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Walt Longmire #18
Hell and Back: A Longmire Mystery
A new novel in the beloved New York Times bestselling Longmire series.
What if you woke up lying in the middle of the street in the infamous town of Fort Pratt, Montana, where thirty young Native boys perished in a tragic 1896 boarding-school fire? What if every person you encountered in that endless night was dead? What if you were covered in blood and missing a bullet from the gun holstered on your hip? What if there was something out there in the yellowed skies, along with the deceased and the smell of ash and dust, something the Northern Cheyenne refer to as the Éveohtsé-heómėse, the Wandering Without, the Taker of Souls? What if the only way you know who you are is because your name is printed in the leather sweatband of your cowboy hat, and what if it says your name is Walt Longmire . . . but you don’t remember him?
In Hell and Back , the eighteenth installment of the Longmire series, author Craig Johnson takes the beloved sheriff to the very limits of his sanity to do battle with the most dangerous adversary he’s ever himself.
What if you woke up lying in the middle of the street in the infamous town of Fort Pratt, Montana, where thirty young Native boys perished in a tragic 1896 boarding-school fire? What if every person you encountered in that endless night was dead? What if you were covered in blood and missing a bullet from the gun holstered on your hip? What if there was something out there in the yellowed skies, along with the deceased and the smell of ash and dust, something the Northern Cheyenne refer to as the Éveohtsé-heómėse, the Wandering Without, the Taker of Souls? What if the only way you know who you are is because your name is printed in the leather sweatband of your cowboy hat, and what if it says your name is Walt Longmire . . . but you don’t remember him?
In Hell and Back , the eighteenth installment of the Longmire series, author Craig Johnson takes the beloved sheriff to the very limits of his sanity to do battle with the most dangerous adversary he’s ever himself.
352 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2022
1352 people are currently reading
3238 people want to read
About the author
Craig Johnson
102 books4,988 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 - 30 of 994 reviews
October 22, 2022
This book is quite different from the other books in the Longmire series. The book opens with Walt Longmire waking up in the middle of a road with his coat frozen to the pavement. As the book progresses, it switches back and forth between 3 different time zones: present day, and 2 periods in the past, where Walt has found himself in a kind of dream world
The author states in the acknowledgement section of the book that he wanted to write a story about the boarding schools that separated Native American children from their parents and their culture.
Walt has been transported back in time to the Fort Pratt Industrial Indian Boarding School.
Transitioning between the 3 time periods is a little hard to follow. Walt has amnesia but gradually remembers enough to realize that he is about to do battle in his dream world with an evil spirit.
I did enjoy this library book, but not as much as the other books in the series. It is book 18 in the series, and they are best read in order, although this would work as a stand alone.
I rate this book 3.5 stars rounded up. I read it in 3 days.
Two quotes from a spirit friend of Walt's :
"Sometimes when I hear the wolves cry out there in the night, the call of the owl, or the wind that brushes the landscape clean, I hold my breath and listen for a very long time. I travel back to the beginning when I was one with the wolves, the owls, and the wind, when our souls were entwined."
"Words are important, no matter what the language-they are perhaps one of the most powerful things that we have. Words can preserve life or invoke death and should be handled with the same care as any deadly weapon."
The author states in the acknowledgement section of the book that he wanted to write a story about the boarding schools that separated Native American children from their parents and their culture.
Walt has been transported back in time to the Fort Pratt Industrial Indian Boarding School.
Transitioning between the 3 time periods is a little hard to follow. Walt has amnesia but gradually remembers enough to realize that he is about to do battle in his dream world with an evil spirit.
I did enjoy this library book, but not as much as the other books in the series. It is book 18 in the series, and they are best read in order, although this would work as a stand alone.
I rate this book 3.5 stars rounded up. I read it in 3 days.
Two quotes from a spirit friend of Walt's :
"Sometimes when I hear the wolves cry out there in the night, the call of the owl, or the wind that brushes the landscape clean, I hold my breath and listen for a very long time. I travel back to the beginning when I was one with the wolves, the owls, and the wind, when our souls were entwined."
"Words are important, no matter what the language-they are perhaps one of the most powerful things that we have. Words can preserve life or invoke death and should be handled with the same care as any deadly weapon."
September 12, 2022
This novel is a tribute to Walt Longmire and a fascinating read. It is different from the other Longmire books, but if you love Walt Longmire, I can't imagine that you will not love this novel. I have read all the Longmire books so be forewarned that this is not a standalone as many of the others are. If you have not read the Longmire series and know the characters well, this book will make no sense to you.
September 25, 2022
Mr Johnson, thank you for the years of great books. I have enjoyed them. Sorry but this series needs to come to an end if this is what is left. Otherwise, I would encourage you to stick to the basics that made you and this series successful. I have read all the other books, and they used to be good. Lately the stories have been either over-the-top unbelievable (Walt is not a superhero) or just odd. Please go back to the basics. Humor. Fun. Case solving. Those three things are all we need. Thank you.
February 12, 2025
Craig Johnson uses a completely different way of presenting his story of the next Walt Longmire adventure. I was put off initially, confused at what the author was trying to establish with this unique approach. But, to my surprise, the more pages I turned, the deeper my interest became. This writing has similarities to the movies Ground Hog Day The Butterfly Effect and the book The Reformatory.
There is a remarkable movement of characters in this parallel story. This is a battle of two parallel times in which to die in one era will reflect the same in the other. With the intervention of the Éveohtsé-heómėse this is more likely than not an end result.
