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Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Western. HTML: Introducing Wyomingâ??s Sheriff Walt Longmire in this riveting first Longmire novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Land of WolvesFans of Ace Atkins, Nevada Barr and Robert B. Parker will love this outstanding first novel, in which New York Times bestselling author Craig Johnson introduces Sheriff Walt Longmire of Wyomingâ??s Absaroka County. Johnson draws on his deep attachment to the American West to produce a literary mystery of stunning authenticity, and full of memorable characters. After twenty-five years as sheriff of Absaroka County, Walt Longmireâ??s hopes of finishing out his tenure in peace are dashed when Cody Pritchard is found dead near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Two years earlier, Cody has been one of four high school boys given suspended sentences for raping a local Cheyenne girl. Somebody, it would seem, is seeking vengeance, and Longmire might be the only thing standing between the three remaining boys and a Sharps .45-70 rifle. With lifelong friend Henry Standing Bear, Deputy Victoria Moretti, and a cast of characters both tragic and humorous enough to fill in the vast emptiness of the high plains, Walt Longmire attempts to see that revenge, a dish best served cold, is never served at… (more)
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Despite the fact that Walt's life seems to be in a shambles, the people of Absaroka County like Walt, especially his good friend and Cheyenne Indian Henry Standing Bear. As a matter of fact, there's a small conspiracy going on between Henry, Cady (Walt's adult daughter), and Ruby (Walt's strong-willed secretary) to coax Walt back into the swing of life.
But a murder throws a wrench in that plan. Cody Pritchard, Jacob and George Esper and Brian Keller were convicted a few years earlier of raping and assaulting a young Cheyenne Indian girl, Melissa, who suffered from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The were convicted by served measly sentences. Many people in the community and on the Cheyenne Reservation were disgusted with the outcome of the trial, and the outcome haunts Walt. So, when Cody Pritchard winds up shot to death and shortly thereafter Jacob succumbs to the same fate, Walt has to figure out who of the multitude of suspects is behind the murders and protect both George and Brian from ending up like Cody and Jacob. The hardest part for Walt is the fact that Henry, Melissa's "uncle", is a prime suspect.
Had there been no plot to this story whatsoever, I probably would have been mesmerized all the same. The characters are some of the richest I've seen in a long time. By the time I reached the end of the novel, I wanted to go live in Absaroka County with them! Walt is just plain fun. There's no question why his constituents like him. He's kind and fair and aims to do the "right" thing. He's not perfect, and his altercation with Turk highlights that. Turk assaulted Jules, an old drunk man, while putting Jules in jail for peeing on him. Walt simply lost his control and assaulted Turk. While his actions are ironic, I had trouble feeling any sympathy for Turk. But Ruby was furious with Walt and even threatened to quit because she was disgusted with his behavior. And Walt was embarrassed for it. Me, I was cheering for him!
I love Walt, but I often have a special affinity for the supporting character in a duo-type story. I'm very fond of Henry in this book. He is an incredibly rich character. His sarcastic humor is phenomenal. I was almost in tears laughing at various parts in this novel, and they usually involved something Henry was saying. And Henry often ends up being the sarcastic voice of reason when Walt starts getting carried away.
All the characters in this novel are fascinating: Vic, Lucien, Omar, Jules, Ruby, George, Vonnie, Dena, Melissa and Lonnie Little Bird...yes, it is so. Johnson has a knack for breathing realism into his characters and bringing them to life for the reader. Their interactions with each other add a whole additional level of complexity to the novel. In and of themselves they would each be great characters but the relationships between them make them extraordinary characters.
But characterization isn't his only skill. Absaroka County is a tiny little place in Wyoming where very little out of the ordinary happens. This fact is reinforced when Vic is giving her crime updates to Walt at various times throughout the novel.
The element I enjoyed the most was the intertwining of the Cheyenne Indian culture. I've always been fascinated by mythologies. So, I thought Chapter 12 was beyond brilliant. It was moving and it carried a completely different tone than the rest of the novel. There was obvious and utter respect emanating from this chapter.
