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Walt Longmire #10
Any Other Name
A sheriff’s mysterious death spurs the tenth novel in the New York Times bestselling Longmire series, the basis for the hit drama series LONGMIRE, now on Netflix
Craig Johnson's The Highwayman is now available from Viking. An Obvious Fact will be available in September 2016.
In Any Other Name, Walt is sinking into high-plains winter discontent when his former boss, Lucian Conally, asks him to take on a mercy case in an adjacent county. Detective Gerald Holman is dead and Lucian wants to know what drove his old friend to take his own life. With the clock ticking on the birth of his first grandchild, Walt learns that the by-the-book detective might have suppressed evidence concerning three missing women. Digging deeper, Walt uncovers an incriminating secret so dark that it threatens to claim other lives even before the sheriff can serve justice—Wyoming style.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Craig Johnson's The Highwayman is now available from Viking. An Obvious Fact will be available in September 2016.
In Any Other Name, Walt is sinking into high-plains winter discontent when his former boss, Lucian Conally, asks him to take on a mercy case in an adjacent county. Detective Gerald Holman is dead and Lucian wants to know what drove his old friend to take his own life. With the clock ticking on the birth of his first grandchild, Walt learns that the by-the-book detective might have suppressed evidence concerning three missing women. Digging deeper, Walt uncovers an incriminating secret so dark that it threatens to claim other lives even before the sheriff can serve justice—Wyoming style.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
323 pages, ebook
First published May 13, 2014
2128 people are currently reading
4483 people want to read
About the author
Craig Johnson
104 books4,999 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 1,160 reviews
September 17, 2016
A sweet little symphony of all my favorite elements from this series featuring Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire. A quest for justice in outdoor settings of the mountain west, teamwork and crackling dialog with his Indian friend Henry and tough sexy deputy Vic, dangerous situations that push Walt to the limits of endurance and courage, and interludes where Walt gains insight from drawing people out in conversation or from subconscious elements that appear in hallucinatory visions when he is near death.
This one is an “away game”. The widow of a sheriff’s investigator in a coal mining town in another county asks Walt to look into his apparent suicide. As he goes through the motions on the case, he sees no obvious signs of murder or involvement of his old friend in corruption, but he does get curious about three of his unsolved cases of missing women and the limited efforts of the department in solving them. I love the little elements of foreshadowing Johnson employs in the tale. When he dwells on a coal train at the beginning, it feels like fate that such a train ends up a significant part of the story. When the father of a missing woman asks him to take temporary charge of a huge antique Colt pistol to keep it out of the hands of her depressed brother, you just know it will play a part in the tale.
This entry in the series has a lot of thrilling action scenes, often with blizzards as a chaos factor, and suffers a bit from lack of focus on character development of Walt, Henry, and Vic. The latter are actually absent from much of the book. His daughter Cady exists only on the phone as a pressure for Walt to stop tilting at windmills and keep to his commitment to attend to the impending birth of his grandchild. Maybe there is a bit of truth to some reviewers’ complaints that Johnson may be writing with the cinematic values of the TV series in mind. But no matter what I am reading, I will always set it aside when I get a fresh Longmire book in my hands. You just have to take dessert when it’s on the table.
For anyone curious about the series, I highly recommend the review and overview by Harry Roolaart.
This one is an “away game”. The widow of a sheriff’s investigator in a coal mining town in another county asks Walt to look into his apparent suicide. As he goes through the motions on the case, he sees no obvious signs of murder or involvement of his old friend in corruption, but he does get curious about three of his unsolved cases of missing women and the limited efforts of the department in solving them. I love the little elements of foreshadowing Johnson employs in the tale. When he dwells on a coal train at the beginning, it feels like fate that such a train ends up a significant part of the story. When the father of a missing woman asks him to take temporary charge of a huge antique Colt pistol to keep it out of the hands of her depressed brother, you just know it will play a part in the tale.
This entry in the series has a lot of thrilling action scenes, often with blizzards as a chaos factor, and suffers a bit from lack of focus on character development of Walt, Henry, and Vic. The latter are actually absent from much of the book. His daughter Cady exists only on the phone as a pressure for Walt to stop tilting at windmills and keep to his commitment to attend to the impending birth of his grandchild. Maybe there is a bit of truth to some reviewers’ complaints that Johnson may be writing with the cinematic values of the TV series in mind. But no matter what I am reading, I will always set it aside when I get a fresh Longmire book in my hands. You just have to take dessert when it’s on the table.
For anyone curious about the series, I highly recommend the review and overview by Harry Roolaart.
September 9, 2016
Sometimes I think Walt Longmire takes his job to serious. As Lucian Connally, his old boss, says about Walt in this book; "Because he's like a gun; once you point him and pull the trigger, it's too late to change your mind." That sums up Walt pretty well. He just can't let go of things. Even when he gets hurt, and let me tell you, he usually ends up with at least one visit to the hospital in every book, at least it feels like that.
Lucian asks him for a favor in this book, a simple request to visit a widow to a recently deceased police. She doesn’t believe that her husband killed himself and Walt agrees to look into the suicide even though all evidence points to suicide and not murder, and even though his daughter Cady is in Philadelphia ready to give birth and want her daddy there. Luckily he has his friend Henry Standing Bear and his trusty deputy Vic Moretti by his side.
I probably had too high expectations after the last book. The ending in the last book had me in bits since I was worried that one of my favorite characters wouldn’t pull through and also since the ending revealed something unexpected and tragic. I found the case in this book a bit lacking. The book was never dull to read, but the case, the suicide that led to missing women wasn’t just my cup of tea. It just never really got intense, not even the ending. It was a good book, but since I have waited to read it for months, longing for it, to have Vic and Walt to have the big talk about what happened in the last book and they just skimmed the surface. So now I have to wait for the next book to see if they will have a heart to heart. I liked it better when I had all the published books to go through instead of this hellish waiting...
Lucian asks him for a favor in this book, a simple request to visit a widow to a recently deceased police. She doesn’t believe that her husband killed himself and Walt agrees to look into the suicide even though all evidence points to suicide and not murder, and even though his daughter Cady is in Philadelphia ready to give birth and want her daddy there. Luckily he has his friend Henry Standing Bear and his trusty deputy Vic Moretti by his side.
I probably had too high expectations after the last book. The ending in the last book had me in bits since I was worried that one of my favorite characters wouldn’t pull through and also since the ending revealed something unexpected and tragic. I found the case in this book a bit lacking. The book was never dull to read, but the case, the suicide that led to missing women wasn’t just my cup of tea. It just never really got intense, not even the ending. It was a good book, but since I have waited to read it for months, longing for it, to have Vic and Walt to have the big talk about what happened in the last book and they just skimmed the surface. So now I have to wait for the next book to see if they will have a heart to heart. I liked it better when I had all the published books to go through instead of this hellish waiting...
