The First Eagle
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

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Published
HarperCollins , 2009.
Status
Available from Libby/OverDrive

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Description

They very plague that decimated Europe in the fourteenth century lurks today in the high, dry land of the American Southwest. But Navajo Tribal policeman Jim Chee and his mentor, Joe Leaphorn, discover an even deadlier killer stalking the reservation in the most chilling and beautifully crafted novel yet from the beloved and bestselling master of Southwestern suspense.

When Acting Lt. Chee catches a Hopi eagle poacher literally red-handed--huddled over the bloody body of a young Navajo Tribal police officer--he has an open-and-shut case. Even the Feds--usually at odds with Chee'agree, and it seems the Hopi is headed for the gas chamber. Until Joe Leaphorn shows up to blow Chee's case wide open.

Leaphorn, now retired form the Navajo Tribal Police, has been hired to find Cathy Pollard, a hot-headed biologist who disappeared from the same remote area on the same day the Navajo cop was murdered. Is she a suspect? A victim? And what are Chee and Leaphorn to make of the report that a skinwalker--a Navajo witch--was seen in the same area at the same time?

To answer these questions, Leaphorn and Chee must immerse themselves in the enigmatic web of scientists hunting the key to the most virulent form of bubonic plague since the Middle Ages.

In addition to its finely wrought plot, The First Eagle offers a wealth of Tony Hillerman's signature gifts--glorious evocations of the high desert, delicately drawn characters, and eloquent insights into the foibles and wisdom of the Southwest's native people.

More Details

Format
eBook, Kindle
Street Date
03/17/2009
Language
English
ISBN
9780061743665

Discover More

Also in this Series

  • The blessing way (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 1) Cover
  • Dance hall of the dead (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 2) Cover
  • Listening Woman (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 3) Cover
  • People of Darkness (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 4) Cover
  • The dark wind: a Leaphorn and Chee novel (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 5) Cover
  • The ghostway (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 6) Cover
  • Skinwalkers (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 7) Cover
  • A thief of time (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 8) Cover
  • Talking God (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 9) Cover
  • Dance hall of the dead (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 10) Cover
  • Sacred clowns (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 11) Cover
  • The fallen man (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 12) Cover
  • The first eagle (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 13) Cover
  • Hunting badger (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 14) Cover
  • The wailing wind (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 15) Cover
  • The sinister pig (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 16) Cover
  • Skeleton man (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 17) Cover
  • The shape shifter (Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries Volume 18) Cover

Similar Series From Novelist

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for series you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These novels have many similarities in plot, characterization, and atmosphere, as well as authentic portrayal of native cultures, so each series is likely to appeal to readers of the other, though one features Alaska and the other Navajo territory. -- Katherine Johnson
Sharing fast-paced narratives and strong sense of place in the Native American Southwest, these richly detailed, suspenseful mysteries focus on the crime solving process. They are compelling and character-driven with issues of cultural confrontation between newcomers and established populations. -- Matthew Ransom
These murder mystery novels set in New Mexico each feature Native American protagonists and bits of Navajo lore. Compelling and suspenseful, both have a fast pace and plenty of suspense. -- Mike Nilsson
The Ben Pecos and Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries feature Native American policemen on reservations in New Mexico. With complex characters and intricate plots, the books offer beautiful descriptions of the countryside and Native American customs and believes. -- Merle Jacob
The American Southwest forms the backdrop for these compelling mysteries. They are character-driven, descriptive, and suspenseful. Sughrue Mysteries are more atmospheric, violent, and bleak, while Leaphorn and Chee Mysteries have a strong sense of place, gritty moments, and hopeful justice. -- Matthew Ransom
The L.A.-based Tenzing Norbu mysteries and the New Mexico-based Joe Leaphorn mysteries star detectives who rely on their spirituality to solve crimes. Though the Joe Leaphorn tales have a stronger sense of place, both are suspenseful and compelling. -- Mike Nilsson
The Colonial-era Bone Rattler mysteries are more leisurely paced than the modern, Southwestern-set Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee books and feature a Scot rather than Navajo detectives, but both series include spiritual elements from Native American traditions. -- Katherine Johnson
Starring detectives of Native American descent, these mysteries feature a strong sense of place and an engaging look at Indigenous culture. Where the Du Pre mysteries are spare and dialect-filled, the Leaphorn mysteries opt for rich detail and some mysticism. -- Mike Nilsson
These compelling, atmospheric detective series boast evocatively rendered landscapes in addition to portraying traditional Native customs juxtaposed with contemporary lifestyles. PI Kate Shugak sleuths in Alaska, while Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are Navajo police in the Southwest. -- Katherine Johnson

