Talking God

By: Tony Hillerman

Narrated by: Christian Baskous

Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's Summary

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 pusuing 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.

©1989 Tony Hillerman (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers

Revisiting Talking God

I read this book when it was published in 1969. I decided to revisit it via Audible. I love all of Tony Hillerman's Navajo mysteries. In his books you get a deep and loving exposure to the Navaho way of life and religion.
 
There are two Navajo detectives in virtually all of Hillerman's novels, Jim Chee, a budding religious figure and lower level officer in the Navaho Tribal Police. The older and wiser Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn makes a very superior detective. The plot starts with an unidentified body found by a railroad in a near impossible location. Chee and Leaphorn pursue differing crimes and find that they merge in Washington DC. This is a very solid entry in the series. 

Just a nit, the narration is fine. Originally the books on tape were narrated by Tony Hillerman with his gravelly, worldly voice. I miss Tony as a author and miss listening to him. He was an acknowledged master of mystery writing.

Navajo Nation lives

Any additional comments?

All of Tony Hillerman's books about the Navajo land are good. This one brings Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee to the Nation's capital to find out why a body appears in Navajo Land that traces back to Washington D.C. Neither are happy to be away from the Sacred Mountains. The narrator does okay but he isn't George Guidall. I heard most of these stories read by Guidall and it really spoils you. The story is very good . . . the narrator leaves much to be desired. It's hard to tell who is talking because most of the voices sound the same . . . maybe a southern drawl but the sound is the same.

We're Not in New Mexico Anymore!

What made the experience of listening to Talking God the most enjoyable?

What made this book enjoyable beyond the story itself was the narration by Christian Baskous. His voice characterizations are amazing. No matter how many different people appear in the narrative, Mr. Baskous creates a distinct and memorable voice for each one. I love this guy. He really makes the familiar stories come alive in totally new ways. This novel was a real departure from the usual Jim Chee/Joe Leaphorn stories. Most of the action takes place in Washington D.C., not New Mexico, and I found that I missed the long drives through the dramatic landscapes of the Southwest that typically fill up the narrative in Hillerman's novels. Having the boys from the Rez solving crime in the Big East was a weird paradigm shift. The book was as good as any of his others, of course, and we did get to see Janet Pete at her flashy, glamorous best in D.C. society. Grave robbers and terrorists make a nice showing in this one - we even get a maladjusted, emotionally damaged hit man stalking the investigation. I credit the excellent narration with bridging the gap between the new territory explored in this story and the more familiar expressions of tribal religious practice and philosophy we have come to expect from Hillerman's novels.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Jim Chee is usually my favorite character in Hillerman's novels. He is the most dynamic of the regulars - Joe Leaphorn reminds me a little too much of my dad - and I find that his struggle to live in harmony with the modern world AND his tribal heritage causes me to admire him quite a bit.

Which character – as performed by Christian Baskous – was your favorite?

So, I like all the characters performed by Christian Baskous, as I mentioned earlier. I especially liked how he handled the odd character of Leroy Fleck, the strange hit man/stalker in the novel. We see his twisted, corrupted little world up close and personal in a couple of long, intense chapters. Mr. Baskous expresses this guy's warped thoughts really, really well. Check out Chapter 16 for a freaky tour through Fleck's inner world. It is not to be missed.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Yes. Spoiler Alert: Janet decides to come home to New Mexico with Jim. Big Romantic Deal, even if the romance is so very discreetly touched on that you might even miss it right there at the end of the book. What can I say? I really think Janet is the right girl for Jim.

Any additional comments?

I did think it was weird to have so much of the action happened outside the usual Navajo stomping grounds. I think the next novel, The Fallen Man, returns the action to its rightful place on the Rez. The departure was ok, but I am really glad Hillerman didn't decide to have Jim move to D.C. to be with Janet. I don't think either one of us can imagine him anywhere but home!

Where is George Guidell?

This story may have been good but the narrator stinks! He has no concept of the Navajos. He cannot read. He could not keep his accents consistent. I think this book should have been checked before releasing it to the public.
I love the Hillerman books that is the only reason I bought this book. I hope someone can make all of the books available again and find a better narrator.

bring back Guidall

This is a terrible narrator. George Guidall did a much better job. this guy ribs the story.

Classic Hillerman - ruined by narrator

I do not like to criticize well intentioned artistic effort but the narrator was wildly mismatched to the material, with accents wavering in and out, sometimes voicing Navajo characters as almost African American, and voicing Chee and Janet with flip, Valley Girl phrasing. It got so irritating I reluctantly returned the book for a credit refund before I was half way through. Very disappointed as the prior Chee/Leaphorn productions with other narrators were very good.

Great story-line, barely digestible narrator

Talking God was the most complex and engrossing listens from Tony H. so far, IMO.
Several times, I almost stopped and returned the purchase because of the narrator. Like 'John Boy' from Little House on the Prairie.

Hillerman always comes through.

Not super thrilled with the narrator (prefer Guidall) but he wasn't horrible and the story saves it.

A Novel Full of Suspense

Book Review
Talking God by Tony Hillerman
Jean A. Vachon
A Novel Full of Suspense
Wickenburg, Az - Talking God, is the first novel by Tony Hillerman that I have read.
The story, I found, flows quite fluently and is thus quite pleasurable.
At first, one is a bit puzzled by the references to Navaho culture. But this shouldn’t discourage the reader.
As the author admits, these references are not always exact, but they add an element of exotism and originality to the story. They also familiarize the reader with the Navaho culture.
The main characters are Navaho Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Navaho officer Jim Chee.
In this book, they are investigating the theft of ancestral bones from a Navaho cemetery and the murder of a Smithsonian Conservatory researcher Henry Highhawk. It turns out that the two crimes are related and make us delve in the Navaho legends and their mysterious gods.
The plot is unpredictable and makes for entertaining reading.
This satisfying listening to an audio book by Tony Hillerman motivated me to explore further this intriguing author by reading some more of his novels.
Thus, I am presently reading, Skinwalkers, which I have bought on the Navaho reserve near Flagstaff in Arizona.

Good Story

A bit rushed at the end...a bit too much info on assailants miserable life...nice to see Leaphorn and Chee work together...enjoyed local Washington, D.C. locale...enjoyed descriptions of native practices and masks. A good basic story.