Read
February 6, 2019I read it - I really liked it - I love this series.
If you've read it and love the series, I need say no more. If you haven't go back and read prior reviews of the earlier books. My suggestion is start at the beginning with The Cold Dish, book #1.
And just for the record it's not often a tv series based on a book captures my interest. I really miss the Longmire. There was so much more to be explored.
If you've read it and love the series, I need say no more. If you haven't go back and read prior reviews of the earlier books. My suggestion is start at the beginning with The Cold Dish, book #1.
And just for the record it's not often a tv series based on a book captures my interest. I really miss the Longmire. There was so much more to be explored.
June 3, 2014
I had decided to linger awhile before I opened up my world to this particular read, but then I reevaluated my original decision and decided a few more of you need to get on the Craig Johnson bandwagon before we run your ass over. Whether I decide to drive this truck, or sleep in the passenger seat, this is one ride filled with beautiful prose and strings of curse words (courtesy of Victoria Moretti), a rather large Indian, and more than a little folklore and Wyoming history weaved through its elegant pages. And that doesn’t even include the man himself. Longmire, or so the TV series goes, but most of you probably know him as Walt. He may have his way with the ladies, and he hates to run for more than a mile or two, but he can drink a longneck better than any redneck, and he has friends who can commune with the spirits, so yeah, he’s got that going for him. He’s also a bit stubborn, and he has this habit of actually finishing his cases, and not leaving a single man…or woman behind.
To top it all off, he’s on the verge of his first grandchild, and he’s been left to the Wyoming elements more than once in his life, but that just means he’s gotten good at dealing with the cold and the snow and even a few coldhearted souls who show their fangs at the first available opportunity. With a lingering sensation at the back of my neck and hairs standing at attention saluting the sky, I charged through this read with my elbows out and my game face on, and I plunged into a universe filled with more than just dead bodies.
Victoria “Vic” Moretti might just be one of my favorite fictional characters of the female persuasion. She’s got a mouth on her that could get you arrested in Colombia, and she has more curves than the letter S, and she nips earlobes and other available body parts at will. Boy howdy. That’s all I have to say about that. Now that I have picked my jaw up with the back of my right hand, we’ll move on.
Dickzilla. Not to be confused with Bridezilla can be one evil bastard. He’s not known for intelligence, or even a slight amount of competence, but he’ll lead the charge and stomp you into the nearest cow patty. But once you hose yourself off, you’ll soon realize it’s nothing personal.
ANY OTHER NAME certainly made me loud and proud and more than a little glad I had the opportunity to do so before the masses. I was entertained for the better part of this tale with my six-shooter on my right hip, and my wink ready to go, along with my cowboy boots and sweet lass on my right arm. But if you really want to see Craig Johnson exhibit his true talents, you may want to start a bit earlier in this series. If you’re a longtime fan, or even if you’ve fired off a round or two with the man himself, you may find yourself happy you hopped along for the ride.
I received this book for free through NetGalley.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
To top it all off, he’s on the verge of his first grandchild, and he’s been left to the Wyoming elements more than once in his life, but that just means he’s gotten good at dealing with the cold and the snow and even a few coldhearted souls who show their fangs at the first available opportunity. With a lingering sensation at the back of my neck and hairs standing at attention saluting the sky, I charged through this read with my elbows out and my game face on, and I plunged into a universe filled with more than just dead bodies.
Victoria “Vic” Moretti might just be one of my favorite fictional characters of the female persuasion. She’s got a mouth on her that could get you arrested in Colombia, and she has more curves than the letter S, and she nips earlobes and other available body parts at will. Boy howdy. That’s all I have to say about that. Now that I have picked my jaw up with the back of my right hand, we’ll move on.
Dickzilla. Not to be confused with Bridezilla can be one evil bastard. He’s not known for intelligence, or even a slight amount of competence, but he’ll lead the charge and stomp you into the nearest cow patty. But once you hose yourself off, you’ll soon realize it’s nothing personal.
ANY OTHER NAME certainly made me loud and proud and more than a little glad I had the opportunity to do so before the masses. I was entertained for the better part of this tale with my six-shooter on my right hip, and my wink ready to go, along with my cowboy boots and sweet lass on my right arm. But if you really want to see Craig Johnson exhibit his true talents, you may want to start a bit earlier in this series. If you’re a longtime fan, or even if you’ve fired off a round or two with the man himself, you may find yourself happy you hopped along for the ride.
I received this book for free through NetGalley.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
December 23, 2019
I missed the train on this episode, which is kind of ironic, since the opening chapter features a mile-and-a-half long coal train from the High Plains. But I’m currently reading “Dry Bones”, the next in the series, and I forgot to review this rose by any other name. Something I only realized as I read the opening chapter with a strong feeling of deja vu...
Either I’m getting old and distracted, or the series is becoming generic. I am more inclined to put the blame on my own shortcomings, since a quick browse through the book shows it is filled with the usual Longmire stuff: crimes involving very strong family connections, long forgotten personal history, in this case from former sheriff Julian Connolly, and a lot of detailed information about vintage guns – a Colt Walker .44s , the ‘Shooting Iron’, featuring prominently in the plot.
I’m sorry I can’t be more specific about the book, since the series continues to be well above average for a Western thriller, but considering this is the tenth book in the series, its appeal will be stronger to those already familiar with Absaroka County than to newcomers. While it could be read as a stand-alone, I don’t really recommend it, because the ongoing personal interactions between the members of Longmire’s family and friends are one of the major attractions of the book. I might very well revise my rating upward if I ever do a re-read, but considering how quickly I forgot major elements of the plot I will let the 'good enough' stand for now.
Needless to say, I am currently continuing to read about Longmire et Co., something I tend to do when winter season starts.
January 16, 2026
This is the tenth in the series featuring Sheriff Longmire of Wyoming. I'm not a big fan of mysteries, actually, I'm more of a Western fan! So, this works as a contemporary Western. Longmire is the type of strong independent-spirited Westerner such as you'd find in Zane Grey Westerns. The West, especially Wyoming, remains something of a frontier, an untamed land where there is still not much law. People still have to rely very much on themselves unlike urban dwellers ( the vast majority of Americans). And the land still attracts those who seek to exploit the rich resources of the land (coal is featured in this story). So there continue to be conflicts...In this story, Longmire is helping on a case concerning the apparent suicide of a detective. This leads to a cold case concerning a missing woman, then another, and another--three women missing. Following the trail takes Longmire to South Dakota, to a casino in Deadwood and then into the Black Hills....In the end, Craig Johnson shows us his love of the wide-open spaces of the West, especially Wyoming, and captures the Western spirit in his writing.