It is not a book the reader can skip reading for a few days and expect to pick it up, continuing as if there was no pause. The time spent concentrating on this writing is rewarding.
The plot will tug at emotions of the reader, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not. They will be rewarded with a little history, a dose of Native American spiritual beliefs, a smidgen of the usual witticisms of Walt, a bit of sadness and the tug of conflict with the proper relief.
This read started as a four star and easily slid into a five star position. I feel my fellow GR readers will definitely like this ride through the West.
There is a remarkable movement of characters in this parallel story. This is a battle of two parallel times in which to die in one era will reflect the same in the other. With the intervention of the Éveohtsé-heómėse this is more likely than not an end result.
It is not a book the reader can skip reading for a few days and expect to pick it up, continuing as if there was no pause. The time spent concentrating on this writing is rewarding.
The plot will tug at emotions of the reader, sometimes in a good way, sometimes not. They will be rewarded with a little history, a dose of Native American spiritual beliefs, a smidgen of the usual witticisms of Walt, a bit of sadness and the tug of conflict with the proper relief.
This read started as a four star and easily slid into a five star position. I feel my fellow GR readers will definitely like this ride through the West.
September 14, 2022
I received this ebook free from a Goodreads giveaway.
The prologue warned this was going to be a weird one. It was. Groundhog Day meets The Twilight Zone meets a Stephen King story.
Longmire wakes up in the road outside an Indian boarding school in Montana. Amnesia? Sees a ghost in diner. Wounded? Not his blood. Vic and Bear are looking for him.
The entire book is crazy and confusing with many changes in time and place. Not always clear who the narrator is talking about.
I much prefer when Longmire remains in the real world. This creative attempt at a different storyline annoyed and bored me.
The prologue warned this was going to be a weird one. It was. Groundhog Day meets The Twilight Zone meets a Stephen King story.
Longmire wakes up in the road outside an Indian boarding school in Montana. Amnesia? Sees a ghost in diner. Wounded? Not his blood. Vic and Bear are looking for him.
The entire book is crazy and confusing with many changes in time and place. Not always clear who the narrator is talking about.
I much prefer when Longmire remains in the real world. This creative attempt at a different storyline annoyed and bored me.
September 8, 2022
This book takes you off the grid with Walt. This is Craig Johnson at his best. He is not scared to break the rules. (hmmm....does fiction even have rules??? he he he )
June 20, 2022
Is it really 1896, and is Walt at the site of the Montana Indian boarding school fire? How is it that familiar people from past cases are everywhere? And is that really his deceased wife, Martha, or some evil being which has taken her form? Could all of these events actually have a logical explanation? Craig Johnson takes a mystical turn in this newest Longmire novel, which I really enjoyed. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the ARC.
June 14, 2023
This is an extremely unusual entry in the long-running Longmire series. I would recommend that if you’ve never read a Longmire book before, don’t start with this one. I’ve read and enjoyed all of the books in the series to date and, I must admit, I found it very hard going.
At some point before the start of the book, Walt has been involved in some type of accident. We join him in the place where he wakes up which is a weird, other-worldly type of place. The people Walt encounters are vaguely familiar to him yet not, each encounter leaves him feeling as though he has just missed something important.
Whereas the majority of the series features a small town Wyoming sheriff attempting to keep the peace with an eclectic collection of deputies and other assorted offsiders to help him, there has always been a mystical element injected into important parts. Hell and Back has completely ramped this aspect up to the point where it is the dominant force of evil against which Walt is pitted.
Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, there’s a very good chance that what we have just been subjected to is a very weird, very specific dream. I found elements of the story interesting as we’re cast back over a hundred years and then thrust forward into a town filled with people who are dead, but they don’t know it yet.
But Walt’s not just dreaming, he has been in an accident and is close to death himself. This strange parallel universe into which he’s entered is actually an internal battle as he takes on a lifetime’s worth of inner demons and feelings of deep regret and loss. In this context I was able to reconcile every strange turn of events and accept that what we’re going for is a redemption story. A cleansing, if you will.
While Walt is stumbling around across a couple of time periods, dealing with a bout of amnesia and attempting to save the lives of 31 children living in the Fort Pratt Industrial Indian Boarding School, Vic Moretti and Henry Standing Bear are on his trail trying to track him down. The problem is, although they’re all in the same small town, Walt appears to be stuck in another realm one hundred years earlier while his friends are looking for him in the present day.
Once you come to grips with the fact that the regular earthly rules are not going to be followed and that we’re somewhere inside Walt’s tortured mind you can settle in and enjoy the dangerous battle for survival that’s being waged. At the same time, in the real world, there’s another battle being fought as his friends fight to get to him before he dies.
Hell and Back is a story that will mean a lot more to the longtime fans of the series who have met many of the characters before. Events from earlier books are referenced and given a vague resolution. While I wouldn’t regard it as a miss, it was certainly a story that required a definite shifting of gears to fully appreciate.
At some point before the start of the book, Walt has been involved in some type of accident. We join him in the place where he wakes up which is a weird, other-worldly type of place. The people Walt encounters are vaguely familiar to him yet not, each encounter leaves him feeling as though he has just missed something important.
Whereas the majority of the series features a small town Wyoming sheriff attempting to keep the peace with an eclectic collection of deputies and other assorted offsiders to help him, there has always been a mystical element injected into important parts. Hell and Back has completely ramped this aspect up to the point where it is the dominant force of evil against which Walt is pitted.
Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, there’s a very good chance that what we have just been subjected to is a very weird, very specific dream. I found elements of the story interesting as we’re cast back over a hundred years and then thrust forward into a town filled with people who are dead, but they don’t know it yet.
But Walt’s not just dreaming, he has been in an accident and is close to death himself. This strange parallel universe into which he’s entered is actually an internal battle as he takes on a lifetime’s worth of inner demons and feelings of deep regret and loss. In this context I was able to reconcile every strange turn of events and accept that what we’re going for is a redemption story. A cleansing, if you will.
While Walt is stumbling around across a couple of time periods, dealing with a bout of amnesia and attempting to save the lives of 31 children living in the Fort Pratt Industrial Indian Boarding School, Vic Moretti and Henry Standing Bear are on his trail trying to track him down. The problem is, although they’re all in the same small town, Walt appears to be stuck in another realm one hundred years earlier while his friends are looking for him in the present day.
Once you come to grips with the fact that the regular earthly rules are not going to be followed and that we’re somewhere inside Walt’s tortured mind you can settle in and enjoy the dangerous battle for survival that’s being waged. At the same time, in the real world, there’s another battle being fought as his friends fight to get to him before he dies.
Hell and Back is a story that will mean a lot more to the longtime fans of the series who have met many of the characters before. Events from earlier books are referenced and given a vague resolution. While I wouldn’t regard it as a miss, it was certainly a story that required a definite shifting of gears to fully appreciate.
April 10, 2024
“Hell is oneself. Hell is alone. The other figures in it are merely projections. There is nothing to escape from and nothing to escape to. One is always alone.” - TS Elliot
Ok, that was the weirdest installment of the Longmire series I have read so far! Absolutely bizarre. While all of the installments will have some scenes in it that will reflect Walt’s own beliefs, many of which are often based on the beliefs and or history of the native tribes of the area, this installment was absolutely mired in it from the get-go. Having spent most of his life with a Cheyenne best friend, Henry Standing Bear, Walt is a devoted and dedicated advocate of the native tribes in and around Absaroka County, as well as Wyoming and other surrounding states.
As the book summary states, this installment is a continuation, of sorts, of the previous installment that has Walt searching for Jeanie One Moon at the old site of an Indian school that burned down more than 100yrs ago. The story starts out with Walt stranded in the town and suffering from some sort of amnesia because he doesn’t know who he is or why he’s there or how he got there or what happened to him. Walt starts meeting people in town, people who are dead people that Walt has known in his life, Virgil, Martha, Bobby, Duarte, Heather, and a boatload of others, many of which Walt personally killed. However, while Walt no longer remembers these people, the people he meets in town do seem really familiar to him.
“All haunting is regret. Whether it’s the things we’ve done or the things we haven’t and, in that way, we are all possessed by something. The limbo of unfinished business.” - Craig Johnson
There is another storyline where Henry and Vic are in town looking for Walt. They come across a man named Riley, who is a member of the white supremacy group from the previous installment. Riley claims he is restoring the hotel, but he seems kind of suspicious. Then Henry comes across a book that leads him to believe that Riley knows what happened to Walt and where Walt is. At this point, Henry knows that wherever Walt is, he doesn’t have much longer if Henry doesn’t find him asap.
I’m not even sure of how to review and/or describe this story other than just off the charts freaky. I loved the author’s acknowledgements that Johnson provided at the beginning of the story, instead of the end where they typically are. One of the things that I have always enjoyed about the Longmire series is all the history and storytelling about the native Indians and their culture, practices and beliefs. It’s truly fascinating, at least to me it is. Johnson reveals the inspiration for Hell and Back and thanks all the people, many of them local Indians, who made this story possible for him.
The storyline around Walt’s “other time & place” (for lack of better description) and the kids at the Indian school was a really interesting and engaging storyline. The character development was a little thin on some characters and pretty good on others. I enjoyed the scenes with Walt and Virgil and the kids the most. I wish the storyline with Henry and Vic looking for Walt would have warranted more time and space in the story. Like with most of Johnson’s Longmire stories, Johnson is a seasoned pro at wrapping up a story and this one was no exception. Loved the ending! I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.3 and I’m going to round down to a 4star rating. I can’t wait to catch up on the series with the next installment.
Ok, that was the weirdest installment of the Longmire series I have read so far! Absolutely bizarre. While all of the installments will have some scenes in it that will reflect Walt’s own beliefs, many of which are often based on the beliefs and or history of the native tribes of the area, this installment was absolutely mired in it from the get-go. Having spent most of his life with a Cheyenne best friend, Henry Standing Bear, Walt is a devoted and dedicated advocate of the native tribes in and around Absaroka County, as well as Wyoming and other surrounding states.
As the book summary states, this installment is a continuation, of sorts, of the previous installment that has Walt searching for Jeanie One Moon at the old site of an Indian school that burned down more than 100yrs ago. The story starts out with Walt stranded in the town and suffering from some sort of amnesia because he doesn’t know who he is or why he’s there or how he got there or what happened to him. Walt starts meeting people in town, people who are dead people that Walt has known in his life, Virgil, Martha, Bobby, Duarte, Heather, and a boatload of others, many of which Walt personally killed. However, while Walt no longer remembers these people, the people he meets in town do seem really familiar to him.