I was entranced for the entire chapter, more accurately the remainder of the book. This book made me laugh, made me cry, and made me think. I loved it. I just simply can't say enough wonderful things to do this book justice. If you haven't checked it out, I highly recommend you do so.
The very best part of this book are the characters which are fully drawn and articulated. The dialogue is crisp and gritty and full of humor. This cast of quirky and diverse individuals reminded me of the tv show Northern Exposure - remember that one? Except the setting is Wyoming, not Alaska, and the main character is a sheriff, not a doctor. Longmire is not new to the community like the doctor was, he is a fixture of this ranching world and he knows how to navigate the waters very well. What is so much fun is watching him do it. His best friend, Henry Standing Bear, is not to be missed. Johnson could write an entire book based just on Henry's character because he is no mere sidekick. I am so glad that this book is just the first in a series because I cannot wait to get back to Absaroka County.
"He closed the door, and I watched him saunter toward the court. The word insouciance was invented for Henry and, against it, the teenage version suffered. The Bear was doing vintage James Dean, and it made the boys look like a bunch of basketball-playing Pat Boones."
Although this is a character-driven story, there is plenty of action for readers who prefer plot-driven novels. There's just enough humor to keep the atmosphere from becoming unbearably depressing. Johnson gets the relationship between Longmire and Standing Bear just right. Their conversations are made up of the kind of back and forth that is characteristic of long years of familiarity and shared experiences, with an unstated undercurrent of deep affection and trust. I feel like the characters are real people in a real place, and if I went to Wyoming I'd find them there. This is one of those rare books I hated to finish because I didn't want my time with the characters to end. Fortunately, I have several more books in the series waiting for me!
When the
I'm definitely going to be checking out the rest of this series. Absaroka is, according to Walt, one of the places people plan all their life to retire to... and then pack up for Florida after feeling the bite of their winter. The cast is largely of a certain vintage with Walt himself being a big guy with a long history behind him. The sense that the characters have all lived a life with plenty of stories to be told is one of the constants throughout the narrative with the author (Craig Johnson) filling us in with Walt's wry wit and self deprecating voice as the plot pushes forward. The natural and sometimes treacherous beauty of the region mixed with both real and fictional local history, Cheyenne culture and spirituality makes for a very palatable tasty feast of a crime novel.
I knew nothing of the tv series when I first picked this up but I'll probably have to add Longmire to my to watch list.
Walt Longmire is the sheriff of Absaroka County in Wyoming, a relatively quiet and mostly rural community with only an occasional disturbance. Not many people mourn when the body of Cody Pritchard is discovered. He, along with three of his friends, had been convicted of brutally assaulting a young Native American girl, Melissa Little Bird years before. The boys were let off with suspended sentences at the time, something that did not sit well with quite a few people. Could Cody’s death have been a hunting accident or was it murder, perhaps an act of revenge or something else altogether?
Walt is joined by a cast of supporting characters that stand out on their own. Among them is Walt’s best friend, Henry Standing Bear, who is determined to get Walt back in shape and moving on with his life, realizing his friend has fallen into a rut. Walt’s foul-mouthed but extremely competent deputy, Victoria Moratti is a good match for the sheriff. The former sheriff, Lucian, despite his penchant for throwing political correctness out the window, was among my favorites as was the mother-like Ruby, the dispatcher/secretary at the sheriff’s office. She said what was on her mind and let Walt have it when he deserved it most. As for Sheriff Walt Longmire himself, he has seen a lot in his lifetime, having served in the military during the Vietnam War and more recently losing his wife to cancer. There’s a strength about him as well as a generosity of spirit. He seems like the kind of man I would want to have as sheriff in my own town as well as a friend.
Craig Johnson paints a breathtaking picture of Wyoming with the harsh wintry weather, the beautiful mountains and lakes as well as the ranch and reservation lands that are stretched out over the county where the novel is set. He shows the diversity of the land as well as of the people. He also touches upon the past and current tensions between the Native Americans and the white folk, weaving it throughout the book.