February 28, 2017
This is book 10 in the Longmire series. Walt Longmire, Absaroka County Sheriff, is asked by Lucian Connally, previous Sheriff, friend and mentor, to look into the suicide of an investigator in a neighboring county. Walt was planning to fly to Philadelphia to be with his daughter as she gives birth to his first grandchild. He agrees to take on the case, much to the displeasure of his daughter. He gets shot, beat up and still works on this case, telling his daughter "Just one more thing" instead of going to the airport for his flight. He does solve the case, but my wife and I agree he should have put his daughter first.
The banter between Deputy Victoria Moretti , Walt and Lucian make for some laugh out lines.
Two quotes:
Victoria, trying on a fur hat--"I look like a badger is humping my head."
Railroad man,describing Lucian-- "That old, one legged boss of yours...He's some kind of loco."
I rate this library book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
The banter between Deputy Victoria Moretti , Walt and Lucian make for some laugh out lines.
Two quotes:
Victoria, trying on a fur hat--"I look like a badger is humping my head."
Railroad man,describing Lucian-- "That old, one legged boss of yours...He's some kind of loco."
I rate this library book 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
July 20, 2014
Book Review:
Craig Johnson has done it again. I am constantly amazed at how reliable this author is. Like the fabulous books by Dick Francis in which the heroes are always objective and honest Johnson has conjured up a very likeable hero in Walt Longmire: his common sense; his integrity; his dedication to community and family and his fierce sense of justice attract me like few other authors. Every once in a while, we need books like these, books that inspire, that give us a sense of the world as it should be. In this sense, Craig Johnson is gold in the hands to anyone that takes the time to read this series.
Winter in the far West is a favorite setting for this author. Nothing arbitray about that. Craig Johnson likes to localize his settings by taking advantage of isolated communities in his fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming. It brings the story home, so to speak. He also uses extreme frigid temperatures to further isolate the happenings in his novels. It's quite ingenious how he does this. The more localized, the more focused the reader becomes.
Johnson also likes to contrast this isolation with sharply defined pin-pricks that come from the outside world. As if saying: "Wyoming is isolated but here's how it ties into the rest of the world" Johnson keeps a tight rein on motivation by infusing a high sense of "urgency" to the matters at hand: in this case the imminent birth of his daughter's baby far away in Pennsylvania and the threat of being disowned if he doesn't show up in time; this while on the hunt for human traffickers right under his nose, and in particular a young woman he's intent on saving from a sure-fire death. Johnson pits a new life against imminent death and it is beautifully and compassionately done.
Transportation is a thematic device. On the one hand, can he make it to the airplane in time for the birth in the midst of a devastating snow storm? On the other, can he save the bondaged girl who is almost frozen to death and trapped on a coal freighter traveling through the same snow storm? Transportation hints at destiny. Again, expertly done.
The writing is filled with wondrous settings and descriptions evocative of Wyoming (I traveled there last summer to experience it for myself). Beautiful country, very isolated, very small communities, a different way of life, pink highways, rolling hills and mountains, and blue horizons. Johnson captures it beautifully. Here's an example.
The Wrangler Motel sat on the eastern side of Gilette like it was run out of town. With a lone strip of eight ground-floor and nine second-floor units, it was anchored to the high plains by a decrepit cafe/bar, the Aces & Eights, on one end and an equally run down office on the other.
For his readers, the setting comes alive with the simple phrase [...] like it was run out of town. We get it. I highly recommend this series. They are evenly paced, page turners, and filled with inspiration, heroes as they ought to be defined, and a return to all that is good.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Series Review
Craig Johnson has written ten novels in his Walt Longmire series. Formerly a police officer; he has also worked as a educator, cowboy and longshoreman. Awards include Tony Hillerman Award, Wyoming Historical Society Award, Wyoming Councl for the Arts Award, as well as numerous starred awards. Johnson was also a board member of the Mystery Writers' of America.
Craig Johnson as an artist, as a man who paints with words ascribes to the essential characteristic of what makes art different from anything else: only it can portray the world as the artist thinks it ought to be as opposed to how it is. "Now a days, it's really hard to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys..." he says in an interview. "But Walt's a pretty good guy...the kinda guy if my car slithered off the road on I-80 in a blizzard, he's the guy I'd want to help me out." Johnson admits to portraying Walt Longmire, the hero in this award-winning series, as "The kinda guy my wife says I want to be in about 10 years."
Starting from his choice of book title all the way to the final period at the end of the book Johnson's prose fills the reader's soul with a longing for the good. And where else is one to find it but in the fictional county of Absaroka, Wyoming and it's Sheriff Walt Longmire. As with the work of William Kent Krueger Johnson introduces readers to the Western concept of cowboys and indians. Growing up in the Netherlands, I read till late in the night the wildly popular series Winnetou and Old Shatterhand (not available in the States). When playing outside 6000 miles away from American soil, it wasn't cops and robbers we played, it was cowboys and indians. It was this image of America I held in my mind as a 12 year old boy standing on the deck of the U.S.S. Rotterdam as we sailed into New York Harbor and waited in the lines of Ellis Island to be granted access to my boyhood dreams.
Unlike older western novels, however, Johnson brings this cultural diversity into the 20th century and without delving into multi-culturalism brings us to that mystical nether region between the two where native american and white man meet each other half-way. Johnson's aim is at portraying a fictional world as it should be and this includes diversity. Henry, a native american is Walt's best friend. The indian community stands ready to aid the law, helps the white man bring justice regardless of race, color or creed. Walt Longmire, in a hallucinatory fit, dances with the Cheyenne spirits who guide him to safety in the midst of a devastating blizzard even though the unconscious man slung over his shoulders is a perpatrator against a Native American woman. Walt does not question his sanity afterwards. Craig Johnson's world is one we might all long for...and isn't that the purpose of art?
Too often I read book reviews where the reviewers seem to place verisimilitude above fiction. In my opinion, if you want reality, if you want to read about the way things are, then view a documentary, read a biography, check out reality TV. This is fiction, and if an author changes reality to suit his notion for the book, so be it...
For some, the first in the series moves along a bit slowly...but to them I would say: give this writer time to paint his world as he sees fit. Books that concentrate on rural settings often have the advantage of highlighting the human condition in startling clarity. Distractions such as are found in urban settings removed, we see good and evil and compassion in a more profound way. Wyoming's Absaroka County gives us this magnifying glass. I found the plot intriguing and the ending second-to-none. Truly, the titles are well chosen in these novels.
