Customer Reviews

Mourning Dove: An Ella Clah Novel (Ella Clah Novels)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is the best of the half dozen Thurlo novels I've read. Ellen Clah, head of the Navajo Reservation Major Crimes Unit, must find out who killed Jimmy Blacksheep, a Navajo national guardsman, who was on his way home from serving in Iraq. The rental car he was driving is missing. The obvious suspects are a car-jacking ring that has been operating on the Rez for some time. Clah, however, quickly decides that Blacksheep's murder is not simply a botched car-jacking.

MOURNING DOVE is more purely a police procedural than the other Clah mysteries I've read. Navajo life and traditions form the background rather than the foreground of this story. Clah's latest family problems are woven smoothly into the non-stop police action. In addition to the tribal police, the Farmington PD, the county sheriff's office, the FBI, the ATF, the CIA, and the US Army CID are drawn into the widening investigation. One wishes those agencies worked as well together in the real world as they do in this Thurlo novel.

Well paced mystery as usual with the Thurlos. I like that they sprinkle in bits & pieces of Navajo culture into the story. The end of the mystery of the death of the soldier did not turn out as I thought it would. What happens with Ella's romance? I guess I will have to purchase the next book to find out.

This is another great mystery in the Ella Clah Series. I've read all the books in the series and enjoyed every one of them. I can hardly wait to get my hands on the next installment, (Turquoise Girl). I would recommend these books to all mystery lovers!

I've read most of the Ella Clah books by Aimee Thurlo. They're nice to read, different from the usual Raymond Chandler type detective. This gives a lot of details about Native American life. You could find that in a history book, but I'd rather read a novel, than a text book. I also like/read the Tony Hillerman books.

This could have been much better with an editor. I didn't need to be told repeatedly about not speaking a Native American's name -once would have been plenty.

I bought this book and 2 others from the "Ella Clah" series, written by Aimee & David Thurlo. I was hoping these books would be another Native American mystery series comparable to those of Tony Hillerman and Margaret Coel.

Well, to say the least, I did NOT find what I was looking for in any of the 3 Thurlo books. I really tried to read them, even picking them up to read again after several hiatuses. However, I just could not get past the 1st or 2nd chapters, because they were SO BORING!

I thought the story lines of the plot had potential, if they had been developed in a more structured, compelling and interesting way. The main characters of the story were difficult for me to identify with, or feel empathy for, because they were so one dimensional. It seems that the writers tried to use dialogue to develop their characters and story line, but fell far short of achieving either.

This book appears to be mainly dialogue, and not very exciting or interesting dialogue, at that! So, if you are looking for a book of not particularly stimulating, or dynamic dialogue, this is the one for you! To all other readers, don't waste your money!

I found the book repetitive and boring. We were told many things over and over again. And the set up for the romance with the Reverand is nothing if not ridiculous. Not interested in reading any more of these for sure.

Another great book by Aimee Thurlo. Can't wait for her next Ella Clah mystery.