Hunting Badger (audiobook) by Tony Hillerman



It is better the second time around.

Tony Hillerman (1925-2008)
Read by George Guidall.
Lasts about 6 hours.
Unabridged.

I've read all of the Hillerman books so I'm re-reading them as audiobooks to ease a tedious drive to work and to re-enjoy them.

I had remembered this one as a weak link in the series, and I was wrong. The book, as usual for this series, is set on the Navajo reservation. Joe Leaphorn is retired but gets involved anyway. The story involves the is about the armed robbery of a Ute Indian casino that results in the murder of two security guards. Throw in an anti-government militia movement and, as always, plenty of local color and you get the makings of great Leaphorn and Chee mystery.
Watching retired Lt. Joe Leaphorn work the mystery from one end and current Navajo Tribal Police (now called Navajo Nation Police) officer Jim Chee work it from another was interesting and enjoyable. The banter in the early parts of the book between Chee and Cowboy Dashee is very enjoyable. The irony of having a white rancher complain to a Navajo about the federal government taking away the lands that his family had lived on for the last 100 years was too much for me - I had to laugh out loud.

I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.

This book can be found on Amazon.com here: Hunting Badger by Tony Hillerman.

 Reviewed on June 1, 2008.

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