There's a huge fan base for Johnson's work out there. A fan base that is after values, the good kind. I'm reminded of my daughter's fascination with Taylor Swift, whose millions of fans adulate her for precisely the same reason: her vision of 'the good'. There is a Renaissance occurring in a real world that at best can be portrayed as lost in the grey fog of compromised values; a Renaissance that has caught the attention of not only our youth, but all ages. And they are telling us what they want.
There's a reason A&E's Longmire series has been approved for Season #2/3. The first season sported A&E's #1 original-series premier of all time with 4.1 million total viewers. I plan to read this entire series and after that, I plan to view the A&E series (on Netflix). Johnson, remarking on the television series agrees that he is 100% on board as the televised version is keeping very close to the books.
Unless there is a drastic divergence in subsequent Longmire novels, the series portion of this review will be the same for all the Walt Longmire books.
Enjoy!
Craig Johnson has done it again. I am constantly amazed at how reliable this author is. Like the fabulous books by Dick Francis in which the heroes are always objective and honest Johnson has conjured up a very likeable hero in Walt Longmire: his common sense; his integrity; his dedication to community and family and his fierce sense of justice attract me like few other authors. Every once in a while, we need books like these, books that inspire, that give us a sense of the world as it should be. In this sense, Craig Johnson is gold in the hands to anyone that takes the time to read this series.
Winter in the far West is a favorite setting for this author. Nothing arbitray about that. Craig Johnson likes to localize his settings by taking advantage of isolated communities in his fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming. It brings the story home, so to speak. He also uses extreme frigid temperatures to further isolate the happenings in his novels. It's quite ingenious how he does this. The more localized, the more focused the reader becomes.
Johnson also likes to contrast this isolation with sharply defined pin-pricks that come from the outside world. As if saying: "Wyoming is isolated but here's how it ties into the rest of the world" Johnson keeps a tight rein on motivation by infusing a high sense of "urgency" to the matters at hand: in this case the imminent birth of his daughter's baby far away in Pennsylvania and the threat of being disowned if he doesn't show up in time; this while on the hunt for human traffickers right under his nose, and in particular a young woman he's intent on saving from a sure-fire death. Johnson pits a new life against imminent death and it is beautifully and compassionately done.
Transportation is a thematic device. On the one hand, can he make it to the airplane in time for the birth in the midst of a devastating snow storm? On the other, can he save the bondaged girl who is almost frozen to death and trapped on a coal freighter traveling through the same snow storm? Transportation hints at destiny. Again, expertly done.
The writing is filled with wondrous settings and descriptions evocative of Wyoming (I traveled there last summer to experience it for myself). Beautiful country, very isolated, very small communities, a different way of life, pink highways, rolling hills and mountains, and blue horizons. Johnson captures it beautifully. Here's an example.
The Wrangler Motel sat on the eastern side of Gilette like it was run out of town. With a lone strip of eight ground-floor and nine second-floor units, it was anchored to the high plains by a decrepit cafe/bar, the Aces & Eights, on one end and an equally run down office on the other.
For his readers, the setting comes alive with the simple phrase [...] like it was run out of town. We get it. I highly recommend this series. They are evenly paced, page turners, and filled with inspiration, heroes as they ought to be defined, and a return to all that is good.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Series Review
Craig Johnson has written ten novels in his Walt Longmire series. Formerly a police officer; he has also worked as a educator, cowboy and longshoreman. Awards include Tony Hillerman Award, Wyoming Historical Society Award, Wyoming Councl for the Arts Award, as well as numerous starred awards. Johnson was also a board member of the Mystery Writers' of America.
Craig Johnson as an artist, as a man who paints with words ascribes to the essential characteristic of what makes art different from anything else: only it can portray the world as the artist thinks it ought to be as opposed to how it is. "Now a days, it's really hard to distinguish the good guys from the bad guys..." he says in an interview. "But Walt's a pretty good guy...the kinda guy if my car slithered off the road on I-80 in a blizzard, he's the guy I'd want to help me out." Johnson admits to portraying Walt Longmire, the hero in this award-winning series, as "The kinda guy my wife says I want to be in about 10 years."
Starting from his choice of book title all the way to the final period at the end of the book Johnson's prose fills the reader's soul with a longing for the good. And where else is one to find it but in the fictional county of Absaroka, Wyoming and it's Sheriff Walt Longmire. As with the work of William Kent Krueger Johnson introduces readers to the Western concept of cowboys and indians. Growing up in the Netherlands, I read till late in the night the wildly popular series Winnetou and Old Shatterhand (not available in the States). When playing outside 6000 miles away from American soil, it wasn't cops and robbers we played, it was cowboys and indians. It was this image of America I held in my mind as a 12 year old boy standing on the deck of the U.S.S. Rotterdam as we sailed into New York Harbor and waited in the lines of Ellis Island to be granted access to my boyhood dreams.
Unlike older western novels, however, Johnson brings this cultural diversity into the 20th century and without delving into multi-culturalism brings us to that mystical nether region between the two where native american and white man meet each other half-way. Johnson's aim is at portraying a fictional world as it should be and this includes diversity. Henry, a native american is Walt's best friend. The indian community stands ready to aid the law, helps the white man bring justice regardless of race, color or creed. Walt Longmire, in a hallucinatory fit, dances with the Cheyenne spirits who guide him to safety in the midst of a devastating blizzard even though the unconscious man slung over his shoulders is a perpatrator against a Native American woman. Walt does not question his sanity afterwards. Craig Johnson's world is one we might all long for...and isn't that the purpose of art?
Too often I read book reviews where the reviewers seem to place verisimilitude above fiction. In my opinion, if you want reality, if you want to read about the way things are, then view a documentary, read a biography, check out reality TV. This is fiction, and if an author changes reality to suit his notion for the book, so be it...
For some, the first in the series moves along a bit slowly...but to them I would say: give this writer time to paint his world as he sees fit. Books that concentrate on rural settings often have the advantage of highlighting the human condition in startling clarity. Distractions such as are found in urban settings removed, we see good and evil and compassion in a more profound way. Wyoming's Absaroka County gives us this magnifying glass. I found the plot intriguing and the ending second-to-none. Truly, the titles are well chosen in these novels.
There's a huge fan base for Johnson's work out there. A fan base that is after values, the good kind. I'm reminded of my daughter's fascination with Taylor Swift, whose millions of fans adulate her for precisely the same reason: her vision of 'the good'. There is a Renaissance occurring in a real world that at best can be portrayed as lost in the grey fog of compromised values; a Renaissance that has caught the attention of not only our youth, but all ages. And they are telling us what they want.
