This is the full and detailed views of HarperPaperback's first printing of Tony Hillerman's Talking God, the ninth book in his Navajo Mystery Series. The cover was designed by Peter Thorpe, who has designed and illustrated over 40 Hillerman editions and whose work has become the iconic imagery associated with Hillerman's novels. This design repeats elements from Harper Collins' 1989 first edition Hardback dust cover and paperback cover. These covers features a pictorial representation of Talking God in the center with Washington D.C. buildings and monuments on either side. The design change for this edition keeps the central figure of Talking God but moves the Washington D.C. buildings and monuments all to one side. Additionally, a train passing sandstone formations and triangle hovering above the scene which contains pictographic representations were added to the cover. The design also focuses around the Talking God figure with the Navajo reservation and Washington D.C. scenes expanding out to the edge of the cover rather than being subsumed within a triangle as in the first edition design.
Two versions of this edition were printed with the only differences being a grey rather than white background for the cover, a different set of advertisements following the text and the white background version also contains a reminder for organizations and corporations that most HarperPaperbacks are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases on the page listing other books by Tony Hillerman.
