Author Tony Hillerman wrote a series of books that center around the American Indian culture, especially the Navajo tribe. His series takes place in the southeast US on a Navajo reservation. They are filled with culture, color, and the customs of the Navajo people, as well as whatever other cultures happens to appear in the given book.
Dance Hall of the Dead was the second in this series. Its main character, Lt. Joe Leaphorn, is assigned the task of finding two missing boys. The plot takes a number of twists and turns as more people end up dead, and Leaphorn's task of finding the boys becomes more difficult as he is sent on a number of false leads.
The book, which falls in the genre of mystery writing, won the 1973 Edgar award for Best Novel. It is particularly recognized for winding many Navajo customs and lifestyle points throughout it, which are reportedly very true to actuality. His character development throughout this book is considered supreme. The plot, coupled with his characters, are attributed to the reason why the novel has been so distinctly well received by a cross section of readers.
The Dance Hall of the Dead is a short book in terms of page length, but it is a well written and flushed out story with an ending that concludes all the misdirection thrown at the reader throughout it. Even over 30 years after its initial publishing, it is still a popular book.