Similar Titles From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These books have the appeal factors strong sense of place, and they have the theme "rural police"; and the subjects "detectives," "tribal police," and "missing persons investigation."
These books have the theme "rural police"; and the subjects "indigenous men," "tribal police," and "navajo (diné) (north american people)."
NoveList recommends "Bone rattler mysteries" for fans of "Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
NoveList recommends "Lola Wicks mysteries" for fans of "Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the appeal factors strong sense of place, and they have the theme "rural police"; the genre "police procedurals"; and the subjects "indigenous men," "tribal police," and "chee, jim (fictitious character)."
These books have the genre "police procedurals"; and the subjects "indigenous men," "criminal investigation," and "tribal police."
NoveList recommends "Charlie Henry mysteries" for fans of "Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
The last good kiss - Crumley, James
NoveList recommends "C. W. Sughrue mysteries" for fans of "Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the genre "police procedurals"; and the subjects "indigenous men," "detectives," and "criminal investigation."
NoveList recommends "Kate Shugak mysteries" for fans of "Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.
These books have the genre "police procedurals"; and the subjects "tribal police," "navajo (diné) (north american people)," and "chee, jim (fictitious character)."
NoveList recommends "Tenzing Norbu mysteries" for fans of "Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee mysteries". Check out the first book in the series.

Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Stan Jones writes about an Inupiat who investigates crimes in Alaska, while Tony Hillerman features Navajo (Diné) tribal police. These novels have many similarities in plot, characterization, and atmosphere, as well as an authentic portrayal of Indigenous cultures, so each author is likely to appeal to readers of the other. -- Katherine Johnson
Both authors create a strong sense of place and emphasize the importance of traditional ways to contemporary life. Although not police procedurals and set primarily in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina, Sharyn McCrumb writes effectively about the intersection of myth and reality. -- Krista Biggs
Both authors use suspenseful, compelling, and thought-provoking mysteries set on reservations in the Western United States to explore the clash between traditional Native American culture and harsh present-day realities in intricately plotted, richly detailed, character-driven, and issue-oriented stories. -- Anne Filiaci
Aimee Thurlo and Tony Hillerman set their fast-paced, richly detailed tales of murder and mystery in New Mexico and Arizona. Both authors feature Indigenous protagonists armed with an uncanny sixth sense. -- Mike Nilsson
Nevada Barr's deep interest in the landscapes where she sets her mysteries resembles Tony Hillerman's interest in the Southwest, and their mysteries have similarly compelling plots, interesting and sympathetic characters, and surprising twists. -- Katherine Johnson
C. J. Box's acclaimed mystery series set in Wyoming, like Tony Hillerman's stories set in Navajo (Diné) territory, offer unpretentious, thought-provoking examinations of issues and characters, and emphasize the importance of values and family. -- Katherine Johnson
Krueger's territory is the northern midwest - northern Minnesota and Michigan's Upper Peninsula - no less dangerous and just as evocative as Hillerman's Navajo (Diné) territory. Both authors write of procedural investigations undertaken by active or retired cops, who wrestle with danger set against the importance of family ties and traditional values. -- Katherine Johnson
These authors' works have the genre "folklore"; and the subjects "indigenous men," "navajo (diné) (north american people)," and "pueblo (north american people)."
These authors' works have the subjects "detectives," "criminal investigation," and "ranches."

Published Reviews

Booklist Review

Joe Leaphorn didn't believe in coincidences when he was a police officer, and he doesn't believe in them now that he's retired and working as a private investigator. So he's suspicious when his inquiry into the disappearance of a "flea catcher," a young woman working for the Arizona Health Department, leads him to the vicinity of the murder of a member of the Navajo Tribal Police. Acting Tribal Police Lieutenant Jim Chee isn't convinced there's a connection, but he knows there's something amiss about the story told by the accused cop killer, Robert Jano. Jano had motive and opportunity to kill the officer, and Chee actually nabbed him at the scene of the crime. But Jano has an alibi of sorts. Unfortunately, it hinges on the capture of an eagle. The two puzzles dovetail nicely, with Hillerman once again fusing mystery with an astute view of contemporary Navajo culture. Readers may notice a few loose ends in the plot this time around, but Hillerman is faithful to the personalities of the characters he's so fully developed over the course of his many books, and relationships between them continue to evolve--some blossoming, and some, sadly, seeming to draw to a close. Through it all runs Hillerman's respect and deep affection for his creations and their community. --Stephanie Zvirin