“All haunting is regret. Whether it’s the things we’ve done or the things we haven’t and, in that way, we are all possessed by something. The limbo of unfinished business.” - Craig Johnson
There is another storyline where Henry and Vic are in town looking for Walt. They come across a man named Riley, who is a member of the white supremacy group from the previous installment. Riley claims he is restoring the hotel, but he seems kind of suspicious. Then Henry comes across a book that leads him to believe that Riley knows what happened to Walt and where Walt is. At this point, Henry knows that wherever Walt is, he doesn’t have much longer if Henry doesn’t find him asap.
I’m not even sure of how to review and/or describe this story other than just off the charts freaky. I loved the author’s acknowledgements that Johnson provided at the beginning of the story, instead of the end where they typically are. One of the things that I have always enjoyed about the Longmire series is all the history and storytelling about the native Indians and their culture, practices and beliefs. It’s truly fascinating, at least to me it is. Johnson reveals the inspiration for Hell and Back and thanks all the people, many of them local Indians, who made this story possible for him.
The storyline around Walt’s “other time & place” (for lack of better description) and the kids at the Indian school was a really interesting and engaging storyline. The character development was a little thin on some characters and pretty good on others. I enjoyed the scenes with Walt and Virgil and the kids the most. I wish the storyline with Henry and Vic looking for Walt would have warranted more time and space in the story. Like with most of Johnson’s Longmire stories, Johnson is a seasoned pro at wrapping up a story and this one was no exception. Loved the ending! I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.3 and I’m going to round down to a 4star rating. I can’t wait to catch up on the series with the next installment.
September 12, 2022
I've read all 18 of the Longmire books. I've reconciled myself to the fact that more often than not the book will contain some "mystical" portions. This volume is so over the top it would make Stephen King blush. Probably my least favorite Walt book.
April 4, 2024
Craig Johnson has taken us perennial Longmire readers through spiritual realms before, but never to the extent of this 18th episode. Sheriff Walt wakes up in a snowbank following an accident at night in a town where time has apparently stopped, following a tragic fire at the Fort Pratt Indian boarding school a century ago. The sheriff gradually surmises that the few residents he encounters are probably dead and wonders if he is also.
This episode is unlike all the others and I found it unsatisfying because I kept asking myself, when
is he going to get out this hellish place? And he doesn’t get out of it, either, until the epilogue.
This episode is unlike all the others and I found it unsatisfying because I kept asking myself, when
is he going to get out this hellish place? And he doesn’t get out of it, either, until the epilogue.
September 5, 2023
On the day of the release for the 19th Longmire book I finished this 18th novel which is somehow true to its title as Walt Longmire is fighting for his life in our world. Cheyenne Nation and Vic are looking for him.
Walt is somewhere else, not here or there. He is in a world that seems created for him and everybody in it is known to Walt Longmire even his wife Martha.
Then there is yet another plain of being were the lawman , he is no longer conscious who he is, is confronted by a school were they put Indian children away from their family and culture. This is the past.
The book is about finding himself and about afterlife and it’s Indian equivalent. What Longmire is he is about to find out.
This time no western theme, but a theme of loss and also shame about parts of the US history where modern man proves to be shallow and vicious.
Walt Longmire is a force of good
What an interesting and challenging read this was but solidified for me the skills of this writer.
Walt is somewhere else, not here or there. He is in a world that seems created for him and everybody in it is known to Walt Longmire even his wife Martha.
Then there is yet another plain of being were the lawman , he is no longer conscious who he is, is confronted by a school were they put Indian children away from their family and culture. This is the past.
The book is about finding himself and about afterlife and it’s Indian equivalent. What Longmire is he is about to find out.
This time no western theme, but a theme of loss and also shame about parts of the US history where modern man proves to be shallow and vicious.
Walt Longmire is a force of good
What an interesting and challenging read this was but solidified for me the skills of this writer.
September 8, 2022
Absolute perfection. I finished this totally captivating novel in one day, because I just had to know what happened next. And wow, what a wild ride…! I had no idea what was going to happen next, amd I loved every single second of it.
George Guidall Is again the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel. And as usual, Guidall is perfect for this particular job. I cannot imagine anyone else narrating the Longmire series, and I sincerely hope that Guidall manages to stick around for this series in its entirety.
This novel rocked my socks off. 5 huge stars, and I’ve got a book hangover now….
George Guidall Is again the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel. And as usual, Guidall is perfect for this particular job. I cannot imagine anyone else narrating the Longmire series, and I sincerely hope that Guidall manages to stick around for this series in its entirety.
This novel rocked my socks off. 5 huge stars, and I’ve got a book hangover now….
October 21, 2022
As author, Craig Johnson, writes it’s important to “tell the story” of the Native American boarding schools that forcibly separated indigenous children from their families from 1869-1960. Johnson steps out of the box of his usual Sheriff Longmire escapades and sends Walt on a “trip” to meet up with some old friends and enemies. In order to fully understand Walt’s relationship with these characters, it’s best to read this one after you’ve read a good amount of the previous books in the series.
The usual witty repartee and charming characters continue to shine in Hell and Back and in spite of a somber theme readers are still treated to the humorous interactions that have helped make this series so dependable.
The usual witty repartee and charming characters continue to shine in Hell and Back and in spite of a somber theme readers are still treated to the humorous interactions that have helped make this series so dependable.
September 10, 2022
I saw a review and they said "Longmire has lost his memory but not his moral compass." Which is true but doesn't really go far enough to describe what's going on. While true he suffering from amnesia he's also having a truly unique out-of-body experience. Making the whole book from Walt's point-of-view surreal. Leaving Henry Standing Bear, and Vic doing their best to investigate Walt's dissappeance.
