Mojado: A Navajo Nation Mystery Paperback – Unabridged, June 13, 2015

WOW! This was a pretty bumpy adventure for Harley, Charley and Thomas. Even though this is the fourth book in this series, it is definitely a stand-alone story. The threesome, friends since childhood, have been on other risk taking adventures; however, this is one heck of a bold undertaking to bring in a fugitive that does not intend to be taken alive. This was one really mean and evil so-and-so that did not hesitate to take the life of anyone that got in his way. A few poor souls did just that, and you can probably guess what happened to them!The story was well-crafted with constant twists and turns and just the right amount of surprises. The villain was described so vividly that you could easily visualize him, and he was definitely not someone you would want to meet in the dark.....or daylight either. In fact, all the characters were depicted in such a way that made the reader feel they were watching the encounters firsthand.The author did a splendid job with character development, accurately and vividly describing the landscape of the area. There was no rambling and the Native American lingo and customs added just the right amount of seasoning for a well-prepared story. A glossary and notes, at the back of the book, was very helpful and interesting; however, it was a bit tedious to use when reading from a Kindle format. Not as easy to flip back and forth as in a paper book.I felt this book in the series was a step up from the previous ones. Kudos to the author for a job well done. I look forward to more in this series, and definitely recommend to fans of Native American adventure stories or to anyone that enjoys action-packed suspenseful thrillers. This book is one I have put away in my “keeper” file.

I've read 5 of the books (including the prequel books-some confusion exactly what is the first to read-I think publication dates and stories involving Harley, Charlie and Thomas are not correlated exactly).The author has done well to describe the culture of the population in the Navajo Nation and the paradigm he uses is the personalities of his 3 protagonists: 1) Harley, the old traditionalist, has the belief system of his ancestors, and is mostly schooled in the survivor skills of those ancestors. Other cultures do not appeal to him; 2) Thomas is just as skilled as his ancestors, but alcoholism precluded him from living a full life until he quit drinking alcohol; and 3) Charley, the college-educated lawyer who has chosen helping his people over financial security. The mysteries are well crafted, but not overly complex. A reader not only learns about the culture of the Navajo but historical interactions among other tribes as the Utes, Paiute, and Apache.

All of the Navajo Nation Mystery books have been a pleasant surprise. R. Allen Chappell knows a bit of the way human beings thing and clearly describes how life is for the Navajo people in these stories. If you like this type of story, not unlike the Hillerman family’s mysteries. Just friends you have yet to get to know.

Good on a plane ride. I’m excited to read the whole series. This series paints a good picture of what reservation justice looks like

I agree that this was a well-written, fast-paced mystery with twists & turns & edge of your seat moments. I l think with each book, his writing gets tighter, the characters develop, the story unfolds in spell-binding ways. This book, though, had TOO MUCH graphic violence for my taste. **And Mr. Chappell and all your readers : The book starts our with a HEIFER looking for her calf. A HEIFER IS A YOUNG FEMALE COW THAT HAS NOT, REPEAT NOT, HAD A CALF. This small error at the start of the book, cast an amateur pale over this colorful tale.**

R. Allen Chappell has the west figured out and can take you there. Mojado takes place in the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American Reservation in the U.S. located in NW New Mexico, NE Arizona, and lower Utah. It is sometimes referred to as Navajoland and Chappell understands it all - the ups and downs of the landscape, the law, and the locals. All of his novels are cut from life in my neck of the woods. Or the desert, as the case may be. We have plenty of both.In this novel, Mojado is definitely not a local. Actually, Mojado is Spanish for wet, or soaked, and in the southwest often refers to Central and South Americans who swim across the Rio Grande River illegally and make their way inland to avoid Border Patrol and Customs. And in this case, Mojado is a very very bad man. It will take all they have to catch this outlaw before he kills again. And you are going to appreciate the local law and all they are required to do to keep us all safe before this tale is done.

Mojado is the fourth in the Navajo Nation series, but in some ways it falls short of the first three. The pacing is different, not nearly so compelling. The well-developed ensemble of characters, all of whom I've come to cherish as friends, are suffering some sort of malaise, as if Chappell has become bored with them. The Mojado, though, is a rich and new character, but he's also a nasty one. I soon grew to tremble at the prospect of whatever he would do, especially to my "boys," Charlie Yazzie, Thomas Begay, and Harley Ponyboy. The Mojado has already killed wantonly, almost for no reason at all. When he gets hold of Thomas and Charlie, I wonder if Chappell is about to off his main characters. Finally, it all comes together in a surprise ending. And Chappell rallies my interest when, in the final lines, he mentions George Custer, a character from a previous novel. George has something in store for our three heroes apparently, something that will change their lives. Okay, it looks like I'm going to read "Magpie Speaks." I gotta find out what George is up to and what mayhem Charlie, Thomas and Harley are going to tangled in this time.

Having lived in a border town with the Navajo reservation, I looked forward to this. Chappell's characters are realistic and relatable. Can't wait for the next one.

Reading my way straight through this series (which should be read in order), that is how good I think it is. Life on a Navajo reservation, good and bad, is bought to life, plus a view to the old and new way of thinking of the residents.

Great suspense and wonderful insight into the world of the Navajos. The author is picking up where Tony Hillermann left. Looking very much forward to his next book .

Interesting story handled well. Liked all the information about Dine culture. Characters were all well rounded.

I have read 4 books in this series, in order, and each one becomes better. The characters are becoming real people and old friends. A blend of old and new, although how much is real, I don't know. I will continue to enjoy the series as a good read.

I have read all the authors 'Navajo' stories and am about to read the most recent. All books worth reading.