The Fallen Man

By: Tony Hillerman

Narrated by: George Guidall

In his Chee/Leaphorn series, best-selling author and recipient of the Navajo Tribe's Special Friend Award, Tony Hillerman, magically combines Navajo lore and modern American culture. In The Fallen Man, he brings Leaphorn out of retirement to join Chee in solving one of his most chilling mysteries to date.

When a human skeleton is discovered on sacred Navajo land, the publicity surrounding the find sets in motion a widespread investigation and a series of attempted murders. After a Washington group hires Leaphorn to investigate the "fallen man's" past, he joins Chee in unraveling a deadly intrigue that finally involves players from both the FBI and a suspicious corporation.

Sensitive insight into Navajo culture and intricate storytelling explain why Hillerman's tales are best sellers. Guidall's dramatic, well-paced narration makes clear why each release in the Leaphorn/Chee series attracts a wider audience.

©1996 Tony Hillerman (P)1997 Recorded Books, LLC

Wonderful but with some loose ends!

Hillerman is a fine writer, and I enjoyed Fallen Man. At the end, it seemed like there were some loose ends that begged for more information i.e Janet's going home, and the capture of the cattle rustling brand inspector. Hillerman's description of Navajo country is beautiful, and the description of the arrival of the first winter storm was exquisite. If it was possible, I rate Fallen Man at 4 1/2 stars......

hillerman is a great writer

so far this is my favorite of all the books I've read by Tony Hillerman. I love the history and getting to know Navajo words and customs

The landscapes, relationships and Navajo culturally based traditions.

Storyline, Narrator. Cultural acuity embedded in story. Relationships, discussion of clans, taboos, history interwoven into the story and impact to community.

Tony Hillerman rarely disappoints…

… and he certainly captures the local flavor and nuances of the four corners area and beyond. Chee and Leaphorn continue to be champion investigators in the same spirit as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Perot… Except with their incomparable Dine’ insouciance. I love George Guidell as a narrator, but is Western cadence doesn’t mean he has all the southwestern accents and so I only wish as a native New Mexican and someone who has practiced law in Navajo Country, we had somebody with a greater range of the local dialect and accented patois.

Excellent

Great story. The detailed descriptions make you feel as if you are right there. I have listened to this book several times, and have enjoyed it thoroughly each time.

Best Chee/Leaphorn?

This has to be one of the very best of the Chee/Leaphorn four corners stories.

Another great addition to the collection

Leaphorn and Chee team up to solve yet another murder mystery, a tangled group of loose threads at the beginning that comes together in an elegant knot by the end. Add in personal issues and retirement complications, and it makes a great listen.

Also very good to have the original narrator back.

Hillerman and Guidall - a Pair to Draw to

Not much to say when George Guidall reads Tony Hillerman. Flawless from start to finish. Both are the best in their business.

Another great Leaphorn / Chee tale

While this is not the first book in the series, it can easily be read at any time. Leaphorn may have retired but he has not given up with Chee or investigation of crime on the Navajo reservation. In this volume, a case from Leaphorn's tenure is resolved when a body is discovered more than a decade after the death occurred.

I love the quiet pace at which these stories unfold and the way they demonstrate a way of life foreign to me. Respect for culture and the land are the most important things to Chee, solving the crimes is almost incidental (although he is very good at that too!). You would not use the words "fast paced" or "thrilling" for any book in this series but there is a clear mystery which is solved through effective police work. This is one of my favorite series.

One I missed

I thought I had read all of the Hillerman Leaphorn/Chee novels years ago but I did not remember this one.

What a joy it was to jump back into their world.

Scenic descriptions are so good that I took a vacation to Canyon de Chelly and was not disappointed. And I had recently driven across northern Arizona and New Mexico on I-40 so the topography was fresh in my mind.

Good story. I could see it happening just that way.
Good character development. Or maybe I just feel like I know the primary characters.

I am familiar with the narration he has done in the Longmire series. I enjoy him. I could easily believe it was Joe Leaphorn speaking. I have always had a different voice in my head for Jim Chee but it didn’t impede my enjoyment.

Thanks to Audible for popping The Fallen Man up on the recommended for you list.