Tony Hillerman: The Jim Chee Mysteries

By Tony Hillerman

Book Overview

In People of Darkness, Hillerman's first novel to introduce Officer Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police, Chee is forced to use all of his powers of deduction and insight to extricated himself from a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0517092816
• ISBN13: 9780517092811
• Release Date: April 1993
• Publisher: Random House Value Publishing
• Length: 566 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.9" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Three Jim Chee Mysteries.

---“People of Darkness” --- “The mole, his hunting place is darkness.” “The mole, his hunting song is silence.” The wife of Benjamin J. Vines asks Sgt Jim Chee of the Navajo tribal police to retrieve a mysterious box stolen from her husband’s safe while he was away. When Mister Vines returns, he tells Chee that it was all a mistake and hands Chee a check. We all know Chee cannot let this lie still, so the mystery leads him to people who use a mole for their talisman, “The people of Darkness,” and it appears that something (or someone) is killing them all off. The mystery is fair, and Tony Hillerman does not hide clues or surprise suspects until the last minute, so it is not too hard to guess most of the plot or who the good guys and bad guys are. We are introduced to the Navajo concept of witches and Mary Landon, who will play parts (if she survives) in future novels. In the process, we get a vivid description of the four corners and other areas nearby. In People of Darkness, he picks up a Lotta Burger, and I have eaten a few of them myself. In future books, we will be introduced to the Navajo Taco. For the anthropologist in us, he describes many signs and ways. ----------------------------------------------- ---“The Dark Wind” --- "A dark wind has entered his soul." "Enemies unseen... Fears unspoken...... A dark wind has entered his soul." Navajo Tribal Police Sgt. Jim Chee seems to be batting zero; so far, he has not been able to solve a series of seemingly unrelated crimes. In an area that was joint-use land between the Navajo and the Hopi (now Hopi), Sgt. Jim Chee is given the task of finding the vandal that keeps destroying a windmill placed there to make Hopi life easier. He hears an airplane landing in the dark of night with no lights. The plane crashes and leaves a dying pilot. Also, a dead man sitting up against a rock with a note in his hand saying If you want it back, contact… Sgt. Chee is told that it is probably drugs and federal authority. Chee is not supposed to go anywhere near or have anything to do with the case. He has his problems with the mill, a missing thief, and a mysterious ritual death. Naturally, he listens and cannot help it if they overlap. One of the reasons for reading Hillerman’s books may be more important than the overlying mystery is the descriptions of the area and the Ways of the Navajo and Hopi. Hillerman suggests you also read “The Book of the Hopi” by Frank Waters. Not as intricate as the book but still fun is the movie “Dark Wind” (Lou Diamond Phillips as Officer Jim Chee, Fred Ward as Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn) ------------------------------------- ---“The Ghost Way” --- Shootout at the Wash-O-Mat A shootout at the Shiprock Wash-O-Mat leads to a puzzle that only Jim Chee, with his knowledge of the Ghostway and death rituals, can try to piece together. Related is the disappearance of a schoolgirl (Margaret Sosi) who will lead Jim from the New Mexico landscape to the Los Angeles area. With Hillerman's gift for description, we also get a contrasting look at the different worlds. Will he find the girl, and what does the puzzle spell out, or will it ever become clear? This is a close continuation of "People of Darkness," so many of the descriptions and people were previously defined in that book. The reason people read Hillerman is mostly for the descriptions of the places and people his characters encounter. As seen in previous books, in the description of Margaret and other characters, he incorporates his real-life experience with World War II and its aftermath.

Jim Chee Mysteries

I am a great fan of Tony Hillerman. I love his books. When he writes he makes the reader feel as tho you are there watching the story unfold. I am a retired Police Offier and I would love to work with Jim Chee if he was a real person. I am a book-a-holic. This is a club my 2 Sisters and I have formed. Great Book and writer !!!!!!!!!Elsie

Jim Chee is not the Slim Man!

Jim Chee takes himself seriously, but Tony Hillerman only wants to tell you a great story while inclucating in you some respect for a culture you may not know. If you've read Hillerman, I don't need to tell you much. The first Chee books are wonderful because they are the development of the character. If you started with later novels, go back and read the early ones! This collection is a great place to start! Ah, but then you'll be hooked, and you'll have to buy all of Hillerman's work! DO IT!! Your reading will tell you much more than my enthusiams will do here!ASM

I've read about everything Hillerman has written.

I've read about everything Hillerman has written, and listened to most of his recorded Books on Tape. I'm an ex-Peace Corps Volunteer and appreciate his fascination and his realistic approach to this original American culture.

Hillerman creates the perfect '90s hunk in Jim Chee.

Tony Hillerman writes great mysteries with complex characters and beautiful descriptions of Navajo country. But when he came up with Navajo police officer Jim Chee, he created the perfect '90s man. Chee is gentle, spiritual, strong, mostly silent, and smart. Plus, he recognizes his own failings--and tries to become a better man. Whew! Who could ask for anything more? In this book of three earlier Jim Chee mysteries we get the best of Hillerman and a nice dose of all the things he's rightly famous for. There are insights into Native American culture, beautiful descriptions of the Southwest, intriguing mysteries and even a little love story. When Jim Chee falls in love with Mary Landon, a Wisconsin school teacher who wants him to leave the reservation and work for the FBI, two of the mysteries allow us to follow the development of that relationship as Hillerman explores the difficulties of a cross-cultural relationship. Chee's struggle with his personal life gives a great deal of texture to the mysteries, and his efforts to be both a Navajo singer and a policeman create tension between his personal and professional duties. Of course, the best part of these mysteries is Hillerman's marvelous grasp of character and place. Open this book and you'll lose yourself on the Navajo reservation with as interesting a group of people as you'll ever wish to meet in real life. Especially that Jim Chee character!

Fast paced mysteries with glimpses into Dinetah

Hillerman, a former newspaperman, spend many,many years in the Southwest, and his novels are set in a land he knows very well. From the mesas to the Chinle Wash these three novels exude the bold topography of the Navajo Nation. Jim Chee is a member of the Tribal Police, struggling with one foot in the ancient tradions of his born-to and born-for clans while trying to assimilate modern mores. His on-again off-again love is Janet, a spirited Native American lawyer, whose thoroughly modern stance clashes with his ambiguous identity. Through Jim Chee we experience glimpses into Dinetah, the land, and culture of a fascinating people. The brushstrokes that create this world are deft, with a pyschological appreciation for each character. Hillerman creates a world for all senses to enjoy. Two stories are set in the Navajo Nation, while one begins there and travels to Los Angeles, CA. Layers upon layers unravel, as Chee investigates seemingly random and unrelated bits. I especially appreciate the culture interwoven into the story line, yet never felt this done in a heavy-handed way. Each novel is a jewel, each with it's own merits. Villians may be expected, or nearly the last person you suspect, but you'll have your consciousness raised while loving every minute of these tales. Atmospheric, sensitive and compelling Hillerman with have you longing for a trip to this world. I think it's especially telling that the author has been given the highest honor that can be bestowed on a non-tribal member: Friend of the Navajo People. The Dineh appreciate dry humor, and while Hillerman never creates sterotypes, he gently lampoons instead of deifying. Once you enter THIS land of enchantment you will clambor for more from this splendid storyteller and outdoorsman.