The First Eagle: Amazon.ca: Tony Hillerman: Books

Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
The body of Anderson Nez lay under a sheet on the gurney, waiting. Read the first page

Explore More
Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

Tag this product

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

26 Reviews

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

Average Customer Review

3.7 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars This book stinks, Feb 22 2002

By

Billy (Stockbridge, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Eagle (Mass Market Paperback)

I thought that the book was very boring and was really uninteresting. It started out o.k. I guess but after that it just started to drag on and wasn't interesting at all. I wouldn't recommend this book if you are looking for an exciting mystery, this isn't the book for you.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Winning Leaphorn Mystery, Feb 21 2002

By

John P. Rooney "John" (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The First Eagle (Mass Market Paperback)

"The First Eagle", by Tony Hillerman, Audio Cassette version read by George Guidall, Harper Audio, 1998.

Another good Jim Chee/ Lt. Leaphorn mystery, well done and very easy to read. I was steered to this book by checking library listings on the Black Plague and other airborne illness, after I had read "The Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis. The so-called hanta virus had affected, in particular, the Navaho Nation in the American Southwest. The disease, spread by the droppings of small mice and other rodents, provided an opportunity for a cottage industry to grow up in the Southwest where many aspiring Ph.D. students were attempting to make a name for themselves.

In the midst of all this, Acting Lt. Jim Chee charges a Hopi Indian, caught while poaching eagles, with the murder of a Navaho Tribal Policeman. The Hopi was arrested red handed, literally!, and Jim Chee believes that he has an open and shut case. But, Chee's once and future fiancée, Janet Pete, returns from Washington, DC, as public defender, and, you guessed it, she is assigned to defend the Hopi

The plot is twisted and involved enough, when retired Lt. Leaphorn is hired as a "private investigator" to look into the disappearance of Cathy Pollard, a researcher, who vanished on the same day the Navajo policeman was killed. Both Chee and Leaphorn are then immersed in the academic scene as they seek to sought out the involved relationships of prairie dog colonies, fleas, the Black Plague, the disappearance of Ms. Pollard, and the deaths of some Indians from the plague. Hillerman continues to develop the characters of Leaphorn and Chee. For example, there is a poignant scene in the hospital, where Leaphorn's memories of watching his wife, Emma, being wheeled away on a gurney, never to be seen alive again, are described. Leaphorn's life as a widower, also shows up now and then, as in the shower scene in the motel and, later, when he is enjoying eating another person's cooking in the restaurant.

I have come to identify George Guidall's voice with Lt. Leaphorn, and, if I ever meet Tony Hillerman in person, I would expect him to sound like Mr. Guidall. Guidall does an excellent job of developing distinct vocal identities for each character, and his portrayal of FBI agents who have been hoodwinked by the "not-so-stupid" Tribal Policeman Lt Chee, is very appropriate. I enjoyed Guidall's reading of "The First Eagle" as I drove Interstate 495 around Boston. Hillerman has another winner.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

1.0 out of 5 stars Read the early ones!, Mar 23 2001

By

"siliconvalleythinker" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The First Eagle (Mass Market Paperback)

Read the early ones -- "Blessing Way" and so forth. They are wonderful -- funny, suspenseful, warm, and very visual -- with interesting depictions of Navajo life.

The later ones attempt to deal with Big Issues and have somehow lost most of the warmth, humor, team interaction amongst the police -- and the local and cultural color.

...and this is definitely not one to read when eating!

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Report abuse

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 26 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Want to see more reviews on this item?

› Go to Amazon.com to see all 100 reviews 3.8 out of 5 stars

Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars You can see the Hillerman pattern
Because this is my first access to Tony Hillerman I can tell you of the worth of this story without having to compare to earlier works. Read more

Published on Sep 25 2004 by bernie

3.0 out of 5 stars Tail feathers and a snowman
By the time of "The First Eagle," Lt. Joe Leaphorn has become Mr. Leaphorn and Jim Chee is acting lieutenant of the Navajo police. But some things have not changed. Read more