Mojado

Navajo Nation, Book 4

De: R. Allen Chappell

Narrado por: Kaipo Schwab

R. Allen Chappell takes a bold new direction with this thriller, raising storytelling and knowledge of the Navajo culture to an entirely new level.

When Mexico's bloodiest predator invades the reservation, it's up to Charlie Yazzie and his friends to take charge the Navajo way. Navajo can track prey, but can Charlie, Thomas, and Harley Ponyboy catch the killer before he catches them?

©2015 R. Allen Chappell (P)2016 Tantor

Overall a good listen

enjoyed the story and the interesting Native Dina background to the story. Nice to see a author research native information before writing a book.

it's free

I didn't have to use a credit.
reader needs to learn the proper pronunciation of the words.

A Well-Crafted Story

I am enjoying this series about the Navajo Nation Mystery. I appreciate Chappell’s skill as a story teller. This story is a bit different from the prior stories in the series. The story is primarily about Charlie Yazzie, Thomas Begay and Harley Ponyboy. These three have been friends since children. Chappell discusses the difficulties Begay and Ponyboy have in maintaining sobriety, and uses this to review the alcohol problem among the Navajo.

In this story we get to see the magnificent skill of Harley Ponyboy as a tracker. First Thomas and Harley find a dead white man, and then the three come across a dead Navajo girl. Instead of leaving the hunt for the killer to the FBI, the three set out to find him. The story goes back and forth between the killer “Mojado” and the three friends.

Chappell paints a trek through the Navajo back country with all its wild loneliness and danger. The book is well written and fast paced. The plot twists and turns more so than Chappell’s other stories. I learned that Mojado is Spanish for wet and often refers to the “wet backs”: Mexicans sneaking across the U.S./Mexico border. Chappell provides a constant sub dialog about Navajo beliefs in ghost, spirits and magic. The ending was a nice unexpected twist. Kaipo Schwab does a good job narrating the story.

Characters good, action is there.

The action sequences were well thought, but no emotion, or excitement came out. Sorry, not a writer. Just a poor critic.

Mojado

It’s a pleasure to listen to a book when things, people and places are pronounced correctly!! With the correct accent too! Thank you!

Gripping

intriguing start, awesome melding of cultures throughout, Fantastic ending. Conjures good mixture of reader's emotions

Great Narration, Good Story, Couple Questions

My favorite genre is mystery set in the southwest featuring Native American characters. And the narrator Kaipo Schwab is a favorite of mine. I love the Native characters in this book, but I'm left with a few dangling unanswered questions about a couple of others.

More than once, I was confused by a character's motivations, specifically the bad guy and the bruja in the mountains. Also, the bad guy couldn't read yet a crumpled letter in his pocket lay at the heart of his murderous rampage. His English was supposed to be cursory, just something he picked up from his prison mates, but much of his dialogue was quite advanced grammatically.

But the Native characters were amazing, I loved their practical toughness and the complex family ties, local etiquette, and bits of lore that found their way into the story.

Third

This is the third book I’ve read in this series. Looking forward to the fourth! Enjoy everything about them.

Got it right

I was astounded at the quality and gritty substance of Chappell's fourth book. He didn't pull any punches on this one. Not only was the story a good one, but the plot and action kept me fully involved to the end. I was truly impressed at Chappell's quantum leap in style, narrative, and realism.

love the series

....and the narrator. Makes all the difference. I walk and listen. I found myself gasping out loud a couple of times. thank goodness no one was around.