I've always loved the Mythos that Craig Johnson weaves into this series. The dignity and stories he gives back to the First People and to expose the readers to these stories as well.
So get the book, if you haven't get the series, and let George Guidall tell you one of most surrealistic, possibly darkest Walt Longmire yet.
I've always loved the Mythos that Craig Johnson weaves into this series. The dignity and stories he gives back to the First People and to expose the readers to these stories as well.
So get the book, if you haven't get the series, and let George Guidall tell you one of most surrealistic, possibly darkest Walt Longmire yet.
June 17, 2023
Although this wasn't my Longmire favorite by far, I did enjoy it. It was different but managed to keep my interest up. It was all very dreamlike and mysterious; I can see why a lot of people weren't too crazy about it. But aside from not enough Vic and Henry, I still liked it. There were a few other interesting people, and although a little hard to follow, it all came together in the end.
March 4, 2023
I went with the flow on this one. I cottoned on pretty quickly that this volume in the series was going to be different. I had gone in blind and as the story began to unfold it had the feeling of a ghost story. I marvel at the author's story telling skills and willingness to go out on a limb here. It worked for me and I remained intrigued and engaged throughout and was brought to tears by the owl at the end.
November 2, 2022
I finished this book several weeks ago, and I've been putting off reviewing it for some time. Before I go any further, I need to state that I loved it. But it is not standard mystery fare, so I needed to wrap my mind around the craft Johnson employed to bring this novel to fruition as well as the messages he asks us to ponder. The book has some of the same feel as my favorite Longmire so far, HELL IS EMPTY. Johnson brought a decidedly spiritual perspective in that 2011 book (Longmire #7), and he's been incorporating more of that Native American spirituality in recent books. However, this one (#18) is a full-on ghost story.
In HELL AND BACK, Longmire takes a trip to the past as he finds himself in Fort Pratt during the time when an old Indian boarding school was in operation. He has no memory of how he got there, but he keeps finding people and surroundings that tickle his brain in an attempt to bring memories forward. Nothing seems to work according to the laws of physics even during the quieter moments in the town but, when he gets to the boarding school, reality truly goes off the rails. The sections of the book dealing with Longmire's visit to the past are interspersed with sections dealing with his friends from the present trying to find him. Both story lines are mind-bending.
There are several issues raised in the book, not the least of which is the practice of forcibly removing Native American children from their homes, punishing them for any connection with their heritage that they continued to observe, and the overall abuse that seemed to go hand-in-hand with the policy. The issue of missing Native American women is also touched upon as a continuation from the previous book in the series. Johnson also explores the manner in which our minds warp relationships with those who have left us, as well as how relationships in the present influence our actions.
In the midst of all of the reflection, there's a gripping plot in which the forces for good and evil collide dramatically. Sometimes, the good and the evil are hard to separate. Johnson always writes a great action scene, and there are several in this book during which you would have to be much stronger than I am to set the book aside. He brings the reader to Fort Pratt and the Indian school in much the same way he has transported the reader to his western landscapes in the past. Characters, both new to us and old friends, are extremely well developed. A reader familiar to the series will enjoy seeing echoes of past books play out on the streets of Fort Pratt.
Which raises the question, is this a good book for jumping into the series or is it necessary to have prior knowledge? There is no question that the book will resonate more for those who recognize the references to Longmire's past. However, for those who are willing to let go of a little sanity as they read this book (something that is sort of necessary regardless), the book can work as a standalone ghost story.
This review first appeared at reviewingtheevidence.com.
In HELL AND BACK, Longmire takes a trip to the past as he finds himself in Fort Pratt during the time when an old Indian boarding school was in operation. He has no memory of how he got there, but he keeps finding people and surroundings that tickle his brain in an attempt to bring memories forward. Nothing seems to work according to the laws of physics even during the quieter moments in the town but, when he gets to the boarding school, reality truly goes off the rails. The sections of the book dealing with Longmire's visit to the past are interspersed with sections dealing with his friends from the present trying to find him. Both story lines are mind-bending.
There are several issues raised in the book, not the least of which is the practice of forcibly removing Native American children from their homes, punishing them for any connection with their heritage that they continued to observe, and the overall abuse that seemed to go hand-in-hand with the policy. The issue of missing Native American women is also touched upon as a continuation from the previous book in the series. Johnson also explores the manner in which our minds warp relationships with those who have left us, as well as how relationships in the present influence our actions.
In the midst of all of the reflection, there's a gripping plot in which the forces for good and evil collide dramatically. Sometimes, the good and the evil are hard to separate. Johnson always writes a great action scene, and there are several in this book during which you would have to be much stronger than I am to set the book aside. He brings the reader to Fort Pratt and the Indian school in much the same way he has transported the reader to his western landscapes in the past. Characters, both new to us and old friends, are extremely well developed. A reader familiar to the series will enjoy seeing echoes of past books play out on the streets of Fort Pratt.
Which raises the question, is this a good book for jumping into the series or is it necessary to have prior knowledge? There is no question that the book will resonate more for those who recognize the references to Longmire's past. However, for those who are willing to let go of a little sanity as they read this book (something that is sort of necessary regardless), the book can work as a standalone ghost story.
This review first appeared at reviewingtheevidence.com.
September 15, 2022
This book is definitely not the place for a newcomer to start. For fans, this picks up right from the end of Daughter of the Morning Star, which is necessary reading, as it introduces the big bad bogeyman--the Wandering Without, a Cheyenne spirit with a voracious appetite.
