Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 15, 1990 TAG: 9004150320
SECTION: HORIZON PAGE: F-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO BOOK PAGE EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Tony Hillerman is a veteran author whose work has moved from the ranks of "genre" fiction onto the best-seller lists. That's as it should be. He has won just about every award the mystery folks have to give, and he's not reclining on his laurels.
After 15 books, he still spins out fascinating stories. He's got a new novel due out soon and his most recent book is available in three forms: hardback, paperback and audio cassette. All of them are enjoyable.
The story of "Talking God" is complicated. It involves politics, Navajo artifacts and remains. The settings range from familiar Hillerman territory, New Mexico, to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. Both of Hillerman's series protagonists, Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, are working on what they think are unrelated cases. But perhaps the most intriguing character is an assassin named Fleck.
The novel begins with a surprising scene and quickly establishes a fast pace that doesn't falter. It ends with an incredibly suspenseful confrontation in the Museum of Natural History.
All in all, "Talking God" is one of Hillerman's best.
He reads it well on audio cassette. Even though the story has been abridged to fit on two 90-minute tapes, his voice and the sparing use of music to establish mood add another dimension to the work. It is particularly enlightening to hear some of the Navajo words and phrases pronounced the way they're meant to be. Most readers probably make up their own versions of and and as they go along. It's good to know what they really sound like.
Hillerman's gravelly delivery, and his familiarity with the characters and their motivations, make up for the technical proficiency that a professional actor might have brought to "Talking God."
It's a fine read and a fine listen.
by CNB