eagles captured by the Hopi, and what has happened to the missing health services investigator. Is she alive? Did she kill Kinsman? Or is the Hopi guilty after all?
This is another of Hillerman's good, simple mysteries involving two of the favorite policemen in the southwest. Readers of Hillerman's mysteries might also enjoy those written by Dick Francis. Although taking place in England, for the most part, they are as clearly written and have heroes of the same caliber.

I've read all of Tony Hillerman's books, primarily for the mysteries, but also for the setting and the unique education he passes along about the Hopi and Navajo indians. This is a typical good mystery by Hillerman, but a little atypical as relates to his penchant for mysticism and indian culture; there is relatively little. His characters are continuing down their developmental paths, retirement, a starcrossed romantic relationship and an up and coming sleuth. Their development is center stage in this book, and provide a good read, but I was expecting the normal mix of indian lore, superstition, and hard desert living that you normally get from Hillerman.
George E. Miller, author of The Lone War Cry

Delightful reading of the weaving of a new character in with the old - Retired Lt. Leaphorn's lady friend is a fresh face, who has something valuable to contribute to the story. Leaphorn continues to "teach" Jim Chee the finer details of detective/police work. Good definition of Chee and Janet Pete's love/hate relationshiop. Good read. Left me wanting the story to continue.

The disappearance of a scientist and the murder of a Navajo Tribal Police Officer coincide, and a Hopi is blamed for the murder. Meanwhile, several Navajo have died from Bubonic Plague (something they still die from, seriously). Is there a connection? Yes. In this one, Leaphorn is now a private citizen and Chee is acting Lieutenant. Their roles almost seem reversed but they're still the same old characters. I don't think they had to have Janet Pete in this one again, I think he should just dump the b****.

First let me say that I really enjoy the Hillerman books. I enjoy the tid-bits of Navajo culture, the visuals that he paints inmy mind, and trying to figure out the mystery as it unfolds. I never feel disappointed by one of his novels.

I understand why some of the other reviewers say that this is one of Mr. Hillerman's weaker efforts, however, I disagree with the conclusion that he is coasting. When I first began the book it was like meeting an old friend, all of the familiar likeable characters are there as is the imagery. If they are present in a lesser degree than in earlier works, I think it because Mr. Hillerman is justifiably building on the earlier works. There is no need to re-invent the wheel. The work also shows its quality in the development of even minor characters such as Mac Guiness. He and his trading post have been seen throughout the series but in First Eagle Tony Hillerman has visibly aged each. You can almost see the dust in the trading post and smell the stale whiskey. This "character-aging" is poignant with the current condition of Jim Chee's uncle Hosteen Nicae. Moreover, the plot is chilling and intelligently developed. Tony Hillerman has hit upon a real, significant issue. The medical-scientific discussions were lucid and well thought out. Finally, Jim Chee should definitely dump Janet Peet.

What happened? Have been devoted Hillerman fan since the very beginning. I didn't really want to take a course in mammal biology, I prefer the old Chee and Leaphorn. Also getting tired of Chee persuing Janet. This book goes on and on don't know if I'll ever finish it. Which is a shame. I usually indulge myself with a full day of reading.

As a longtime Hillerman fan, there some things I expect in his books (vivid descriptions of a land the author clearly loves, gentle and often humorous evocations of Navajo culture, compelling characters) and some things I know better than to expect (an unpredictable plot, a graceful conclusion). With "First Eagle," however, Hillerman managed to limbo under even my modest plot expectations, and he didn't have much to show me about Navajo culture in this yarn either. I won't hold it against him. I'll loyally read the next book, but I'm not so forgiving with the editor. All through "First Eagle" characters are surprised to discover something they were told two chapters back, and their short-term memories are clearly failing them when they recount events or conversations. It was a shoddy editing job if it can be called editing at all.

I love Tony Hillerman for the characters and the background scenery and society. Usually his mysteries keep me guessing but this one was so obvious that I knew who did from the first introduction of the character. The premise was interesting and kept me reading. If you like Chee, Leaphorn, and their environment it's definitely worth a read.

Read the early ones -- "Blessing Way" and so forth. They are wonderful -- funny, suspenseful, warm, and very visual -- with interesting depictions of Navajo life.
The later ones attempt to deal with Big Issues and have somehow lost most of the warmth, humor, team interaction amongst the police -- and the local and cultural color.
...and this is definitely not one to read when eating!

I read every Hillerman novel during a trip to Arizona and Canyon de Chelly. It was a good way to discover Navaho history and culture, past and present. It was perfect reading for the trip and greatly enhanced my experience. I have kept all the books for when I want to relive that trip.

"The First Eagle" was the novel that introduced me to Tony Hillerman, and I will forever be grateful. Superbly written and compelling. Mr. Hillerman's last few novels have been a bit disappointing ("The Shape Shifter" most of all), but "The First Eagle" is first rate. Highly recommended.

I felt a bit cheated. Details missing. A rather boring story. I'm hoping that the pressure put upon Mr. Hillerman by his fans to produce more and more Chee and Leaphorn will not result in more loss of quality. Chee must get on with his life and find someone else. Leaphorn deserves a lovelife and he and the new lady could become topnotch private investigators!

another Hillerman novel. This was an interesting story, but didn't provide the typical "Hillerman" narrative about the traditions of the native Indians. But, if you're a true fan, you'll probably enjoy it and hope for another like the first.

DISCLAIMER: I love Tony Hillerman. I've read every word he's published, but The First Eagle is not one of his best efforts. In the other Leaphorn/Chee novels, there are several plot lines that all converge. This story one had only one, despite attempting to bring Chee's old girlfriend back into the mix.
I've learned a lot about the Navajo people from Tony, but learned nothing new in The First Eagle.