It is a rare treat when I can read straight through a mystery and not figure out the end before the protagonist does. Craig Johnson succeeds in doing just that though. The Cold Dish had me both chuckling now and then and, near the end, shedding a tear or two. I am looking forward to spending more time with Sheriff Longmire in the near future.
Setting: present-day Absaroka County, Wyoming
Series: #1
First Line: "Bob Barnes says they got a dead body out on BLM land."
Walt Longmire, the veteran sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, usually has little to do on his patrols. When Cody Pritchard is found shot to
Thank you to all those friends who recommended this book--I loved it! It was the perfect blend of setting, humor, seriousness, and characterization. I only have two small bones to pick with it. One, I think the writing could've used a bit of tightening to up the suspense, and two--I twigged to the Bad Guy too early due to a strong reaction that person had to something. It's going to be very difficult to keep myself from buying the rest of the books in this series--it's a winner!
There’s a lot of great characters in this book along with a complex mystery. First, let’s talk characters. Walt himself is an interesting man. He has a keen wit, but rarely feels the need to flash it about. He knows a well-timed silence can bring him more information than blathering on. Four years prior to the setting of this book, he lost his wife. He’s still mourning her in some ways. However, his best friend since childhood, Henry Standingbear, feels it is time for him to clean up, work out, start dating, and complete the final touches on his cabin on the outskirts of town. Henry and Walt served together in Vietnam, and Henry knows just how far he can push Walt when. For the reader, Henry is also a bridge between two cultures (American and Cheyenne). the humor displayed between these two often lightens a dark moment, or adds a touch of poignancy to a dire situation.
There’s plenty of women in this book and while they are all side characters, they have their own personalities and agendas. Overall, they are well written. However, I will say that I find it convenient and a bit amusing that all the women in the book (with the one exception of a mother I can think of and Walt’s daughter) are drawn romantically to either Walt or Henry. Still, I look forward to seeing how the women fare in the rest of the series.
The setting seems to be 1990s, though I might be off about that. There’s computers and a few cell phones, etc. However, I think Walt and Henry are in their 50s, and they both served in the Vietnam war. So, maybe late 1990s. If you have watched the TV series, Longmire, then you will have noticed that the TV series is set in modern times. No matter the year this book is set in, it is a modern-day Western. I really enjoyed the setting as it is somewhat like New Mexico, where I live. Lots of folks are hunters, own guns, plenty of space between homes and farms, and quite often a person can find themselves without backup in an emergency situation.
The murder mystery itself had some twists and turns and I was not expecting. Having it coupled to the older crime of the rape 4 years previously gave the murder mystery some depth. First, Walt had to determine if the two deaths were related to the older crime. If they were, he had a list of suspects. If they weren’t, then he had to find the motive before he could figure out suspects. One by one, his list of suspects dwindles. The ending was a bit of a surprise to me. However, the author did a good job of showing through Walt’s eyes how he missed the clues in front of him.
I’ll definitely be continuing this series. Mostly, it is the characters that drew me in and held me. They each have some flaw in their character that makes them human and easy to connect with. I am very curious to see where the author takes these characters that I grew attached to in such a short amount of time.
The Narration: George Guidall was a good fit for Walt Longmire, through whose eyes the story is told. Guidall is not always my favorite narrator as he has a limited range. for this book, he put it to good use. However, most of his female voices sound very similar to begin with and over the course of the book lose their individuality.
What story there is centers on a dead young man. Most likely, Longmire feels, he was murdered. And it makes most sense that he was murdered because of the part he took in the rape of a young, mentally deficient girl. So, as sheriff, Longmire investigates.
This book contains too much description of not only the characters but of every little thing. Perhaps Johnson was trying to humanize Longmire but, for me, there were so many inconsequential details that I immediately forgot some paragraphs, not a good thing to do when you're reading a mystery. You never know which detail might matter.
