Navajo Autumn

Navajo Nation Mystery, Book 1

By: R. Allen Chappell

Narrated by: Kaipo Schwab

Length: 3 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

Reservation "bad boy" Thomas Begay is found dead drunk under the La Plata Bridge, which is not unusual for him. What is unusual, however, is that beautiful BIA investigator Patsy Greyhorse is found lying beside him, not drunk or even a Navajo but very dead nonetheless. Charlie Yazzie, fresh from law school, risks his career and even his life to help his old friend. The answer seems to lie with the Yeenaaldiooshii...should one choose to believe in such things.

©2013 R. Allen Chappell (P)2016 Tantor

Great book for Tony and Anne Hillerman fans!

Here's a book that was both written and read well. When a Native American drunk is discovered unconscious near the body of a murdered woman, the local authorities consider their case closed. Fortunately for the accused man, not everyone agrees. Knowing he's innocent and proving it are two different things. This story will hold your attention right to the end.

Enjoyable listen despite the abrupt ending

This narrator was perfect for this book. I found the main character interesting and sympathetic.

Gripping

I kept expecting Lt. Joe Leaphorn to show up in various scenes. Chappell is a great story teller and I felt the book was almost in the league of Tony Hillerman. This is a modern day story set in the Navajo Reservation I the Four Corners Region. Our protagonist is Charlie Yazzie who has returned to “The Res” with a law degree, but finds few choices for his skills. He is unable to obtain employment in any law firms in off Reservation towns. The Navajo Nation hires him as a special investigator until a position opens up in the tribal legal department.

Thomas Begay, a school friend of Charlie’s from the Indian Bureau’s tribal boarding school days, is charged with the murder of a Sioux Indian woman. It turns out she is an attorney with the Bureau of Indian Affairs investigating a problem with the Tribal watershed rights. Charlie sets out to prove Thomas innocent.

What makes the story interesting is Charlie has lost most of his fluency in the Navajo language and customs. The story provides a look at a people where the young are leaving behind the old ways but the older generation is hanging on tight to their past. Chappell provides an insight into the modern day problems of the Navajo people in a form of a good story. The story has engaging characters, fast action and some humor. Chappell provides explanations of Navajo history, culture and spirituality and how they have survived in such a rugged environment. Kaipo Schwab does a good job narrating the story. I cannot wait for more stories by Chappell.

Navajo Autumn

Was a good story-wished that it had been longer-The narrator did a great job…loved his voice.

Bad Stereotypes

Struggled with this one. Straight out of the box and it told me that one of the three usual things was missing... a drunk indian. Slammed an native American for who he lived with. Just one thing after another like that. So negative.

Enjoyable Way to Learn More About Navajo Ways

Would you listen to Navajo Autumn again? Why?

This was very pleasant trip into unfamiliar territory.

What did you like best about this story?

The gentle flow of the story suited the characters.

What about Kaipo Schwab’s performance did you like?

His narration suggested the way I imagined the characters would sound but was not too strong so that would have interfered with my understanding what they said.

Any additional comments?

I actually enjoyed this story moe than Tony Hillerman's. There were not so many repetitive phrases that seem to pad the narrative.

I want to read more from this author

Good mystery with native American twist, which is an interest of mine. Learned some things too.

Not a Bad Introduction

I thought Kaipo Schwab did a good job of narrating. His voice is pleasant to listen to and he didn't make glaring mistakes in pronunciation of proper nouns - as far as I could tell. This is the first book in a series of mysteries that take place on the Navajo reservation. The book was quite short - under 4 hours. There wasn't really enough of it to get to know the characters well, but it's a decent introduction. I intend to listen to the next book in the series.

spoiled by Hillerman

T his was a quiet little mystery story, the kind you can listen to with half an ear as you work some mindless task. it didn't have the tight, serious plots of a Hillerman, nor the well-researched and well -known cultural aspects of the Navajo. But it was very listenable. I gave four stars to the narrator for not knowing the proper pronunciation of some very simple words like mesa, and for stars to the author for not only not knowing done very basic but critical Navajo cultural, but for also apparently not knowing the right titles given each person in a clan's hierarchy. overall it was listenable and I will finish the series as I found the plot reasonable though in need of filling out and the characters were likable and believable.

A new Voice for the Southwest

Never can be John Hillerman but this series has a totally fiDifferent method of storytelling. The author brings usS 3 main chapters who are so fully fleshed, oNe has no trouble driving right,
, atmosphere, history, religion all treated in a new way. Very exciting , just wish books were longer!