Rating: 
Summary: Great mystery
Review: As far as mystery writers go, Tony Hillerman is one of the best I have read. Not only is the plot very interesting, but the information on the Indian culture and traditions makes this book more enticing.
Rating: 
Summary: A fair mystery novel
Review: Dance Hall of the Dead is the first Hillerman novel I have read. The plot succeeded in keeping me interested enough to finish the book, but it can only be categorized as a fair mystery novel. The driving force behind the plot is the protagonist's (Joe Leaphorn's) search for the missing Navajo boy and consequently the truth behind the murder mystery of a young Zuni boy. His search for the boy, however, only half-heartedly interested me, and the end of his search, as well as the story itself, was a big disappointment. The reader isn't allowed to partake in the pleasure of the murder culprit being captured, nor are we to ever know what becomes of Susanne or Ted Isaacs, the other two characters in the book greatly affected by the series of events. One positive aspect of Hillerman's novels, however, is the way in which he incorporates facts about Native Americans in the Southwest. Part of the time reading Dance Hall of the Dead, I thought I was reading a history text. Although I didn't think that Dance Hall of the Dead was an extraordinary book, I was nevertheless intrigued by the information provided on the Navajo and Zuni tribes.
Rating:
Summary: If you can't sleep, read this book!
Review: Dance Hall of the Dead started out kinda interesting, but it took to long to get to the climax of the story. Since everything came at the end, I found the first 250 pages boring and the last 5 hard to follow. It was a fair book, even though I still don't understand why the person who commited the murder did it. The book wasn't clear, and when it is a mystery and you don't know the end clearly, it just causes more sleepless nights.
Rating:
Summary: Among Hillerman's Best
Review: First published in 1973, DANCE HALL OF THE DEAD was and is still considered among the best of Tony Hillerman's "Joe Leaphorn" novels, a series set on Southwestern Native American lands and following the adventures of Lt. Leaphorn as he investigates crimes on the reservation. In this particular novel, Leaphorn, a Navajo, is summoned to Zunni lands to assist in a particularly unpleasant crime: a Zunni teenager's blood has soaked the land, but his body is missing--and so is the Navajo teenager who was with him.
As usual, Hillerman writes in a strong prose voice, and much of the novel's interest stems from his depiction of the character, traditions, and lore of Native Americans who live on the reservation. Unlike some other Hillerman novels, the plot is fairly tight and does indeed live up to its description as a mystery--but even so the mystery here is remarkably transparent; even the most niave reader should be able to spot both killer and motive in the first quarter of the novel. That is unfortunate--but still, Hillerman's expert prose and his portrait of Native American society make DANCE HALL OF THE DEAD an interesting, entertaining, and often informative read. Generally recommended.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Rating: 
Summary: It was so hard to follow!
Review: I dunt think dis waz such an exciting book as reviewed by critics. The text waz hard to follow, and there were to many details, especially when dey have parts of da book narrated by Leaphorn. There waz also too much information bout da Zuni tribe. If only da author could have kept dis information to a bare minimum enough to extend da details of the mystery than the book would've been a whole lot ezier to follow. Another thing is da names of da characters. Simpler names could've helped. I'm currently reading dis book for my book report, becuz of da "hard-to-follow text" I had to re-read da whole book again! But overall, I think da book has a catchy tile and an interesting plot, but da story is not written in such a way dat grabs da reader's attention immediately.
Rating: 
Summary: Very innacurate, sacrilegious and disrespectful
Review: I first read the Dance Hall of the Dead in high school. Being a member of the Zuni Tribe, and a resident of the town of Zuni, it was quite interesting to see how much of the information concerning Zuni could be changed to fit the "theme" and plot of the book. While these may seem like little details to most people, it is quite disturbing to see how often Hillermans work is seen as accurate, because of a reputation he has somehow gained as an "expert" on Native Cultures of the American Southwest. Apparently, he thought that all pueblo people are the same. This is evident in the use of the last name of Cata, which is not even seen in Zuni, and is actually a last name seen only in the Rio Grande Pueblos. In addition, his interpretation or portrayal of the Sha'la'k'o ceremony as a "Dance Hall of the Dead" is simplistic at best. While he may be an "expert" in Navajo culture, it does not qualify him to comment on a COMPLETELY different society, much less its sacred and complex kachina ceremonies. Finally, many native people, such as the Navajo, the Zuni and the Hopi (who have all been "featured" in Hillerman's books) feel that Hillerman's descriptions of ceremonies and rituals is just plain wrong. As an outsider, he has no business delving into or exposing the nature of such things as kachinas, which we consider sacred yet dangerous. Furthermore, by exploiting our cultures for the sake of adding interest to a plot, he seems to show a lack of respect for our cultures, our religions, and our tribes in general. This in itself is bad enough, but the worst thing is that people actually consider his novels definitive descriptions of Native culture. There are many ethnological works out there that are available, and they are NOT hard to find. After all Zuni is one of, if not THE most complex, and most studied society on earth. While I don't agree with people wanting to know "everything there is to know" about Zuni culture, there are much better places to find out about "us" than a Tony Hillerman book.
