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Synopsis
Two Native American boys have vanished into thin air, leaving a pool of blood behind them. Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police has no choice but to suspect the very worst, since the blood that stains the parched New Mexico ground once flowed through the veins of one of the missing, a young Zuñi. But his investigation into a terrible crime is being complicated by an important archaeological dig . . . and a steel hypodermic needle. And the unique laws and sacred religious rites of the Zuñi people are throwing impassable roadblocks in Leaphorn’s already twisted path, enabling a craven murderer to elude justice or, worse still, kill again.
Tags
Is Dance Hall of the Dead appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 16 and up.
A mystery involving missing Native American boys and murder, with violence implied through crime investigation (blood, murder) but not graphically depicted. Cultural and religious elements of Zuñi and Navajo peoples are central to the plot.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, no sexual content, and mild language. Content notes include murder, death, and violence (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens interested in detective mysteries with authentic Native American cultural perspectives will find this investigation compelling.