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Walt Longmire #7.1
Divorce Horse
Sheriff Walt Longmire and his soon-to-be married daughter, Cady, hit the race track in an original story from "New York Times" bestselling author Craig Johnson
Walt Longmire, the longtime sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, has little time to relax. Still recovering from his manhunt chasing down escaped convict and sociopath Reynaud Shade in the Bighorn Mountains, Walt just can't find the opportunity to sit back and kick off his cowboy boots. His daughter, Cady, is getting married in a few months to the brother of his under-sheriff Victoria Moretti and is in town, helping her dad 'recuperate' and to talk about love, life, and weddings.
Meanwhile, the American Indian Days Parade and Pow Wow are attracting tourists and trouble. The pride and joy of Tommy Jefferson's stables--and the catalyst for his marital problems--the notorious divorce horse, has gone missing, and Jefferson, renowned Indian Relay Racer and one-time meth head, wants him back. With the help of his best friend Henry Standing Bear and his daughter, The Greatest Legal Mind Of Our Time, Walt sets off to the races. This delightful Penguin Group eSpecial includes the twenty-seven page long original story, "Divorce Horse," as well as the first chapter from "As the Crow Flies."
Walt Longmire, the longtime sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, has little time to relax. Still recovering from his manhunt chasing down escaped convict and sociopath Reynaud Shade in the Bighorn Mountains, Walt just can't find the opportunity to sit back and kick off his cowboy boots. His daughter, Cady, is getting married in a few months to the brother of his under-sheriff Victoria Moretti and is in town, helping her dad 'recuperate' and to talk about love, life, and weddings.
Meanwhile, the American Indian Days Parade and Pow Wow are attracting tourists and trouble. The pride and joy of Tommy Jefferson's stables--and the catalyst for his marital problems--the notorious divorce horse, has gone missing, and Jefferson, renowned Indian Relay Racer and one-time meth head, wants him back. With the help of his best friend Henry Standing Bear and his daughter, The Greatest Legal Mind Of Our Time, Walt sets off to the races. This delightful Penguin Group eSpecial includes the twenty-seven page long original story, "Divorce Horse," as well as the first chapter from "As the Crow Flies."
25 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2012
1418 people are currently reading
3721 people want to read
About the author
Craig Johnson
102 books4,968 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Craig Johnson an American novelist, short story writer, and playwright. . He lives in Ucross, near Sheridan, Wyoming, population 25.
Johnson has written twelve novels featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire: The Cold Dish, Death Without Company, Kindness Goes Unpunished, Another Man's Moccasins, Junkyard Dogs, The Dark Horse (which received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal, and was named one of Publisher's Weekly's best books of the year in 2009), Hell Is Empty, As The Crow Flies and A Serpent's Tooth. The Cold Dish and The Dark Horse were both Dilys Award finalists, and Death Without Company was named the Wyoming Historical Association's Book of the Year. Another Man's Moccasins received the Western Writers of America Spur Award for best novel of 2008 as well as the Mountains and Plains award for fiction book of the year.
Former police officer; has also worked as an educator, cowboy, and longshoreman.
AWARDS: Tony Hillerman Award for "Old Indian Trick"; fiction book of the year, Wyoming Historical Society, for Death Without Company, Wyoming Council for the Arts Award.
Craig Johnson an American novelist, short story writer, and playwright. . He lives in Ucross, near Sheridan, Wyoming, population 25.
Johnson has written twelve novels featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire: The Cold Dish, Death Without Company, Kindness Goes Unpunished, Another Man's Moccasins, Junkyard Dogs, The Dark Horse (which received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal, and was named one of Publisher's Weekly's best books of the year in 2009), Hell Is Empty, As The Crow Flies and A Serpent's Tooth. The Cold Dish and The Dark Horse were both Dilys Award finalists, and Death Without Company was named the Wyoming Historical Association's Book of the Year. Another Man's Moccasins received the Western Writers of America Spur Award for best novel of 2008 as well as the Mountains and Plains award for fiction book of the year.
Former police officer; has also worked as an educator, cowboy, and longshoreman.
AWARDS: Tony Hillerman Award for "Old Indian Trick"; fiction book of the year, Wyoming Historical Society, for Death Without Company, Wyoming Council for the Arts Award.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 249 reviews
July 2, 2025
Another tasty morsel from Craig Johnson. The main characters are Walt, Cady and Henry. This combination always produces some very entertaining conversations with plenty of tongue in cheek.
These novellas are a refreshing break from the heavier reads. There are believable characters, mild action, friendship and a steady outpouring of teasing. If the reader is searching for a plain old good read this is the book. Enjoy.
These novellas are a refreshing break from the heavier reads. There are believable characters, mild action, friendship and a steady outpouring of teasing. If the reader is searching for a plain old good read this is the book. Enjoy.