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

The modern resurgence of the black death animates Hillerman's 14th tale featuring retired widower Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee. Bubonic plague has survived for centuries in the prairie-dog villages of the Southwest, where its continuing adaptation to modern antibiotics has increased its potential for mass destruction. Leaphorn is hired by a wealthy Santa Fe woman to search for her granddaughter, biologist Catherine Pollard, who has disappeared during her field work as a "flea catcher," collecting plague-carrying specimens from desert rodents. At the same time, Jim Chee arrests Robert Jano, a young Hopi man and known poacher of eagles, in the bludgeoning death of another Navajo Police officer at a site where the biologist was seen working. As Leaphorn learns more about Pollard's work from her boss in the Indian Health Service and an epidemiologist with ties to a pharmaceutical company, the U.S. Attorney's office decides to seek the death penalty against Jano, who is being represented by Chee's former fiancée, Janet Pete, recently returned from Washington, D.C. Hillerman's trademark melding of Navajo tradition and modern culture is captured with crystal clarity in this tale of an ancient scourge's resurgence in today's world. The uneasy mix of old ways and new is articulated with resonant depth as Chee, an aspiring shaman, is driven to choose between his career and his commitment to the ways of his people, and Leaphorn moves into a deeper friendship with ethnology professor, Louisa Bourebonette. Author tour. (Aug.) FYI: Simultaneous release by HarperAudio in abridged ($25 ISBN 0-694-52011-X) and unabridged ($34.95 ISBN 0-694-52051-9) editions. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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School Library Journal Review

YA-Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police is investigating the murder of a fellow officer-apparently committed by a young Hopi poaching eagles for ceremonial purposes. Chee's former mentor, Joe Leaphorn, is now retired and on his first case as a private detective, looking for a missing biologist who has been studying the spread of infectious diseases on the reservation. The men's destinies intersect once more in this case in which clues, like eagles, can only be found and understood by those who belong to the world of the reservation. Hillerman communicates a sense of the great space, beauty, and physical hardship of the desert landscape, and of the character of the people who live there. The mystery is set against a cultural backdrop of conflicts between Navajo and Hopi, Tribal and FBI law enforcement, sheep camp and city Navajo, and government and academic scientists studying disease outbreaks. The solution to the murder mystery comes stunningly into focus once the clues are all present and understood-but sadly (and true to life), the larger question of justice on the reservation, like the fate of the first eagle, is left unresolved. A disturbing but fascinating story.-Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Library Journal Review

Who killed the researcher checking out bubonic plague on the Rez? (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Kirkus Book Review

The day that Acting Lt. Jim Chee, of the Navajo Tribal Police, is called to Yells Back Butte by Officer Benny Kinsman, only to find Hopi eagle poacher Robert Jano standing over Kinsman's bleeding body, is the same day that Catherine Pollard, a vector analyst from the Arizona Health Department, vanishes from Yells Back (along with her Jeep) while she's looking for fleasŽparticularly the fleas that may have carried the antibiotic-resistant plague germs that killed Anderson Nez. So even though ex-Lt. Joe Leaphorn has retired from the Tribal Police (The Fallen Man, 1996), he's back on the job, looking for Pollard at the request of her wealthy aunt. The murder case couldn't seem simpler; Jano's even gotten his blood obligingly mixed with his victim's on both their clothing, and his claim that they were both nipped by an eagle isn't borne out by the eagle on the scene, which doesn't show a trace of blood itself. But Jano's public defenderŽwho just happens to be Chee's off-again fiancée Janet Pete, returned from hobnobbing in Washington, D.C., to the Rez, but not to Chee's armsŽinsists that her client is innocent; Leaphorn's crisscrossing investigation keeps turning up evidence that the murder and the disappearance are two sides of the same coin; and an ambitious prosecutor is so eager for a capital conviction that there's got to be something funny. Chee brings it all, including his relationship with Janet, to a climax with a theatrical coup that would put a lesser writer on the map all by itselfŽand that reminds you, in case you've forgotten, that Hillerman's mysteries are in a class of their own. ($350,000 ad/promo; TV satellite tour; author tour)

