The Sinister Pig

Rating:
Summary: Decorative Indians
Review: It's a little ironic that Hillerman made his reputation as a chronicler of Diné (Navajo) characters and culture, but tends to put other tribes in his novels as local color elements. I was interested to see Tohono O'odham characters in Sinister Pig, but disappointed when it became obvious that Hillerman knows little or nothing about the O'odham. They're not "locals" in the SE Arizona / New Mexico bootheel region any more than Navajo or Hopi are. He has Jim Chee think, "That tribe had its reservation on the Mexican border, lapping over into Arizona". Jeesh! Look at a map, Tony: the Tohono O'odham reservation, about the size of Connecticut, is right smack in Arizona southwest of Tucson. (Lots of O'odham live in Sonora, but not on designated reservation land.)

Minor point? Yes, in terms of the novel overall. No, in terms of Hillerman's reputation as an amabassador of Native culture to a broader readership.

Rating:
Summary: Hillerman strays from known territory
Review: Over the many novels in Hillerman's illustrious career, the readers have come to love the adventures of Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, however, the Sinister Pig seems to delve off onto a parallel tangent of the mysteries we've read for so long.

While both characters are present, it seems as if Hillerman wanted to introduce something else besides yet another murder mystery, that is a little political commentary of his own. The novel starts with a preface regarding missing royalties to the Indian Nations as it ties into oil profits and the U.S. government. While I don't dispute his claims one way or another, Sinister Pig clearly is a vehicle for Hillerman to present his personal viewpoints in a fictional manner and to make the reader really aware of this.

The story itself, while good, is missing the magical sense of Navajo country and traditions the readers have come to expect from Hillerman. Gone are the beautiful descriptions of the four corners area, and the deep culture of the Native Americans. Instead we find Jim Chee at a mid life crisis, contemplating his life as a bachelor and his love for former Officer Bernie Manuelito.

Joe Leaphorn is present as well, but his character steps down as a main player to that of the supporting cast. And while Leaphorn has his momentous 'breakthrough' in the case, his involvement otherwise is minimal.

However, who does step up to the plate is Bernie Manuelito. Now as a Border Patrol Officer assigned to lower New Mexico, she stumbles across a corrupt department, and some 'fishy' on-goings at the nearby Tuttle Ranch. Something in regards to drugs, gas and oil pipelines, illegal immigration, the apparent murders of undercover government officials and of course and errant and deviant U.S. government.

The novel is pretty fast paced and is a very quick read. Chapters are small and to the point. It was a good diversion for a Hillerman book, but I hope this was just a half way point to a much larger novel that will bring our characters back to the forefront of Native American culture and its roots in northern New Mexico.

Rating:
Summary: What in the world has happened to Tony Hillerman?
Review: The wonderfulness of Hillerman's Chee/Leaphorn stories has been the richness of their Navaho/Four Corners detail, the sensitivity of his characterizations, and the subtlety of the mysteries he unfolds. Now, suddenly, we have kindergarten plotting, cartoon characters, and, unbelievably, clunky, almost amateurish writing. Even the best of them produce a turkey one in a while, and I guess this is Hillerman's. Let's hope he's back on form next time.

Rating:
Summary: (2 1/2) A Disappointing Effort Saved By An Ingenious Plot
Review: This book seems to be Tony Hillerman attempting to masquerade as James Patterson. Some familiar characters, a murder and related violence, short chapters, almost continual action and extremely limited character development. (Eliminate the many blank pages between chapters and it is barely two hundred small pages of large type. Thus, it is overpriced.)

The story has great potential. It has the well known characters of Sergeant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police and Bernie Manuelito, now separated geograpically from Chee as a rookie Border Patrol officer and with the future of their relationship in doubt. When a puzzling murder in Chee's jurisdiction intersects with Bernie's work, the retired "Legendary Lieutenant " Joe Leaphorn is called upon for consultation. At the same time there seems to be a puzzling interest emanating from a powerful source in Washington, D.C. concerning the ramifications of the case.

There is an intimation that the dead man may have been investigating the actual scandal concerning the loss (probably due to a combination of theft, embezzlement, indifference and incompetence) of billions of dollars of royalties from the Indian Tribal Royalty Fund held in trust by the Department of the Interior. This is a topic with great potential for an author with Hillerman's skills and knowledge, but it becomes peripheral to a pretty standard police procedural combined with the mystery of how the romance between Bernie and Jim will conclude. There is some excellent misdirection regarding both the nature of the underlying crinimal activity and its participants and who or what is the real "SINISTER PIG". But a lot of the oppportunities to develop the potential plot complications and resultant suspense were simply never pursued. Also, there were several loose ends that were never satisfactorily tied up despite the attempt to do so in the epilogue. (I cannot go into details without revealing too much of the plot.) It is almost as if Hillerman had an outline for a wonderfully complex story and then decided it was too complicated and so decided to quickly bring this part of the story to a close and leave the rest for a sequel.

As the title of my review implies, a few elements helped me decide to generously round up my rating to three stars. First, the plot is clever, and there is sufficient misdirection to keep the reader's interest. Second, it involves familiar characters. Third, this is a incredibly fast read. It is definitely a book for a short trip or a rainy afternoon. So if you are a Hillerman fan, lower your expectations and enjoy a few hours updating yourself on the latest happenings in New Mexico.

Rating:
Summary: Off the reservation
Review: This is one of Tony Hillerman's weakest mysteries, but it's worth reading for a plot twist that will make it interesting for long-term Hillerman fans.

I suggest, as others have, that you first read several of the earlier books in the series to get to know Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn, the Navajo detectives who surely deserve a place in the hall of fame for fictional detectives. You won't be able to appreciate fully this book without being familiar with the back story.

Contrary to Hillerman's usual practice, most of the action in this book takes place off the Navajo reservation, way down in the New Mexico bootheel near the Mexican border. Hillerman's usual weaving of Indian culture into his mysteries is mostly absent. Hillerman also preaches in this novel, a bit unusual for him. He argues against the US war on drugs as futile and harmful and he exposes the theft of billions of dollars from Indian tribes by fraud in the payment of royalties on oil and gas revenues.

Smallchief