There's a reason A&E's Longmire series has been approved for Season #2/3. The first season sported A&E's #1 original-series premier of all time with 4.1 million total viewers. I plan to read this entire series and after that, I plan to view the A&E series (on Netflix). Johnson, remarking on the television series agrees that he is 100% on board as the televised version is keeping very close to the books.
Unless there is a drastic divergence in subsequent Longmire novels, the series portion of this review will be the same for all the Walt Longmire books.
Enjoy!
April 8, 2025
Der Weg zum Flughafen
Walts alter Freund und Vorgänger Lucian Conally bittet um Hilfe. Detective Gerald Holman hat sich umgebracht und seine Frau kann nicht glauben, dass es wirklich ein Selbstmord war. Doch das ist die Spurenlage. Daran können auch Walt und Lucian nichts ändern. Eigentlich hat Walt auch keine Zeit für eine Untersuchung, die nicht in seinem Zuständigkeitsbereich liegt. Seine Tochter Cady erwartet ihr erstes Kind, sein Enkelkind. Das will und darf Walt nicht verpassen. Doch Lucian ist ein Freund. Zumindest kann man mal schauen, woran Holman zuletzt gearbeitet hat. Ihm wurden einige Cold Cases zugeteilt.
In seinem zehnten Fall will Sheriff Walt Longmire eigentlich nach Philadelphia zu seiner Tochter, die für die Geburt im Krankenhaus ist. Walt ist quasi schon auf dem Weg, aber seinem Freund Lucian zu helfen, da kann und will er nicht nein sagen. Ein wenig überreden lässt er sich. Doch bald ist festzustellen, dass viel Leid in diesem Fall liegt. Der Selbstmord des Detectives kam völlig unerwartet. Die Umstände sind eindeutig und irgendwie auch nicht. Die Witwe will wissen, wieso ihr Mann tot ist. Um sich in den Toten einzufühlen und weil es nicht so viele Wahlmöglichkeiten gibt, quartieren sich Walt und Lucian in dem Motel ein, in dem auch der tote Detective aufgefunden wurde.
Es ist schon schräg, da muss man kurz vor der Geburt seines Enkelkindes noch eben einen Fall lösen, von dem man dachte, es gäbe keinen. Und die Zeit wird knapp und Cady allmählich echt sauer. Mal wieder kommt Walt immerhin mit dem Leben davon. Zum Glück leist man der Reihe hinterher, so dass von vornherein klar ist, dass es weitere Fälle gibt in denen Walt noch gebraucht wird. Sonst hätte man hier tatsächlich einige heikle Situationen, bei denen nicht klar ist, wie sie sich entwickeln. Spannend ist dieser Fall und richtig fies. Man würde Walt einen entspannteren Weg zum Krankenhaus wünschen, um sein Enkelkind willkommen zu heißen. Doch für die Leser ist es so wesentlich packender.
Walts alter Freund und Vorgänger Lucian Conally bittet um Hilfe. Detective Gerald Holman hat sich umgebracht und seine Frau kann nicht glauben, dass es wirklich ein Selbstmord war. Doch das ist die Spurenlage. Daran können auch Walt und Lucian nichts ändern. Eigentlich hat Walt auch keine Zeit für eine Untersuchung, die nicht in seinem Zuständigkeitsbereich liegt. Seine Tochter Cady erwartet ihr erstes Kind, sein Enkelkind. Das will und darf Walt nicht verpassen. Doch Lucian ist ein Freund. Zumindest kann man mal schauen, woran Holman zuletzt gearbeitet hat. Ihm wurden einige Cold Cases zugeteilt.
In seinem zehnten Fall will Sheriff Walt Longmire eigentlich nach Philadelphia zu seiner Tochter, die für die Geburt im Krankenhaus ist. Walt ist quasi schon auf dem Weg, aber seinem Freund Lucian zu helfen, da kann und will er nicht nein sagen. Ein wenig überreden lässt er sich. Doch bald ist festzustellen, dass viel Leid in diesem Fall liegt. Der Selbstmord des Detectives kam völlig unerwartet. Die Umstände sind eindeutig und irgendwie auch nicht. Die Witwe will wissen, wieso ihr Mann tot ist. Um sich in den Toten einzufühlen und weil es nicht so viele Wahlmöglichkeiten gibt, quartieren sich Walt und Lucian in dem Motel ein, in dem auch der tote Detective aufgefunden wurde.
Es ist schon schräg, da muss man kurz vor der Geburt seines Enkelkindes noch eben einen Fall lösen, von dem man dachte, es gäbe keinen. Und die Zeit wird knapp und Cady allmählich echt sauer. Mal wieder kommt Walt immerhin mit dem Leben davon. Zum Glück leist man der Reihe hinterher, so dass von vornherein klar ist, dass es weitere Fälle gibt in denen Walt noch gebraucht wird. Sonst hätte man hier tatsächlich einige heikle Situationen, bei denen nicht klar ist, wie sie sich entwickeln. Spannend ist dieser Fall und richtig fies. Man würde Walt einen entspannteren Weg zum Krankenhaus wünschen, um sein Enkelkind willkommen zu heißen. Doch für die Leser ist es so wesentlich packender.
July 6, 2023
For a book that had a stumbling beginning it sure had an incredible ending. This read had me completely confused as to who was a bad guy and who was a good guy. Lucien is at his best in this book with mounds of anecdotes and unpredictable actions (including a bullet hole through a coffee urn). I will have to try to hold off on reading the next in this series and intersperse another author or two. In other words, I do not want to go to the series fast, but savor each read. Yippee ki-yay!
April 15, 2016
The long-awaited Lola is here. Great series, and all the old cast was present and accounted for. Highly recommended.
May 19, 2014
Another great book in an excellent series. In this eleventh addition Walt Longmire, a Wyoming Sheriff, gets a request from his mentor and predecessor, Lucian, to help him conduct an investigation into the unexpected death of an old friend who was the Sheriff in the next county over. During his preliminary questioning of suspects Walt discovers that too many young, pretty girls have gone missing in this small town to be a coincidence. As his investigation progresses Walt starts to realize that this is not just about the Sheriffs death but is developing into a much larger conspiracy that is implicating a whole chain of bottom feeders. The clock is ticking on this one as Katie's baby is due any minute and boy if Grandpa Walt misses it there will be a whole new investigation into his own death.
All of the regulars are back Vic, Bear, Katie, Lucian, and Dog to help Walt tie up this mystery that is full of twists and turns, fast action and witty, humorous sarcasm. Craig Johnson does such a great job of keeping the series fresh and original so the books don't all blend together, each one is captivating and distinct. George Guidall is a master at bringing Walt and the rest of the characters right off the page, he never fails to elevate the listening experience to another level. I recommend any of these books but they are best read in order to fully enjoy all the nuances and innuendo's carried throughout the series. Can't wait to see where Walt's next can of worms will take us.