September 21, 2016
I noticed this month there's a new Walt Longmire novel published (no. twelve I think) and I decided to play a little catchup game with the adventures of my favorite Wyoming Sheriff.
"Divorce Horse" is almost too short to merit a separate review, and its appeal is mostly as an Easter Egg for fans of the murder mystery series. It's got Walt taking things easy after some pretty traumatic events (caught up in a blizzard in episode 7 - "Hell is Empty"), having now a quiet dinner in the company of his best friend Henry Standing Bear and soon-to-be-married daughter Cady.
When duty interrupts the friendly banter, it is for once not a murder case but a missing horse, one quite famous in Absaroka County as a 'material witness' in a divorce case. As Walt Longmire remarks, the job of a sheriff is not always about upholding the letter of the law, but about getting to know and helping, whenever possible, the members of your community, be they white, Indian, drunk, sober, polite or cussing you.
Bonus points in the short story : a nice reportage of a traditional Native American competition (think relay races in athletics, only with horses).
April 26, 2023
Only a few pages and not much of a plot in this mini episode of the Longmire series (unlike all the others I’ve read). In this story, Sheriff Walt Longmire, along with best friend Henry Standing Bear and daughter Cady, assist a Native American rodeo rider in locating his horse.
August 27, 2017
“Divorce Horse” is a Longmire series short story which takes place between Book 7 “Hell is Empty” and Book 8 “As the Crow Flies”. Since it is only 25 pages long it doesn’t necessarily merit a full review. A few comments will suffice.
Walt is still recovering from his physical and emotional injuries suffered from his manhunt of Reynaud Shade, an escaped convict and psychopathic killer in the Bighorn Mountains. This interlude takes place during the annual American Days Parade where the town and fairgrounds are full of tourists over Memorial holiday weekend. Tommy Jefferson, a local, yet renowned Indian relay racer loses his favorite horse – Divorce Horse – and seeks help from Walt, Henry, and Cady to find him.
“Divorce Horse” focuses less on the mystery and more on the banter between Walt, Cady, and Henry. Overall, it is cute, funny, and a nice transition between the regular series books. My only complaint is the price. $3.99 for 25 pages is too high. $1.99 would have been much more appropriate.
Walt is still recovering from his physical and emotional injuries suffered from his manhunt of Reynaud Shade, an escaped convict and psychopathic killer in the Bighorn Mountains. This interlude takes place during the annual American Days Parade where the town and fairgrounds are full of tourists over Memorial holiday weekend. Tommy Jefferson, a local, yet renowned Indian relay racer loses his favorite horse – Divorce Horse – and seeks help from Walt, Henry, and Cady to find him.
“Divorce Horse” focuses less on the mystery and more on the banter between Walt, Cady, and Henry. Overall, it is cute, funny, and a nice transition between the regular series books. My only complaint is the price. $3.99 for 25 pages is too high. $1.99 would have been much more appropriate.
March 19, 2022
Fun, quick little short story.
February 20, 2014
It's always good to get a story in the Walt Longmire series, even if it is just a short story. It's even nicer when said short story is lively, fun, and, for once, doesn't involve Walt coming face to face with death in the middle of a snowstorm. Add to that a full complement of supporting characters like Cady Longmire and Vic Moretti and it's even better. Lots of fun, good reading for fans of the series.
June 6, 2015
Divorce Horse by Craig Johnson is a 2012 Penguin publication.
This is a super short Longmire story which is available in e book format only and is obviously just a promo to introduce an upcoming release. However, I found this one on Overdrive and since I just love the Longmire series, I couldn't resist.
I always love catching up with Walt and this time the story didn't really involve much danger, but instead dealt with personal relationships as Cady is making wedding plans and a local couple deal with the pain of divorce. Walt sometimes finds himself having to play peacemaker between the couple and once more he takes a call when a horse goes missing. The story is told with humor and authenticity and was a delight to read.
One word of warning though. I checked this book out from the library, however, I noticed the price was $3.99 in the kindle store , but the story is only about thirty pages long and the rest of the book is excerpts etc, from an upcoming release, so you might want to keep that in mind if you are thinking about buying the book, as that price seems awfully high to me. (I've purchased lots and lots of full length novels for this same price- just sayin')
As fans of this series will tell you, any kind of story from Craig Johnson is worth your time, long or short. Long is better, but sometimes you just take what you can get.
4 stars
This is a super short Longmire story which is available in e book format only and is obviously just a promo to introduce an upcoming release. However, I found this one on Overdrive and since I just love the Longmire series, I couldn't resist.