Rating:
Summary: Very innacurate, sacrilegious and disrespectful
Review: I first read the Dance Hall of the Dead in high school. Being a member of the Zuni Tribe, and a resident of the town of Zuni, it was quite interesting to see how much of the information concerning Zuni could be changed to fit the "theme" and plot of the book. While these may seem like little details to most people, it is quite disturbing to see how often Hillermans work is seen as accurate, because of a reputation he has somehow gained as an "expert" on Native Cultures of the American Southwest. Apparently, he thought that all pueblo people are the same. This is evident in the use of the last name of Cata, which is not even seen in Zuni, and is actually a last name seen only in the Rio Grande Pueblos. In addition, his interpretation or portrayal of the Sha'la'k'o ceremony as a "Dance Hall of the Dead" is simplistic at best. While he may be an "expert" in Navajo culture, it does not qualify him to comment on a COMPLETELY different society, much less its sacred and complex kachina ceremonies. Finally, many native people, such as the Navajo, the Zuni and the Hopi (who have all been "featured" in Hillerman's books) feel that Hillerman's descriptions of ceremonies and rituals is just plain wrong. As an outsider, he has no business delving into or exposing the nature of such things as kachinas, which we consider sacred yet dangerous. Furthermore, by exploiting our cultures for the sake of adding interest to a plot, he seems to show a lack of respect for our cultures, our religions, and our tribes in general. This in itself is bad enough, but the worst thing is that people actually consider his novels definitive descriptions of Native culture. There are many ethnological works out there that are available, and they are NOT hard to find. After all Zuni is one of, if not THE most complex, and most studied society on earth. While I don't agree with people wanting to know "everything there is to know" about Zuni culture, there are much better places to find out about "us" than a Tony Hillerman book.
Rating:
Summary: History Book?
Review: I must say that Dance Hall of the Dead was not what i expected it to be. Instead i thought that i was reading a history book about the navahos and zuni's, the the whole mystery element was gone. I cant say that I enjoyed this book.
Rating:
Summary: DANCE HALL
Review: I really enjoyed the character of Joe Leaphorn. He seemed very capable of carrying out his job, and you really felt the inner struggles he went through. However, I felt very bogged down by the cultural info (I didn't understand it), and almost felt cheated when I discovered what happened to the young man Leaphorn was searching for throughout the novel.
Rating:
Summary: Edgar winner in 1974 still a good read in 2001
Review: Many books from the early seventies seem sort of comical almost 30 years later. The hippies, Watergate, Vietnam were very real but the writing of the times often doesn't hold up well. This book is a nice exception. Dance Hall of the Dead is one of the earliest of the Leaphorn/Chee series. In many ways it sets up (and epitomizes) the formula that has made this books so popular. Leaphorn (and Chee) is both a Navajo and an everyman. The mystery will lead to encounters with the white culture and another southwestern Native American culture -- in this case the Zuni's. And yes, there will be a serious dose of southwestern history, culture and spirituality. And, in the case of this book and many others, the case will be solved due to some violation of a cultural taboo by a bad guy outside of that culture. The pacing will be that of the southwest -- a mellower clock that the coasts operate on. What stands out in this book is the author's insights on the mindsets of teenagers. More specifically, what happens when the usual teenage angst is complicated by trying to live in multiple cultures as is the case of the missing boy, George. George is a Navajo, living in modern America with all of its white culture, who wants to be a Zuni. Ah, youth....
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