All of the regulars are back Vic, Bear, Katie, Lucian, and Dog to help Walt tie up this mystery that is full of twists and turns, fast action and witty, humorous sarcasm. Craig Johnson does such a great job of keeping the series fresh and original so the books don't all blend together, each one is captivating and distinct. George Guidall is a master at bringing Walt and the rest of the characters right off the page, he never fails to elevate the listening experience to another level. I recommend any of these books but they are best read in order to fully enjoy all the nuances and innuendo's carried throughout the series. Can't wait to see where Walt's next can of worms will take us.
July 29, 2016
Walt's back, and perhaps I am identifying too much with the women in his life, but I really want to smack him upside the head, figuratively speaking. Because instead of being in Philadelphia, where his daughter is having a scheduled baby, he's out chasing bad guys. And, of course, that entails wandering around in the snow and being shot at and having some visions, and then escaping the hospital while wounded and some car chases and even a train chase and nearly dying several times. It is exasperating to read, since any one with half of Walt's supposed common sense would have left already.
Plus the plot here is just dumb.
The characters, as always, are great. But please, Mr. Johnson, please, have Walt be less absorbed with his own nobility and more considerate of the people around him.
Plus the plot here is just dumb.
The characters, as always, are great. But please, Mr. Johnson, please, have Walt be less absorbed with his own nobility and more considerate of the people around him.
November 17, 2022
Another good entry in the Longmire series. I have been reading these on and off since seeing the now complete TV series which I really enjoyed. It's been a while since I read one of these but I'm sure I'll be reading more sooner than later. In this one, Longmire travels to a neighboring county to look into the suicide of an investigator named Gerald Holman who was a friend of Longmire's old boss, Lucian Connally. So why would a respected detective commit suicide? Longmire starts looking at the cases Holman was working on and finds that there are three women who have gone missing from the area. Are these missing women connected in some way? Longmire and Lucian, along with an investigator from the neighboring county, start digging through the cases to try to find out what happened. This all leads to some nefarious doings at a small town that includes a strip club, a casino in nearby Deadwood, South Dakota, and an abandoned lodge that was once the summer White House for President Coolidge. All of this takes place in the dead of winter and includes a run in with a herd of buffalo and some help from Henry Standing Bear and Undersheriff Vic Moretti.
This was a thrilling and compelling entry in the series. At the end Longmire's daughter Cady gives birth in Philadelphia. Will Longmire make it there in time? And someone has a hit out on Longmire which leads a good opening to the next in the series. I may have to get it from the library to continue this saga.
This was a thrilling and compelling entry in the series. At the end Longmire's daughter Cady gives birth in Philadelphia. Will Longmire make it there in time? And someone has a hit out on Longmire which leads a good opening to the next in the series. I may have to get it from the library to continue this saga.
June 8, 2014
I've read all of Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire mysteries set in Wyoming, and bought hist latest book on his recent book tour in PA. I appreciate the fact that Johnson has always supported and continues to support indie bookstores on his annual national book tours.
While I enjoyed this book and the plot held my interest, it didn't live up to earlier books in the series for me. Now that Longmire has become a popular A&E TV show, I feel it's changed the way the other characters view Walt in the novels. He's no longer just their sheriff, he has become a legendary, larger than life figure that doesn't entirely ring true. And some of the action scenes seem to be written for the sole reason that they would make a good scene in the TV adaptation.
I miss the old Walt and his more down to earth depiction from the earlier books. It also frustrated me almost as much as it did his daughter Cady that he wouldn't wrap up his current case and head to Philly to await the birth of his first grandchild, as she kept asking him to do. I hope the next book in the series is a return to form.
While I enjoyed this book and the plot held my interest, it didn't live up to earlier books in the series for me. Now that Longmire has become a popular A&E TV show, I feel it's changed the way the other characters view Walt in the novels. He's no longer just their sheriff, he has become a legendary, larger than life figure that doesn't entirely ring true. And some of the action scenes seem to be written for the sole reason that they would make a good scene in the TV adaptation.
I miss the old Walt and his more down to earth depiction from the earlier books. It also frustrated me almost as much as it did his daughter Cady that he wouldn't wrap up his current case and head to Philly to await the birth of his first grandchild, as she kept asking him to do. I hope the next book in the series is a return to form.
June 7, 2014
At this point I am beginning to question whether the Longmire books are intended to be read as stories or to be used solely as plot outlines for the TV series. I haven't watched the series, but this book and A Serpent's Tooth felt a lot more like TV-driven stories than the more complicated stories found in the best books of this series (The Cold Dish, Death Without Company, As the Crow Flies, and Hell is Empty). I miss the more nuanced interactions with the characters other than Walt. In this book, Henry Standing Bear is just a buddy and Vic is really not much more than a cursing sidekick. Still a decent enough read, but I'm really hoping the next book is written for the readers and not the viewers.
January 18, 2017
Not one of my favorites in this series. It has a weak mystery, little in the way of character development, and the action scenes are largely a repeat of the same scenario we see in most of these books: Walt stubbornly trudging through the snow, badly injured, chasing a suspect while seeing visions. (I dislike the visions. I don’t want these books to have a supernatural element, and the character is not sufficiently immersed in Indian culture to imagine these scenes.) The ending is particularly outlandish, as the author hunts for ever more absurd ways to place Walt in danger.
He’s supposed to be in Philadelphia for the imminent birth of his grandchild, but instead he’s investigating the suicide of a police officer and searching for a missing woman. Henry shows up only to help track a suspect and to intercept calls from an agitated Cady. Vick shows up only to be sexy and make profane comments. I was glad to see Lucian, the old sheriff, but he only shows up to fire his weapon inappropriately. This series is becoming a one-man show, and it would be much more interesting as an ensemble piece.
What’s with the new emphasis on Walt’s intelligence? Sure, he’s always been portrayed as smart and particularly well-read, but now he has a photographic memory, and hints gratuitously at a superior score on the Wonderlic. (I had to look it up; it’s a cognitive ability test used by the NFL to assess potential draft picks, a sort of quick IQ test.)
This book also seems to have a higher than usual level of hero-worship aimed at Walt. I’m always annoyed when you can tell the villains from the good guys by whether or not they admire the protagonist. I feel like the TV show does a better job showing shades of gray in all the characters.
Oh well, maybe the next book will be better, because I’ll probably read it.