I always love catching up with Walt and this time the story didn't really involve much danger, but instead dealt with personal relationships as Cady is making wedding plans and a local couple deal with the pain of divorce. Walt sometimes finds himself having to play peacemaker between the couple and once more he takes a call when a horse goes missing. The story is told with humor and authenticity and was a delight to read.
One word of warning though. I checked this book out from the library, however, I noticed the price was $3.99 in the kindle store , but the story is only about thirty pages long and the rest of the book is excerpts etc, from an upcoming release, so you might want to keep that in mind if you are thinking about buying the book, as that price seems awfully high to me. (I've purchased lots and lots of full length novels for this same price- just sayin')
As fans of this series will tell you, any kind of story from Craig Johnson is worth your time, long or short. Long is better, but sometimes you just take what you can get.
4 stars
March 15, 2016
Reading the Longmire series in sequence this short little tale about relations and communication is funny as Longmire is called in to investigate a missing horse.
For Longmire aficionados as it makes more sense to those who follow the antics of this Wyoming Sherif.
For Longmire aficionados as it makes more sense to those who follow the antics of this Wyoming Sherif.
April 19, 2012
Will start out by saying this is absolutely one of my 'must buy' series so I'm prejudiced. Love the characters and the setting as I lived most of my life within an hour or two of the area where this series is located and recognize the country, the people and the culture, all of which Craig Johnson gets right, time after time.
For me, this short story was a brief and memorable return visit to American Indian Days and the Pow Wow ... and the Indian relay races ... which I last saw 30 years ago. The horses, the dust, the atmosphere, the people ... all there. For other readers, probably a light, enjoyable read if you know the characters and perhaps not the one to try if you're not familiar with the series.
My only criticism ... short stories are too short, I want to read more ... he does not write fast enough!
For me, this short story was a brief and memorable return visit to American Indian Days and the Pow Wow ... and the Indian relay races ... which I last saw 30 years ago. The horses, the dust, the atmosphere, the people ... all there. For other readers, probably a light, enjoyable read if you know the characters and perhaps not the one to try if you're not familiar with the series.
My only criticism ... short stories are too short, I want to read more ... he does not write fast enough!
May 2, 2024
This was a quick slice-of-life short story that takes place right after Hell Is Empty. Cady is in town and while she, Henry, and Walt are out to eat, Walt gets a call that the Divorce Horse has been stolen. The trio takes a visit to the Indian Relays where they find exactly what happened to the horse.
Quick story - doesn't add anything canon-wise to the series, but is fun for a palate cleanser in between two bigger, more serious stories in the series.
Quick story - doesn't add anything canon-wise to the series, but is fun for a palate cleanser in between two bigger, more serious stories in the series.
July 23, 2018
It's a very short story, without any suspense, in which we find Walt, his daughter Cody and their friend Bear in a case that is not one.
Dispensable and too expensive given the story's shortness.
Dispensable and too expensive given the story's shortness.
October 3, 2012
I am probably swayed by the fact that this was a short, short story and they charged $1.99 for it. I also didn't quite get it...can someone explain it to me? I was also a bit concerned that Cady is drinking diet coke, coffee and only eating cottage cheese to lose weight for the wedding but she's pregnant? okkkkkaaaaayyyyyy. You do get the first chapter of As the Crow Flies which starts out good.!
Read
May 9, 2013The Longmire series is a good read because it so well written, the character development is so completer you can put his character anywhere and it's believable
April 25, 2019
What people do for love
This a short story that is about two people and what love can make them do. Not your typical Longmire story but just a short stop along the road. It was fun reading. So for a quick look at western law enforcement this should do it.
This a short story that is about two people and what love can make them do. Not your typical Longmire story but just a short stop along the road. It was fun reading. So for a quick look at western law enforcement this should do it.
December 25, 2024
Walt Longmire and Henry find a horse that just disappeared at the rodeo. Tommy Jefferson evidently loved the horse and drugs more than his wife who divorced him. An ambiguous ending that hints at a reconciliation and perhaps a win.
May 21, 2018
All of Craig Johnson book are a terrific read
June 21, 2021
Cute story with Walt, Cady, Bear and a couple who were having problems. I loved the ending.
December 7, 2022
Listened to the audio version as a part of waiting for signs.
January 3, 2024
A quick read to help me along in this series.
February 4, 2018
This was a fun story. Not much of a mystery, but just a fun snippet of life in Absaroka County.
August 16, 2020
Walt is still recovering from his last manhunt and his daughter Cady is home to ensure that he continues to rest. It also makes it easier to plan her wedding to Vic Moretti's brother. But despite everyone's best efforts, crime still happens. At the Indian Days Parade a horse is stolen. Not just any horse, the Divorce Horse. This is Tommy Jefferson's pride and joy and the catalyst for his wife's decision to leave him. But he wants the horse back perhaps even more than he wants his wife. He asks Walt to investigate. Between Henry Standing Bear and Cady, Walt is pretty sure he can get to the bottom of a little horse thievery. It's a cute story. It is not necessary to read it for continuity purposes but it's a cute interlude.