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

Joe Leaphorn didn't believe in coincidences when he was a police officer, and he doesn't believe in them now that he's retired and working as a private investigator. So he's suspicious when his inquiry into the disappearance of a "flea catcher," a young woman working for the Arizona Health Department, leads him to the vicinity of the murder of a member of the Navajo Tribal Police. Acting Tribal Police Lieutenant Jim Chee isn't convinced there's a connection, but he knows there's something amiss about the story told by the accused cop killer, Robert Jano. Jano had motive and opportunity to kill the officer, and Chee actually nabbed him at the scene of the crime. But Jano has an alibi of sorts. Unfortunately, it hinges on the capture of an eagle. The two puzzles dovetail nicely, with Hillerman once again fusing mystery with an astute view of contemporary Navajo culture. Readers may notice a few loose ends in the plot this time around, but Hillerman is faithful to the personalities of the characters he's so fully developed over the course of his many books, and relationships between them continue to evolve--some blossoming, and some, sadly, seeming to draw to a close. Through it all runs Hillerman's respect and deep affection for his creations and their community. ((Reviewed July 1998)) Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews

Copyright 2000 Booklist Reviews
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Library Journal Reviews

Who killed the researcher checking out bubonic plague on the Rez? Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information.

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information.
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Library Journal Reviews

When Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee finds a Hopi eagle poacher bending over the body of a Navajo Tribal Officer, he's certain he has arrested the murderer until questioned by the now-retired Legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, hired to find a virologist who disappeared from the vicinity on the same day. Was Catherine Pollard, who had been searching for fleas infected with bubonic plague, a witness to the crime or the perpetrator? To get to the truth, Chee and Leaphorn must find Pollard and the first eagle the Hopi poacher claims to have caught. Although Hillerman throws in some Hot Zone touches, Ron Querry's Bad Medicine (LJ 2/15/98) is a bit more successful at generating suspense than this routine mystery in which Chee's and Leaphorn's personal lives are more interesting than their professional ones. Wilda Williams, "Library Journal" Copyright 1998 Library Journal Reviews

Copyright 1998 Library Journal Reviews
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

The modern resurgence of the black death animates Hillerman's 14th tale featuring retired widower Navajo Tribal Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn and Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee. Bubonic plague has survived for centuries in the prairie-dog villages of the Southwest, where its continuing adaptation to modern antibiotics has increased its potential for mass destruction. Leaphorn is hired by a wealthy Santa Fe woman to search for her granddaughter, biologist Catherine Pollard, who has disappeared during her field work as a "flea catcher," collecting plague-carrying specimens from desert rodents. At the same time, Jim Chee arrests Robert Jano, a young Hopi man and known poacher of eagles, in the bludgeoning death of another Navajo Police officer at a site where the biologist was seen working. As Leaphorn learns more about Pollard's work from her boss in the Indian Health Service and an epidemiologist with ties to a pharmaceutical company, the U.S. Attorney's office decides to seek the death penalty against Jano, who is being represented by Chee's former fiancée, Janet Pete, recently returned from Washington, D.C. Hillerman's trademark melding of Navajo tradition and modern culture is captured with crystal clarity in this tale of an ancient scourge's resurgence in today's world. The uneasy mix of old ways and new is articulated with resonant depth as Chee, an aspiring shaman, is driven to choose between his career and his commitment to the ways of his people, and Leaphorn moves into a deeper friendship with ethnology professor, Louisa Bourebonette. Author tour. (Aug.) FYI: Simultaneous release by HarperAudio in abridged ($25 ISBN 0-694-52011-X) and unabridged ($34.95 ISBN 0-694-52051-9) editions. Copyright 1998 Publishers Weekly Reviews

Copyright 1998 Publishers Weekly Reviews
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School Library Journal Reviews

YA-Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee of the Navajo Tribal Police is investigating the murder of a fellow officer-apparently committed by a young Hopi poaching eagles for ceremonial purposes. Chee's former mentor, Joe Leaphorn, is now retired and on his first case as a private detective, looking for a missing biologist who has been studying the spread of infectious diseases on the reservation. The men's destinies intersect once more in this case in which clues, like eagles, can only be found and understood by those who belong to the world of the reservation. Hillerman communicates a sense of the great space, beauty, and physical hardship of the desert landscape, and of the character of the people who live there. The mystery is set against a cultural backdrop of conflicts between Navajo and Hopi, Tribal and FBI law enforcement, sheep camp and city Navajo, and government and academic scientists studying disease outbreaks. The solution to the murder mystery comes stunningly into focus once the clues are all present and understood-but sadly (and true to life), the larger question of justice on the reservation, like the fate of the first eagle, is left unresolved. A disturbing but fascinating story.-Christine C. Menefee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA

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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Hillerman, T. (2009). The First Eagle . HarperCollins.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Hillerman, Tony. 2009. The First Eagle. HarperCollins.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Hillerman, Tony. The First Eagle HarperCollins, 2009.

Harvard Citation (style guide)

Hillerman, T. (2009). The first eagle. HarperCollins.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Hillerman, Tony. The First Eagle HarperCollins, 2009.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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