He’s supposed to be in Philadelphia for the imminent birth of his grandchild, but instead he’s investigating the suicide of a police officer and searching for a missing woman. Henry shows up only to help track a suspect and to intercept calls from an agitated Cady. Vick shows up only to be sexy and make profane comments. I was glad to see Lucian, the old sheriff, but he only shows up to fire his weapon inappropriately. This series is becoming a one-man show, and it would be much more interesting as an ensemble piece.
What’s with the new emphasis on Walt’s intelligence? Sure, he’s always been portrayed as smart and particularly well-read, but now he has a photographic memory, and hints gratuitously at a superior score on the Wonderlic. (I had to look it up; it’s a cognitive ability test used by the NFL to assess potential draft picks, a sort of quick IQ test.)
This book also seems to have a higher than usual level of hero-worship aimed at Walt. I’m always annoyed when you can tell the villains from the good guys by whether or not they admire the protagonist. I feel like the TV show does a better job showing shades of gray in all the characters.
Oh well, maybe the next book will be better, because I’ll probably read it.
August 9, 2016
Craig Johnson writes clearly and his continuing characterizations give you something surprising about his protagonists with every book in the series. Not that I've read them all. But in piecemeal fashion you get more and more context. It's nearly to an unbelievable level- rather like the 6th or 7th season of a Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones. You don't ever seem, as the reader or watcher, to know all the key components. You just THINK you do.
But this one has an intense number of shoot em ups, crisis medical, timing all gone astray- and those are just the "easy" parts. The hard parts are wounds, snow-out conditions on a mountain side tracking, and being surrounded by a whole herd of buffalo. Well, those are the hard parts for one of the nights this covers.
The case is outside of Wyoming and in South Dakota and done for a "favor". Law men friends surround and 3 missing women are a vacant void puzzling few. Only a few relatives and friends still looking for them?
Vic is at her most vocal. Henry is all prime and central in the mix. Cady is flagrantly calling again and again. A viscous pit bull gets drugged and finds a new owner we all know. And Dog gets to ride an airplane.
It was near perfect, and 5 star entertaining. It lost only a star in the blood loss belief factor and the performance of the ancient Colt. Too large! Yes, I know Longmire is a big man, but come on.
Regardless, Craig Johnson's writing style, characters are awesome. Conversations are unique and enticing, enchanting. And Deadwood in this one was also a 5.
Almost forgot- I LOVED how they got that hide and leather man in there. And how Walt got his new handmade badge holder wallet. That old stiff, awkard one dropping all the time did make me nuts.
But this one has an intense number of shoot em ups, crisis medical, timing all gone astray- and those are just the "easy" parts. The hard parts are wounds, snow-out conditions on a mountain side tracking, and being surrounded by a whole herd of buffalo. Well, those are the hard parts for one of the nights this covers.
The case is outside of Wyoming and in South Dakota and done for a "favor". Law men friends surround and 3 missing women are a vacant void puzzling few. Only a few relatives and friends still looking for them?
Vic is at her most vocal. Henry is all prime and central in the mix. Cady is flagrantly calling again and again. A viscous pit bull gets drugged and finds a new owner we all know. And Dog gets to ride an airplane.
It was near perfect, and 5 star entertaining. It lost only a star in the blood loss belief factor and the performance of the ancient Colt. Too large! Yes, I know Longmire is a big man, but come on.
Regardless, Craig Johnson's writing style, characters are awesome. Conversations are unique and enticing, enchanting. And Deadwood in this one was also a 5.
Almost forgot- I LOVED how they got that hide and leather man in there. And how Walt got his new handmade badge holder wallet. That old stiff, awkard one dropping all the time did make me nuts.
July 15, 2014
Another great addition to the Longmire cannon is this fast moving thrill a minute chapter in the Wyoming high planes.
The story starts out with Walt Longmire being asked to look into someone's suicide, then quickly morphs into a search for three missing young woman. Longmire believes they are both connected.
One of the aspects of this series is the humor that Johnson is able to insert into some of these grim events. For example as Longmire and his deputy Moretti are on the trail of one of the missing women the clues lead them to the city of Deadwood Wyoming. As they are driving there Longmire asks Moretti if she has ever been to Deadwood. Moretti replies "No, but I watched the T.V. show about it, and I really liked it."
"Why's that?" asks Longmire, "Cus they said Fuck a Lot" replies Moretti.
This was an all around fun and truly enjoyable read.
The story starts out with Walt Longmire being asked to look into someone's suicide, then quickly morphs into a search for three missing young woman. Longmire believes they are both connected.
One of the aspects of this series is the humor that Johnson is able to insert into some of these grim events. For example as Longmire and his deputy Moretti are on the trail of one of the missing women the clues lead them to the city of Deadwood Wyoming. As they are driving there Longmire asks Moretti if she has ever been to Deadwood. Moretti replies "No, but I watched the T.V. show about it, and I really liked it."
"Why's that?" asks Longmire, "Cus they said Fuck a Lot" replies Moretti.
This was an all around fun and truly enjoyable read.
April 19, 2014
This latest book in the series gets a *ten* from me. I enjoyed every second of this book. Less Indian mysticism and more crackling good and funny dialogue. Two standouts here; Lucian (please don't ever kill him off, Mr. Johnson), and the scene with the Bison. If you've never read a Sheriff Longmire, start now. If you have, this one will not disappoint. Fans of Robert B Parker; this is your Wyoming Spenser.
June 2, 2019
Excellent mystery series. Craig Johnson is a skilled storyteller, whose characters, wit, and love of Wyoming keep me engrossed. Wyoming Sherriff Walt Longmire has true grit, endurance, tenacity, acuity, intelligence, skepticism, and humanity. Walt's relationships with his best friend, lover, daughter, dog, and former boss enliven the tale.
May 2, 2024
Here we are, already at book #10! Not as interesting as some previous plots until the we approach the climax - then it's all kinds of fun.
This one is about the suspicious death of a detective in a neighboring county. The crime scene looks like suicide, but the man's widow just doesn't believe it. Walt takes the case to the chagrin of his daughter Cady, who is VERY pregnant, scheduled to have labor induced in a few days, and really wants her father with her in Philadelphia.
The case grows to involve a few missing women, a couple shady men, and a former nemesis. A certain Virgil White Buffalo even makes an appearance. There's a pretty cool chase scene with Walt working his way across the outside of a moving train - shout out to Tom Mix.
I do love these Longmire novels - even when the main plot isn't the most interesting, they still deliver solid, reliable entertainment. The pages fly by, too! Onward to the next novel, Dry Bones.
This one is about the suspicious death of a detective in a neighboring county. The crime scene looks like suicide, but the man's widow just doesn't believe it. Walt takes the case to the chagrin of his daughter Cady, who is VERY pregnant, scheduled to have labor induced in a few days, and really wants her father with her in Philadelphia.