April 2, 2022
Fun Walt Longmire short story!
October 11, 2017
No major drama, just a nice little story.
September 18, 2023
Not generally crazy about short stories, but I thought this one might add to the Longmire canon. Can’t say that it did. Perhaps the story was a little too subtle for me.
I did enjoy the relay race, though.
I did enjoy the relay race, though.
April 19, 2012
First Line: It was Memorial Day weekend, and I was having dinner with my best friend, Henry Standing Bear, and my daughter Cady at the Busy Bee Café.
Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire is still recuperating from what happened to him in Hell Is Empty. His daughter Cady's wedding is only a few months away, and she's in town to spend some quality time with her dad.
But it always seems that Walt's not allowed to just sit and relax. The American Indian Days Parade and Pow Wow are in full swing. Walt gets word that the notorious "divorce horse" is missing, and Tommy Jefferson wants the horse back. Now.
Tommy Jefferson is a renowned Indian Relay Racer and the missing horse is the pride and joy of his stables. With the help of Henry Standing Bear and Cady, Walt sets off to the races to find the missing horse.
As author Craig Johnson explains, this short story is the "connective tissue" between his last book, Hell Is Empty and As the Crow Flies, which will be available May 15 (and reviewed here at Kittling: Books). "Divorce Horse" is light, fun, filled with Johnson's marvelous sense of humor-- and the scenes depicting an Indian Relay Race are marvelous. As a short story, I recommend it.
However, there's something else that I don't recommend about this short story. Of the 48 pages that are only available as an eBook, 27 are the story itself, and the remaining 21 are notes, acknowledgements, and a sneak peek at the first chapter of As the Crow Flies. I'm lucky; I got a copy of "Divorce Horse" through Net Galley, but if I were to go elsewhere to obtain one, it costs $3.99. Would I pay $3.99 for "Divorce Horse"? I am a diehard Craig Johnson fan; I've been raving about his books since I picked up the very first one he wrote... but I'd have to say no. I would not pay $4 for a 27-page short story. A lot of people are going to miss out on a delightful tale due to its high price, and that's a shame.
Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire is still recuperating from what happened to him in Hell Is Empty. His daughter Cady's wedding is only a few months away, and she's in town to spend some quality time with her dad.
But it always seems that Walt's not allowed to just sit and relax. The American Indian Days Parade and Pow Wow are in full swing. Walt gets word that the notorious "divorce horse" is missing, and Tommy Jefferson wants the horse back. Now.
Tommy Jefferson is a renowned Indian Relay Racer and the missing horse is the pride and joy of his stables. With the help of Henry Standing Bear and Cady, Walt sets off to the races to find the missing horse.
As author Craig Johnson explains, this short story is the "connective tissue" between his last book, Hell Is Empty and As the Crow Flies, which will be available May 15 (and reviewed here at Kittling: Books). "Divorce Horse" is light, fun, filled with Johnson's marvelous sense of humor-- and the scenes depicting an Indian Relay Race are marvelous. As a short story, I recommend it.
However, there's something else that I don't recommend about this short story. Of the 48 pages that are only available as an eBook, 27 are the story itself, and the remaining 21 are notes, acknowledgements, and a sneak peek at the first chapter of As the Crow Flies. I'm lucky; I got a copy of "Divorce Horse" through Net Galley, but if I were to go elsewhere to obtain one, it costs $3.99. Would I pay $3.99 for "Divorce Horse"? I am a diehard Craig Johnson fan; I've been raving about his books since I picked up the very first one he wrote... but I'd have to say no. I would not pay $4 for a 27-page short story. A lot of people are going to miss out on a delightful tale due to its high price, and that's a shame.
June 16, 2015
A delightful short with Bear, Walt and Cady. A relationship bet, some humor and a short history about a horse, a divorce horse. The horse was the last straw but now it's missing. Stolen at the show where Tommy was racing. An Indian Relay race at the American Indian Days Parade. Having Bear with to follow the clues the horse left behind made it way to easy... Walt and Bear decided to leave the horse and let Tommy discover how the horse got loose and inside a dilapidated barn. A short, sweet in-between story with a opening to the next title, As The Crow Flies. I'm ready for the library to open so I can grab the full book.
August 19, 2012
Craig Johnson is one of my favorite authors and even though this e-book is pretty short, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Until his next book comes, I've loved the "Longmire" series on A&E cable.
January 4, 2020
Very enjoyable short story for Walt Longmire fans.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 249 reviews