The Blessing Way

Edgar Allan Poe has influenced many mystery writers of the modern times. In The Blessing Way, Tony Hillerman uses the usual detective mystery features traceable to Poe. These include an observant detective, a baffled friend, and the delayed explanation and conclusion. In this mystery, the observant detective and the baffled friend are especially used. Another Poe element, the dumb police, did not really show up in this story. I could not really find any instances of this element.

This book definitely has an observant detective. Lt. Joe Leaphorn fits this category. He observed more than the rest of the police did several times. At the spot where Luis Horseman's body was found, Leaphorn found several clues that disbanded the original theory of cause of death. He spots a broken branch which was used to sweep up tracks; he notices Horseman's wind-up watch was still ticking; the unnatural position of his body; all which signified that some sort of foul play was involved, and that he did not overdose on alcohol. (The Blessing Way, pg. 53)

Joe was also observant when interviewing people. He noticed something odd in something the Big Navajo said. He said someone stole his big felt hat. He wore a silver hatband on it, and the hatband was not stolen. (Pg. 39) He also wonders why the Big Navajo would be interested in Horseman since he was new to the area. (Pg. 49)

In this book, the baffled friend easily fits Bergen McKee. McKee can not make connections as easily as Leaphorn when interviewing or looking at a crime scene. McKee can not see why Leaphorn is so interested in the Big Navajo's seemingly innocent comments and actions. He asks "how" and "Why" many times after Leaphorn says what he believes about the case. He even said that he is a disappointment because he falls victim to his optimism. He can not see the big picture with his outlook on things. (Pg. 77)

The third Poe element is the delayed explanation and conclusion. Most mysteries that I have read have the climax, explanation, then a winding down chapter. This book had the climax in the next to last chapter, then an explanation in the last chapter. The story kept questions in my head through the whole story that were finally answered in the final chapter. It kept me interested up until the last word.

The dumb police did not show up in this story to me. Joe Leaphorn was pretty smart and the rest of the policemen mentioned did not seem dumb to me.

This murder mystery was kind of supriseing to me. I did not suspect Mafia espionage involvement at all. Through the whole book I thought it really was a super natural being that was killing the animals and Horseman. I thought a Navajo Wolf really existed.

In The Blessing Way, Edgar Allan Poe's influence is shown. Joe Leaphorn is the observant detective who is smart and has the intelligence to find the killer. Bergen McKee is the baffled friend at first, but has the physical dexterity and will to help catch the killer, coming out as the hero. And finally, the delayed explanation and conclusion show up, just like in many of Poe's stories.

Bibliography

Hillerman, Tony. The Blessing Way.

New York, New York; Harper

Collins Publishing, 1990