Rating: 
Summary: Not Great ... But Still Fun
Review: I have been a fan for quite a while. This book, while not on par with the Thief of Time or Ghostway, is still enjoyable -- mostly due to Chee and Leaphorn. These are two well-developed characters ... old friends I like to check in on from time to time.I found the overall plot to be promising, but at times, the story seemed rushed and not thoroughly explored. I was disappointed by the ending. Starting with Leaphorn's sudden unraveling of the mystery, the end was too rushed and a bit non-eventful. For those who like Hillerman, this is a must read. For those that are new to his work, check the Thief of Time. Read this one later after getting to know the characters.
Rating: 
Summary: Get off the phone Tony and Start Wrting Again
Review: The photo of the author on the book jacket might be more appropriate, if in it, the author were speaking into a telephone. Because Hillerman is just phoning it in, as he has for most of his more recent novels. Missing are the picturesque detailed descriptions of the southwestern landscape, the lessons in indigenous plant life and geology. The small amount of Navajo mythology, lavishly described in previous novels, leaves much to be desired in Hunting Badger. The characters are already developed and much of the plot is spent going over old ground. Even the layout artist is phoning it in. The back of the book jacket contains the headline from the previous book jacket, " Praise for the First Eagle", Hillerman's last book. (Was this because there was no praise for Hunting Badger?) The plot is OK. But the editing is atrocious. On one page Officer Bernadette Manuelito is referred to as "him", along with one or two other glaring typos. All on the same page! How could the editor miss these, unless he/she were phoning it in, too? Hillerman is in love with the adjective "wry", as in wry grin, wry look, wry smile, wry face, rye bread. If I had a dollar for every time Hillerman uses wry, this overworked and often inappropriate adjective, I could afford to retire. Microsoft Word's Thesaurus suggests some alternate adjectives that Hillerman can use in his next novel to spare his readers the annoying and distracting repetitious use of this term: twisted, distorted, bent, and crooked, among others. I can only recommend this book to diehard Hillerman fans who are starved for any story about Leaphorn and Chee. Regarless of how fragmentary it is. If Hillerman has run out of things to say, then perhaps it's time to turn off the word processor, get out from behind his desk, and take a long vacation and enjoy the Land of Enchantment. And if Hillerman and Harper Collins want my $26.00, they are going to have to work a lot harder than they have recently done. When the next Hillerman novel is churned out, I just might take a pass.
Rating: 
Summary: Each better than the last
Review: Having lived in Arizona for thirteen years and been up to the four-corners area a few times I know a litttle of the territory Tony Hillerman writes about. But no one writes about it better and certainly no one weaves such perfect stories into the awesome beauty of the Southwest as Tony Hillerman. I've read all the books as they have come out and followed the careers and adventures of Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn almost as if they were the friends of a friend and I didn't even like mysteries before I chanced upon these. This latest one certainly does not disappoint; from a running start and with a good pace it keeps you turning the pages, staying up late, reading on your lunch break and wondering if traffic will be stuck long enough to get in a few more pages. It's a good story told by a master storyteller; you can't go wrong here.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Hillerman's Best
Review: Not as tightly plotted as the other Leaphorn/Chee novels, but still very enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: One of his Best
Review: The audio version of this book made a 6 hour trans-Penn drive go very fast. Hillerman has a knack for weaving interesting characters, intricate plots, and Navajo mysticism into one cohesive package. "Hunting Badger" recounts a multi-departmental manhunt for three cop-killer/thieves through the area surrounding the Four-Corners region. Our familiar heros are faced with the task of solving the crime despite of the best efforts of both the criminals and the FBI. My only criticism is that I would have liked more explanation of the motivations of the criminals, and more of an aftermath. This book lacked some of the action of some of the other books, but what it lacked in gunplay it made up in interesting deduction. Like his other works, it is a quick read and a good book on tape. And, being a reflection of an actual event, the plausibility factor increases the interest.
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic listen/read!
Review: I listened to the unabridged version of this on audio tape. The narrator did an excellent job in emphasizing areas that needed to be emphasized. He also took the time to make sure that you could feel Hillerman's characters come alive, and almost see the territory. I found it hard to stop places and not sit in the car to hear more of the book. The story centers around Sargent Chee, Officer Bernie, Lt (oops retired) Leaphorn, and a few of the favorites thrown in to keep from being monotinous. The three start out interested in a Casino heist for different reasons. But, they find themselves being drawn together and putting their heads together to mesh mythology, history and the bandits of today. Hillerman also spent time to tell people how the different agencies work (or don't work) together and how they are viewed by each other. I am a huge fan of how he is able to work in the Navajo and Ute cultures into this novels. I loved the fact that Officer Bernie is starting to take on a more prominent role, and is a strong woman who says no! PS - I didn't geuss what was happening till the end.
Rating:
Summary: Thoroughly enjoyable and a quick read
Review: Hunting Badger is one of Hillerman's best novels with Chee-Leaphorn. I thought the plot was well conceived, tight, and completely enjoyable. Its amazing how Hillerman can capture the scenery of the Southwest in just a few sentences. I found it so easy to picture all the scenes that were so vividly written. As for the mystery itself, the book was well paced and brought things to a satisfying ending. Hillerman just seems to get better and better with each new book. I can hardly wait for the next one.
Rating:
Summary: So, So
Review: I keep reading these because I like the characters and the location. However, I have yet to find one that has a plot that isn't superficial. They lack depth somehow. But, I keep hoping and reading.
Rating:
Summary: This book makes you think it out!
Review: I hated for the book to end. It left waiting impatiently for the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: I couldn't stay awake long enough to enjoy this.
Review: Tony Hillerman's Hunting Badger was the 412th book I have read since 1997 (I am keeping track). It is also the first and last I will ever read by this author. I finish everything I read, regardless of it's content, but this one was a struggle. Maybe if I had some of the background other readers have had with this author, I would have enjoyed it. But it is my contention that a good book can be picked up anywhere, at any point in the story, even within a series, and be enjoyed, even gripping. This story falls way short of that. In fact, I didn't keep the character's straight very well, I hardly followed the plot line, and I struggled to put it all together. I found Joe Leaphorn seriously unlikely, and the other characters bland and without taste. Even the scenario descriptions of Navajo country were disappointing, because I know how beautiful it really is. And of course, the editing was so atrocious I found myself wanting to grade it, and I'm not even a teacher. I don't think there was much Mr. Hillerman could have done to ameliorate his efforts, though, the whole idea behind the plot was not interesting. In all fairness, I'm willing to concede that if I was a fan of the series I may have gotten more out of this read. However, I don't plan on buying the series or any of the books in it to find out.
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