Spirit Sickness [Paperback]

Kirk Mitchell (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Random House Large Print (2003)
• ASIN: B000OX9ZYK
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Close to Hillerman, and closing, May 21, 2002

By 

Mick McAllister - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Spirit Sickness (Mass Market Paperback)

*Spirit Sickness* is the only book I would recommend to someone who said to me, "I've read all the Leaphorn/Chee books; now what? Isn't there anything else like them?" In this genre that combines mystery fiction with American Indian themes, Thomas Perry, with his superior writing skills and (sadly, now retired) Seneca heroine, Jane Whitefield, and Kirk Mitchell, with his rural western settings and duo of American Indian cops, are the top contenders for Hillerman's crown when the master decides to retire. (And yes, I know about Doss, the Thurlos, Stablenow, etc. Different league.)

*Spirit Sickness* is a PG-13 Hillerman novel with a touch of Ellroy/Harris nastiness spicing things up. The crimes are more graphic than anything Hillerman would subject us to, and there is a bit of graphic sex as well. The villain is a violent psychopath--a type that only appears, and briefly, in one of the Chee/Leaphorn books. But the action is fast and furious, the conflict and attraction between the two cops exciting and engaging, and overall this is a solid, satisfying read.

For a complete discussion of the "Indian mystery" genre, check my web site.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good thriller, July 5, 2000

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Spirit Sickness (Hardcover)

After her last case, FBI Special Agent Anna Turnipseed is placed on convalescent leave. The Indian is unsure whether she can return to her field job. The legendary Bureau of Indians Affair Investigator Emmett Parker worked with Anna on that investigation that has left her so shook up. Emmett wants Anna to join him on future cases although he hates her department, writing them off as bunglers.

In Window Rock, Arizona located on the Navaho Reservation, a police officer and his wife are found cooked to death inside a police car. Parker is assigned the case and pushes Anna into working with him on the task force. Although afraid, Anna accepts the assignment and accompanies Emmett to the sight of the double homicide. In the background, the Gila Monster, a human using the form of a Navaho myth, plans to eradicate more cops before going after his final targets.

Fans of Tony Hillerman and the Thurlos will want to read SPIRIT SICKNESS, a thriller that captures the cultural identity of the Navaho Nation. Kirk Mitchell is a talented storyteller who creates characters that seem real though not particularly likable. The subplots bring the main story line together with no lose threads, remarkable as that seems, because this compelling tale is rich with sidebars.

Harriet Klausner

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing, February 21, 2001

By 

TundraVision (o/~ from the Land of Sky Blue Waters o/~) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spirit Sickness (Hardcover)

Murder, mayhem, and secrets in and around the Dine (Navajo) Reservation. A prior review compares this unfavorably with Tony Hillerman's books. I disagree. I tried to read a Tony Hillerman book once & just could not get into it. On the other hand, "Spirit Sickness" is my first Kirk Mitchell book, but it won't be my last! He has interesting characters in a credible, action-packed thriller.