This is the third in a series of four books written by Enright about a local cop, the only cop(?), whose beat is two islands in American Samoa. Apparently, it is also sold, perhaps in UK countries, under the title "To'aga" (when will publishers learn we live in a global environment????). Anyway, the islands are for real, see Google Maps. And the cop is officially a detective, not a traffic cop. There are about 600+ people spread fairly evenly over the two islands, all connected by a narrow short bridge, a photo of which can be seen on Bing Images. The cop, Apelu, has been mourning the passing of one of his kids from an illness. He's been drinking heavily, tuned out from everyone, living alone in a cottage of sorts separated from the remainder of his family. The story begins. Needless to say, this is not your typical police procedural, nor are the characters reminiscent of those from other crime fiction I've read. Instead, you get a fair amount of Samoan words, culture, attitude, and eventually a dead body or two. Somehow the case gets solved. It has a moment or two of tension, too many moments of farce and not much of a climax. Because of its unique background, I think it is easy to over-estimate what's here. I'll pass on reading anymore from this series. ( )

I can't put it any plainer than this: I love this series, and it just keeps getting better. But I also have to admit that when I began reading The Dead Don't Dance, you could've heard my groan all over town. I don't have that many pet peeves when I read crime fiction, but one of them is my intolerance for drunks. Having this book begin with a self-pitying man trying to drink himself into oblivion filled me with dismay; however, I kept reading on the strength of the two previous books in the Jungle Beat series. I'm so glad I did because The Dead Don't Dance is the best one so far.

The mystery is a strong one, filled with native legends, strong hints of the supernatural (or is it really?), shady people up to no good, and the environmental impact one resort could have on an entire area. The mystery alone makes the book good, but there are three more things that make it wonderful.

Enright is a poet, and it shows when he describes the Samoan landscape and wildlife. The man paints with words. He has also created an excellent character in Apelu Soifua. In the previous two books, he's mostly seen as a detective with only glimpses into his family life. In The Dead Don't Dance, we see him as an investigator naturally, but we also get to see him as a father spending time with his son. It is a relationship that adds depth and a wide range of emotions-- from humor to heart-stopping fear-- to the story.

Last but certainly not least is the author's depiction of Samoan culture, family life, language, and myths. It is a culture that is still trying to survive the aftermath of World War II as well as the present-day inroads of greedy, technology-laden American and European lifestyles. I've learned so much about this place and these people from reading his books-- anything from how land ownership is dealt with to how people travel from island to island (and much more). The author's lyrical and factual evocation of Samoa enriches every part of the book it touches. Story, writing style, character, and culture all combine in John Enright's Jungle Beat mysteries to form a series that I just can't recommend highly enough. ( )