The Ghostway is the 6th book in the Leaphorn and Chee series by Tony Hillerman, written in 1984.    It is a crime novel which starts with a gun fight on the Navaho Reserve.    Jim Chee is a tribal policeman who investigates the crime and he finds himself uncovering a number of secrets, including murders, pursuit of a witness, and a killer on the hunt.    Much of the setting is on the Navajo Reserve, sometimes in remote locations.    The central conflict is the intrusion of the white-way of life and intrusion of Los Angeles criminals onto tribal land, and investigators not understanding the Navajo culture and way-of-life.

All of the 26 books of the series move along at a good pace, have solid characters, purposeful plots, and have lots of cultural content, enriching the storytelling.    The TV Series, Dark Winds, seems faithful to the author’s intent and it is well produced.   The books are mysteries and thrillers, and have many followers.

All of the books of the series are recommended.   This book – 4.1 out of 5.0 stars4.1

“Everything is connected. The wing of the corn beetle affects the direction of the wind, the way the sand drifts, the way the light reflects into the eye of man beholding his reality. All is part of totality, and in this totality man finds his hozro, his way of walking in harmony, with beauty all around him.”

An audio excerpt is provided here:

das/20/12/2024