Boy Howdy! Johnson does a number on our Walt in this one--amnesia!
The author does an even bigger number on the reader: the sections from Walt's POV reveal a very strange world, where nothing is as it seems. Thank goodness for the sections featuring Vic and Henry; we know they are firmly anchored in the here and now.
Warning: heavy dose of 'woo-woo' in this one, and I'm still not sure I have everything straight in my mind. However, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Johnson knows how to tell a gripping story.
My hope for the next book is that Walt has a much more prosaic case to deal with. The man needs a break!
Boy Howdy! Johnson does a number on our Walt in this one--amnesia!
The author does an even bigger number on the reader: the sections from Walt's POV reveal a very strange world, where nothing is as it seems. Thank goodness for the sections featuring Vic and Henry; we know they are firmly anchored in the here and now.
Warning: heavy dose of 'woo-woo' in this one, and I'm still not sure I have everything straight in my mind. However, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Johnson knows how to tell a gripping story.
My hope for the next book is that Walt has a much more prosaic case to deal with. The man needs a break!
November 16, 2022
Craig Johnson states the central idea of the book up front in his acknowledgments:
Add in the mystical threat of the "Wandering Without" and you essentially have the story. I'm thinking it would have worked better as a short story, i.e. tighter/more focused. There wasn't quite enough to fill the 300+ pages without dragging out Walt's confusion until it became more frustrating than intriguing. I had to resist the urge to skip to the end and be done with it. But it's really a better story than that, and worth reading if you're a Longmire fan.
Add in the mystical threat of the "Wandering Without" and you essentially have the story. I'm thinking it would have worked better as a short story, i.e. tighter/more focused. There wasn't quite enough to fill the 300+ pages without dragging out Walt's confusion until it became more frustrating than intriguing. I had to resist the urge to skip to the end and be done with it. But it's really a better story than that, and worth reading if you're a Longmire fan.
September 18, 2022
Although I always respect an author taking a different road, introducing new characters into a series, or trying a strange POV; however, after a couple of dozen installments, I have to give this one just an “OK” rating. I love Walt, but this one was hard to follow, and this book may be the nadir of the entire series. At the end, everyone was wondering whether the Sheriff should consider retirement? Not a good sign.
September 21, 2022
The fact that Walt, Henry, and Vic appeared in this bizarre story, coupled with another marvelous narration by George Guidal, made it possible for me to finish this title. But it was a struggle and if this had been my first encounter with the Wyoming sheriff and his cohort, it would have been the one and only. I do hope Mr. Johnson will return to a more conventional story telling format - no more dream sequences or time travel.
September 5, 2022
Wow, so intense & suspenseful but so strange. This is one that needs to be read at least twice to fully understand.
June 4, 2024
This sequel to Daughter of the Morning Star is more like Walt Longmire stuck in Silent Hill. Not sure how much I ended up liking this one - at first I liked it a lot, but the whole limbo/dream world thing just went on too long with no forward momentum.
Right away, Walt wakes up with amnesia in the street of an abandoned town - Ft. Platte, to be precise. Nowhere near home. How'd he get here? Why was he here? In fact... who is he and what's his name?? He wanders the town, occasionally finding solitary souls who don't seem to know more than he does.
Meanwhile, Vic, Henry and Dog go searching for their missing man. They end up in Ft. Platte, too - just as abandoned as Walt found it, except for a young man named Riley making renovations to the hotel. He hasn't seen anybody matching Walt's description.
What's going on, and what's the point of it all? Could the old Ft. Platte Indigenous Indian Boarding School have anything to do with? Hmmm....
Only one more book until I'm caught up on the Longmire backlog! The Longmire Defense is next; I'll get to First Frost whenever it's released by my library.
Right away, Walt wakes up with amnesia in the street of an abandoned town - Ft. Platte, to be precise. Nowhere near home. How'd he get here? Why was he here? In fact... who is he and what's his name?? He wanders the town, occasionally finding solitary souls who don't seem to know more than he does.
Meanwhile, Vic, Henry and Dog go searching for their missing man. They end up in Ft. Platte, too - just as abandoned as Walt found it, except for a young man named Riley making renovations to the hotel. He hasn't seen anybody matching Walt's description.
What's going on, and what's the point of it all? Could the old Ft. Platte Indigenous Indian Boarding School have anything to do with? Hmmm....
Only one more book until I'm caught up on the Longmire backlog! The Longmire Defense is next; I'll get to First Frost whenever it's released by my library.
September 13, 2022
4.5 Boy howdy! This books starts out with the most intriguing plot yet! If you’re a true fan, you will immediately recognize the cast of “characters”. Also the traditions, and the magic of the Native American tribes have always added an unforgettable aspect to the Longmire novels, and this one did not disappoint! The mystical plot went full supernatural in this novel, and I loved it! It was spooky and thrilling and also heartbreaking at the way we treated the Native American children. This book was magical, lyrical, and extremely compelling. Longmire forever!
October 6, 2022
My favorite narrator reading my favorite series. After an introduction in which Craig Johnson warns that "this one is different," the book heads off into unchartered territory involving a historical tragedy, ghosts from Walt's past who share one thing in common, and a mystical component. Plus all the usual sidekicks. Salty Vic, trusty Dog, and the Cheyenne Nation.
September 10, 2022
I had to just be open to whatever happened and let the story unfold. At the end, it made some sense although I felt like not everything was explained. (I prefer stories with more involvement by Henry Standing Bear -- he's my favorite character!)
