魔力

アメリカ先住民の出ながら因習や呪術を嫌うジョー・リープホーン警部補と、部族の伝統に敬愛の念を持つジム・チー巡査。単独で主人公を張ってきた2人が合流する最初の作品です。
　チー巡査が自宅トレーラーハウスでショットガンで狙撃された事件を皮切りに、不審な殺人が相次ぎます。犠牲者の傷跡から発見される牛の骨製のビーズは呪術を連想させ、事件には魔術と迷信が色濃く漂っていた。。。
　トニイ・ヒラーマンミステリは、アメリカ先住民を主人公に、彼らの独特な世界観や文化に根ざして起きるエキゾチックなミステリ。他に同類を捜せばアーサー・アップフィールドのボナパルト警部シリーズぐらいでしょうか。
　最後の30ページ、人々の病気を癒す歌い手になりたいという野心に付けこんだ犯人の罠に嵌り瀕死の重傷を追うチー、最後の殺人を食い止めようと奔走するリープホーンの手に汗握る場面に、それまでともすると退屈にもなりかねなかったプロットが一気に収斂しました。地味だけれど、さすがの筆さばきです。

“Sun will be created -- They say he has planned it all."
Skinwalkers are witches in the Navaho legends and can fly or turn themselves into a dog or wolf. This mystery involves the conflict between Skinwalkers and shamen and belegana medicine. Then again it may be a straight forward set of independent murders. In any event it looks like some one is out to kill Navajo Tribal Police Officer Jim Chee and he has not got a clue as to why.
As with all of Tony Hillerman's stories you have the feeling you are there. In fact if you have visited or live in the area (Four Corners canyons) that the mystery takes part in, you will be better able to identify with the people and landmarks. And as with his other books there is an overt and covert story.
I have read the book but the addition of the voice of George Guidall ads a dimension to the story by helping visualize the people and correcting pronunciation of certain words. I suggest you read the book and listen to the recorded version.
I first saw the TV version of Skinwalkers with Robert Redford. He has a habit of redfordizing stories for his own agenda. This book was so strongly written that I thought Redford did not have a chance to modify it. I was wrong.
The book is much more in depth and the motive and additional characters made the mystery much more intriguing.

“Sun will be created -- They say he has planned it all."Skinwalkers are witches in the Navaho legends and can fly or turn themselves into a dog or wolf. This mystery involves the conflict between Skinwalkers and shamen and belegana medicine. Then again it may be a straight forward set of independent murders. In any event it looks like some one is out to kill Navajo Tribal Police Officer Jim Chee and he has not got a clue as to why.As with all of Tony Hillerman's stories you have the feeling you are there. In fact if you have visited or live in the area (Four Corners canyons) that the mystery takes part in, you will be better able to identify with the people and landmarks. And as with his other books there is an overt and covert story. I have read the book but the addition of the voice of George Guidall ads a dimension to the story by helping visualize the people and correcting pronunciation of certain words. I suggest you read the book and listen to the recorded version. I first saw the TV version of Skinwalkers with Robert Redford. He has a habit of redfordizing stories for his own agenda. This book was so strongly written that I thought Redford did not have a chance to modify it. I was wrong.The book is much more in depth and the motive and additional characters made the mystery much more intriguing.