Talking God

By Tony Hillerman

Don’t miss the TV series, Dark Winds, based on the Leaphorn, Chee, & Manuelito novels, now on AMC and AMC+!  

“For the many enthusiastic fans of Tony Hillerman’s previous mystery novels . . . only one thing needs to be said: Talking God is the best one yet!” — USA Today

From New York Times bestselling author Tony Hillerman, Talking God is the ninth novel featuring beloved characters Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Office Jim Chee

Reunited by a grave robber and a corpse, Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is trying to determine the identity of a murder victim, while Officer Jim Chee is arresting Smithsonian conservator Henry Highhawk for ransacking the sacred bones of his ancestors.

But with each peeled-back layer, it becomes shockingly clear that these two cases are mysteriously connected—and that others are pursuing Highhawk, with lethal intentions. And the search for answers to a deadly puzzle is pulling Leaphorn and Chee into the perilous arena of superstition, ancient ceremony, and living gods.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780061798283

Tony Hillerman

TONY HILLERMAN served as president of the Mystery Writers of America and received the Edgar and Grand Master Awards. His other honors include the Center for the American Indian’s Ambassador Award, the Spur Award for Best Western Novel, and the Navajo Tribal Council Special Friend of the Dineh Award. A native of Oklahoma, Tony Hillerman lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, until his death in 2008.

Reviews for Talking God

[rosalita_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police find themselves far from the reservation, in Washington, D.C., following separate leads that converge into one murder case. One of the key plot points is the reigning dictatorship of Pinochet in Chile, giving this one an even more dated feel than the other books in the series to date. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the books set among the Navajo Nation, but it's worth reading if you enjoy the series. Here's hoping the next one is back in Navajo country.

[alexlux_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I read many of Hillerman's books in middle school. When I came across several of them at a yard sale I picked them up to see if they held up. Sadly, they didn't. The characters are flat and boring. There isn't any real mystery, I feel like I'm waiting for the characters to catch up with me. The only thing I find interesting is the parts where it details the modern day Indian culture. Those parts kept my attention and where nicely done.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lt. Joe Leaphorn and officer Jim Chee follow different trails and end up at the same brushpile. Washington D.C., that is. Now they must work together to find out how the puzzle pieces fit.Another tried and true author for me, Tony Hillerman tells the story in a laid back way. I can almost feel my blood pressure dropping when I read these stories. This in spite of the suspense, danger and mystery. I love the way his characters are grounded in their heritage and the rich details of their lives and beliefs. Hillerman's mysteries are always a pleasure to read.

[sandyamcpherson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn (Navajo Tribal Police) have investigations that dovetail. Both end up in Washington, DC and have to cope with federal bureaucracy and the FBI in the big city. Highhawk somewhat came across as a caricature and Leaphorn's murder victim he's trying to identify has an overly complex background that complicates the plot. Worth reading if you're a Hillerman fan but start with one of the others if he's a new author for you.

[bookswoman · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Joe Leaphorn is working on a case that involves a dead body found beside the Amtrak rails just outside of Gallup, NM. At the same time Jim Chee is given an outstanding warrant on a white man who is claiming 1/4 Navaho blood, the warrant is for stealing bodies.

Somehow these two very diverse stories both end up in Washington, D.C. where Leaphorn and Chee start working together to try and found out how the two cases intertwine. Since neither really believe in coincidence they are sure it isn't accidental.

I did enjoy the two of them working together even if it was off the reservation.

There are plenty of twists and turns to this story and a storyline that ties together two seemingly unrelated cases.

I didn't know who was going to kill whom and I didn't know which side some of the players were on, but it was a lot of fun to follow.

Looking forward to the next in the series.

[ffortsa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Leaphorn and Chee find their way to Washington D.C., on their own time, for different reasons that connect, of course. This story is unusual in Hillerman's work in that it takes place in the east, and that other nationalities are involved. And (this seems to be a theme in my recent reading), the reader meets the culprit long before the detectives do. From the Navajo's point of view, the case concerns a dead man near the Amtrak tracks in Navajo country, and an attempt to return Native American remains to proper graves in their homeland. But other forces, other colors are woven into the story.Hillerman may have been trying to break out of the particular venue and dynamic of the Din'eh with this book. In the end, however, all the Navajos go home. As does the author.

[gmillar_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So far, this one of Hillerman's has interested and entertained me the most.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This mystery has lots of twists and turns and is definitely plot driven. Much of the action takes place in Washington, DC which was a nice change of pace, as well. Some interesting exploration of the clash of culture.

[buffalogr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fast-paced fun. Leaphorn and Chee go to DC, a departure from the Navajo Reservation mysteries we're accustomed to reading form Tony Hillerman. The mystery still exists, but the cache and the genre are missing. Yes, there's some action on the Reservation, but the geography is definitely DC. In the end, they get their man and everyone goes home.

[lbswiener · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Talking God is an excellent story. This Leaphorn and Chee novel does not take place on the reservation. So there are no descriptions of the beautiful southwest. This particular book takes place in Washington D.C. It is an interesting location for a story that shows one the wrong ways of the "privileged class." The book received five stars in this review because it was a good suspenseful, well written story.

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Hillerman novel and I thoroughly enjoyed it. An activist Navajo wannabe gets arrested for graveyard robbery while an older man is found dead by the railroad tracks, without identifying information including teeth. The story had Native American aspects that I found interesting, the characters were believable, and the mystery plausible. I gave it an extra 1/2 star for keeping me up past my bedtime to finish the last 30 or so pages.

[m.belljackson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

TALKING GOD offers a complicated tale, with more coincidences than Leaphorn might have approved.It also has few of the descriptions of land that were so beautifully rendered in A THIEF OF TIME -and shows no clarifying map.I already miss Leaphorn and Chee - and sure wish Henry Highhawk had been around for more sequels.