December 11, 2022
“Hell and Back” is the eighteenth book in the “Longmire” mystery series, continuing the fictional adventures of Walt Longmire, Sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming; his daughter, Cady, the world’s greatest lawyer; his best friend, Henry Standing Bear; his loyal and outspoken deputy, Vic Moretti; his loyal and less outspoken deputy, and Dog, his faithful animal companion.
When we last left our fearless law enforcement officer at the end of the last book, “Daughter of the Morning Star”, we were left with a lot of unanswered questions and a pseudo ending that really left a lot of resolution to be continued into the next book. Although it was not a life-threatening cliffhanger ending, but more like a “to be continued” narrative that left little explained and a lot unresolved. Needless to say, it left me with a lot of unexpected and painful frustrations.
When “Hell and Back” starts, we find our hero, Walt Longmire, waking up at the top of a hill overlooking a two-lane road that led down into a small town. That’s only the first problem for Walt. The second comes shortly thereafter, when he realizes he doesn’t know who he is and has no memory of how he got to where he is. In addition, he as blood all over himself and a gun holstered to his hip, which is missing a bullet.
Walt has found himself in a bad place. A very bad place. Walt has found himself in the notorious town of Fort Pratt, Montana, where 31 native Indian boys died in a tragic fire that destroyed their boarding school back on New Year’s Eve, 1896. Coincidence or not? It just happens to be the same tragedy that was part of his investigating in his prior book, “The Daughter of the Morning Star”, which involved what may be Walt’s biggest and other-worldly enemy, Éveohtsé-heómėse, the Wandering Without, the Taker of Souls.
Things get worse for Walt as he walks into town. Everyone seems different and a bit strange. They also seem fleetingly familiar but he can’t place them (although the reader will recognize them if they are familiar with the series). Members of the town include highway patrolman, Bobby Womack; Bartender Thomas Bidarte; and even waitress/librarian, Martha Longmire. The only problem is they are supposed to be dead…
This is one of those novels that you really don’t want to describe too much of what happens, because it is best left up to the reader to experience the approach and style that the author, Craig Johnson, is using, by his own words in the acknowledgement – “to create-a Western gothic-romance with tinges of horror”. It is definitely that, and then some.
Up until his last book in this series, I would say that there are a lot of things to like about his books because I am a die-hard Longmire and Craig Johnson fan. However, I am bit a mixed about this one. The bad news is that I did not like the last one, part one-of-this-two-part story. I actually thought it was the weakest of all of the Longmire novels, primarily for reasons I already described in the beginning of this review. The good news is that book, part two of this story, is better. Not necessarily a whole lot better, but it is an improvement.
As Johnson intended, yes, this was definitely a different type of Longmire novel, and he deserves some serious kudos for attempting such a different approach to telling a story. The overall structure and idea were compelling and had real promise. For me, the first 20 – 30 pages started out pretty good, introducing a strange setting and mysterious characters, but then it became cyclical and repetitive. Unfortunately, the most enjoyable parts for me involved Henry Standing Bear and Vic Moretti working together to try and find Walt following his mysterious disappearance. They had some golden moments and classic exchanges.
I’ve spent the last two days reflecting on this one and why I was less emotionally involved in parts of Walt’s storyline. I am left with the impression that this was an interesting approach to take, but the execution, or delivery, of those ideas didn’t necessarily deliver as well as intended. Please don’t get me wrong. This wasn’t a bad novel, but it just wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be. You would think having walt face many of the past people in his life would be a cool story to tell, but there was just something about this whole Éveohtsé-heómėse as a villain idea that didn’t work when it came to the details and connecting the dots in the plotlines. For example, how in the heck did our hero go back in time? That was never explained nor a clue as to how even hinted at. It wasn’t the villain himself, just how he was used didn’t seem to work for me. I am not opposed to spiritual and mystical aspects of Longmire’s world. They’ve played a bog part of his stories and I’ve enjoyed them greatly. I just think that this time it didn’t work as well as I hoped for.
Also, this is like the fifth book in a row that Walt has had the literal crap kicked out of him If you add up all his gunshot wounds, stabbings, and fighting injuries in those five books, he deserves his own super hero cape. I am not sure how much more physical wear and tear that he can take. It’s getting to be a bit too much, you think…
Overall, “Hell and Back” started out as a fairly interesting mystery in the beginning, but then turned repetitive and disjointed in some ways. An improvement over the last book and an interesting read, just not the usual excellent delivery that I am used to getting and enjoying each year. Maybe now that this two-part storyline is over, we can back to what makes Walt so great, more of a traditional based mystery and more character development (especially with Walt’s relationships with Cady and Vic). I am looking forward to that. Here’s to Longmire in 2023…
When we last left our fearless law enforcement officer at the end of the last book, “Daughter of the Morning Star”, we were left with a lot of unanswered questions and a pseudo ending that really left a lot of resolution to be continued into the next book. Although it was not a life-threatening cliffhanger ending, but more like a “to be continued” narrative that left little explained and a lot unresolved. Needless to say, it left me with a lot of unexpected and painful frustrations.
When “Hell and Back” starts, we find our hero, Walt Longmire, waking up at the top of a hill overlooking a two-lane road that led down into a small town. That’s only the first problem for Walt. The second comes shortly thereafter, when he realizes he doesn’t know who he is and has no memory of how he got to where he is. In addition, he as blood all over himself and a gun holstered to his hip, which is missing a bullet.