The book has a lot of pages, but the actual plot/mystery is pretty short. A lot of time is spent exploring the main character and his immediate friends and environs. Knowing this is a series helps because if you're going to end up spending time with Walt in future books, all this insight to him is great. He's not perfect but he is fully fleshed.
That being said... the story moves very slowly and there are a LOT of characters which are sometimes hard to tell apart. And the ending has one of those twists that was rather out of the blue...
I will probably read the next in the series, but will hope that it's a bit more suspenseful than this one.
This character driven novel has all the ingredients that I look for in a crime story. An intriguing mystery, interesting characters that I want to know more about, with lots of space for the series to grow. Walt’s relationships with the women in his life is fresh and realistic. Walt looks to these women for honesty and realness, from his foul mouthed deputy to the woman who runs the local dinner, these relationships allow you to get inside and see both the man and the sheriff. The book is worth reading simply for the interaction between Walt and his best friend, Indian bartender Henry. I found myself chuckling out loud a few times.
What takes the book to a higher level than many crime stories is the calibre of the writing. His descriptive prose allows you to breath the crisp fall Wyoming air. His dialogues feel realistic and true, allowing you to see the laid back Western neighbourliness while at the same time giving you a sense of the political and cultural differences that lie between the white community and the native Americans.
After one book, I can say I am a fan of Craig Johnson’s. I look forward to reading more of his work.
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.00
Audio Rating (not part of overall rating): 3.50
First thought when finished: What a great beginning to this series. I am so glad that I picked it up!
What I Loved: Walt and Harry (his best friend) were two characters that I
What I Liked: I liked how the main case was woven with a past case. I really liked the visiting of the Res and all of characters based there.
Final thought: The Cold Dish served up both a great case and a wonderful cast of characters. I will be continuing this series.
Audio specific review: George Guidall is a fantastic narrator but it took awhile for me to warm up to him being Walt Longmire. After I got used to him doing the voice it was fantastic. The pacing of the reading was perfect and added to the enjoyment of the story.
The trial ends with a sentence of two years suspended
Two years later, the ring leader is found dead. Sheriff Walt Longmere is attempting to make sense of it when another of the boys is killed in the same manner. Knowing that he's dealing with a revenge killing, Walt wonders why the killer waited so long and if he can protect the other two boys who were involved.
We follow the story with interesting characters and crisp dialogue. However, there are some major faults with the characters.
Walt is a grossly overweight boozhound, living in a home he began building years ago but stopped when his wife died. The home doesn't even have a door on the bathroom. As a Viet Nam vet, Walt must be in his sixties and his friend, Henry Standing Bear is trying to fix him up and encourage him to begin dating. We also learn that other women in town are interested in Walt as a partner. I don't see the attraction. The descriptions of Walt would seem to turn women completely off.
The conclusion is long in coming and when it does, the actions of a central character is directly opposite the personality and description of that character beforehand.
All in all, there were many well done scenes and I can see why this writer would have success with his later novels.
This book reminded me a lot of William Kent Krueger's Cork O'Connor series, set in Minnesota. Both series are centered on a rural sheriff, include Native American culture, place a great emphasis
I loved the characters and setting of The Cold Dish. But at times I wished that the pace would pick up a bit.
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.50
Character Rating: 4.00
Audio Rating (not part of overall rating): 3.50
First thought when finished: What a great beginning to this series. I am so glad that I picked it up!
What I Loved: Walt and Harry (his best friend) were two characters that I
What I Liked: I liked how the main case was woven with a past case. I really liked the visiting of the Res and all of characters based there.
Final thought: The Cold Dish served up both a great case and a wonderful cast of characters. I will be continuing this series.
Audio specific review: George Guidall is a fantastic narrator but it took awhile for me to warm up to him being Walt Longmire. After I got used to him doing the voice it was fantastic. The pacing of the reading was perfect and added to the enjoyment of the story.