Walt has found himself in a bad place. A very bad place. Walt has found himself in the notorious town of Fort Pratt, Montana, where 31 native Indian boys died in a tragic fire that destroyed their boarding school back on New Year’s Eve, 1896. Coincidence or not? It just happens to be the same tragedy that was part of his investigating in his prior book, “The Daughter of the Morning Star”, which involved what may be Walt’s biggest and other-worldly enemy, Éveohtsé-heómėse, the Wandering Without, the Taker of Souls.
Things get worse for Walt as he walks into town. Everyone seems different and a bit strange. They also seem fleetingly familiar but he can’t place them (although the reader will recognize them if they are familiar with the series). Members of the town include highway patrolman, Bobby Womack; Bartender Thomas Bidarte; and even waitress/librarian, Martha Longmire. The only problem is they are supposed to be dead…
This is one of those novels that you really don’t want to describe too much of what happens, because it is best left up to the reader to experience the approach and style that the author, Craig Johnson, is using, by his own words in the acknowledgement – “to create-a Western gothic-romance with tinges of horror”. It is definitely that, and then some.
Up until his last book in this series, I would say that there are a lot of things to like about his books because I am a die-hard Longmire and Craig Johnson fan. However, I am bit a mixed about this one. The bad news is that I did not like the last one, part one-of-this-two-part story. I actually thought it was the weakest of all of the Longmire novels, primarily for reasons I already described in the beginning of this review. The good news is that book, part two of this story, is better. Not necessarily a whole lot better, but it is an improvement.
As Johnson intended, yes, this was definitely a different type of Longmire novel, and he deserves some serious kudos for attempting such a different approach to telling a story. The overall structure and idea were compelling and had real promise. For me, the first 20 – 30 pages started out pretty good, introducing a strange setting and mysterious characters, but then it became cyclical and repetitive. Unfortunately, the most enjoyable parts for me involved Henry Standing Bear and Vic Moretti working together to try and find Walt following his mysterious disappearance. They had some golden moments and classic exchanges.
I’ve spent the last two days reflecting on this one and why I was less emotionally involved in parts of Walt’s storyline. I am left with the impression that this was an interesting approach to take, but the execution, or delivery, of those ideas didn’t necessarily deliver as well as intended. Please don’t get me wrong. This wasn’t a bad novel, but it just wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be. You would think having walt face many of the past people in his life would be a cool story to tell, but there was just something about this whole Éveohtsé-heómėse as a villain idea that didn’t work when it came to the details and connecting the dots in the plotlines. For example, how in the heck did our hero go back in time? That was never explained nor a clue as to how even hinted at. It wasn’t the villain himself, just how he was used didn’t seem to work for me. I am not opposed to spiritual and mystical aspects of Longmire’s world. They’ve played a bog part of his stories and I’ve enjoyed them greatly. I just think that this time it didn’t work as well as I hoped for.
Also, this is like the fifth book in a row that Walt has had the literal crap kicked out of him If you add up all his gunshot wounds, stabbings, and fighting injuries in those five books, he deserves his own super hero cape. I am not sure how much more physical wear and tear that he can take. It’s getting to be a bit too much, you think…
Overall, “Hell and Back” started out as a fairly interesting mystery in the beginning, but then turned repetitive and disjointed in some ways. An improvement over the last book and an interesting read, just not the usual excellent delivery that I am used to getting and enjoying each year. Maybe now that this two-part storyline is over, we can back to what makes Walt so great, more of a traditional based mystery and more character development (especially with Walt’s relationships with Cady and Vic). I am looking forward to that. Here’s to Longmire in 2023…
December 21, 2022
I’ve read all Craig Johnson books. This one was much harder to stay with the stories and characters. There are many characters from Walt’s past throughout the book and most are referred to by their first name. Many changes from the viewpoint of the different characters. Had difficulty deciding whose view I was reading until I’d read farther or went back to check info. Lots of “fantasy” scenes with people already dead and gone. At the end everything came together but I had to think and work hard to get the full story and its many details. I love Walt Longmire stories but would personally like another one more grounded in actual events and people.
February 23, 2024
This is an unforgettable story with Walt Longmire and his usual sidekicks, but written in the horror genre. As we know, Walt is always being haunted by his past encounters with death, so it is almost a given that there will be ghosts in his stories. THE HIGHWAYMAN was the first story truly in this genre. HELL AND BACK is a continuation of the previous book, DAUGHTER OF THE MORNING STAR, dealing with the horrendous disappearance of indigenous people, especially women, throughout the United States, including Alaska. The numbers are bafflingly high, and unknown to the average citizen.
In HELL AND BACK, Walt decides to go and figure out this mystery. Instead, he finds himself in a little ghost town, and needs to find his way back out before it's too late for him. The answer lies on the top of a hill in a burnt-down former boarding school for Indian boys. Although I knew that this was not the last Longmire story, I was afraid for Walt's life through most of it. But when you think of it, when are we NOT afraid for Walt's life?
This was a crazy read, but well worth the craziness!
In HELL AND BACK, Walt decides to go and figure out this mystery. Instead, he finds himself in a little ghost town, and needs to find his way back out before it's too late for him. The answer lies on the top of a hill in a burnt-down former boarding school for Indian boys. Although I knew that this was not the last Longmire story, I was afraid for Walt's life through most of it. But when you think of it, when are we NOT afraid for Walt's life?
This was a crazy read, but well worth the craziness!
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