The case grows to involve a few missing women, a couple shady men, and a former nemesis. A certain Virgil White Buffalo even makes an appearance. There's a pretty cool chase scene with Walt working his way across the outside of a moving train - shout out to Tom Mix.
I do love these Longmire novels - even when the main plot isn't the most interesting, they still deliver solid, reliable entertainment. The pages fly by, too! Onward to the next novel, Dry Bones.
August 25, 2023
The tenth episode of Johnson’s Longmire series was even more riveting than usual, as Sheriff Walt Longmire of Wyoming’s (fictional) Absaroka County plunges into another case. At the behest of his buddy and former boss Lucien, the two begin an investigation into the apparent suicide of a lawman in a neighboring county, Gerold Holman; they turn up evidence that Holman was working on a missing persons case involving the recent disappearances of 3 young local women. Walt, along with under sheriff Vic Moretti and pal Henry Standing Bear, follows the evidence into South Dakota and back, through a blizzard, narrowly avoiding death. And all this with the added pressure that his beloved daughter Cady in Philadelphia is due to have a baby any day, and he has promised to be there for her. Excellent reading!
July 12, 2014
First Sentence: Joseph Conrad said that if you wanted to know the age of the earth, look upon the sea in a storm; if you want to know the age of the Powder River country just be on the wrong side of a coal train.
Sheriff Walt Longmire is about to be a grandfather—very soon. He has promised his daughter, Cady, that he will be in Philadelphia for the baby’s birth. His old friend and former boss, Lucian Connally, asks him for a favor of going with him to an adjacent county and visit a woman whose daughter is missing. One missing woman leads to secrets, corruption and possible death.
Johnson is the epitome of a story teller. You are not a viewer; you are a participant. How does he do it? He starts by hooking you into the story from the very beginning by his strong voice and the ability to create a very visual sense of place. He makes you feel and see what he describes. His inclusion of spiritualism adds to the sense of place, the strength of the character and the story.
Part of that voice is his humor. It’s not situational, but dry and natural. His dialogue is among the best being written. Most of it is his characters. Walt is such an engaging character. He is truly the “long arm of the law” and well-liked by his colleagues. But he’s not infallible nor is he superman. The supporting characters of Henry Standing Bear and Undersheriff Vic Moretti, Lucian and Dog are significant to the story. Best of all, even the secondary characters are well developed. None of Johnson’s characters are flat or stereotypes. They all have a part to play in the effectiveness of the story. Even the weather becomes a character within the story.
“Any Other Name” is an excellent book. It’s filled with tension and breath-catching suspense, but the pacing is perfect with enough pauses in the action for balance. Johnson is an author who both entertains you and educates you. There’s not a single wrong step to be found.
ANY OTHER NAME (Pol Proc-Sheriff Walt Longmire-Wyoming, Contemp) - Ex
Johnson, Craig – 10th in series
Viking, 2014
Sheriff Walt Longmire is about to be a grandfather—very soon. He has promised his daughter, Cady, that he will be in Philadelphia for the baby’s birth. His old friend and former boss, Lucian Connally, asks him for a favor of going with him to an adjacent county and visit a woman whose daughter is missing. One missing woman leads to secrets, corruption and possible death.
Johnson is the epitome of a story teller. You are not a viewer; you are a participant. How does he do it? He starts by hooking you into the story from the very beginning by his strong voice and the ability to create a very visual sense of place. He makes you feel and see what he describes. His inclusion of spiritualism adds to the sense of place, the strength of the character and the story.
Part of that voice is his humor. It’s not situational, but dry and natural. His dialogue is among the best being written. Most of it is his characters. Walt is such an engaging character. He is truly the “long arm of the law” and well-liked by his colleagues. But he’s not infallible nor is he superman. The supporting characters of Henry Standing Bear and Undersheriff Vic Moretti, Lucian and Dog are significant to the story. Best of all, even the secondary characters are well developed. None of Johnson’s characters are flat or stereotypes. They all have a part to play in the effectiveness of the story. Even the weather becomes a character within the story.
“Any Other Name” is an excellent book. It’s filled with tension and breath-catching suspense, but the pacing is perfect with enough pauses in the action for balance. Johnson is an author who both entertains you and educates you. There’s not a single wrong step to be found.
ANY OTHER NAME (Pol Proc-Sheriff Walt Longmire-Wyoming, Contemp) - Ex
Johnson, Craig – 10th in series
Viking, 2014
June 20, 2019
The 10th book in the Longmire series continues the entertaining and fulfilling run.
As a favor to his friend and retired sheriff, Lucian Conally, Sheriff Walt Longmire investigates the questionable suicide of a deputy sheriff in a neighboring county. Using the technique that Walter says has served him well, “ask the question, then wait for the answer”, he soon becomes enmeshed in the disappearance of three women. The trail leads Walt into the middle of a buffalo stampede and at the bottom of a coal car, but he is able to be at the birth of his first grandchild in the nick of time.
As always, Johnson’s writing is witty, thoughtful and pure fun. An excellent audible listen.
As a favor to his friend and retired sheriff, Lucian Conally, Sheriff Walt Longmire investigates the questionable suicide of a deputy sheriff in a neighboring county. Using the technique that Walter says has served him well, “ask the question, then wait for the answer”, he soon becomes enmeshed in the disappearance of three women. The trail leads Walt into the middle of a buffalo stampede and at the bottom of a coal car, but he is able to be at the birth of his first grandchild in the nick of time.
As always, Johnson’s writing is witty, thoughtful and pure fun. An excellent audible listen.
September 28, 2022
Any Other Name finds Walt outside his jurisdiction doing a favor for ex-boss Lucien Connally by investigating the suicide of an old friend. Could it have anything to do with the missing persons case he was working on? And can Walt close the investigation in time to fly to Philadelphia for the birth of his first grandchild?
I haven't been reading the series in order, so I missed that some of the events are connected to the previous book, A Serpent's Tooth. I'll need to catch up on that. I still enjoy these stories a lot. If I have one complaint it's that the action scenes in this book seem over-the-top and Walt comes off as a kind of invincible action figure.
I haven't been reading the series in order, so I missed that some of the events are connected to the previous book, A Serpent's Tooth. I'll need to catch up on that. I still enjoy these stories a lot. If I have one complaint it's that the action scenes in this book seem over-the-top and Walt comes off as a kind of invincible action figure.
August 28, 2021
I am a Longmire fan. So, anything written by Craig Johnson has my attention. Unfortunately, Any Other Name: A Longmire Mystery is, to me, a disappointing entry to the Longmire canon.
Yes, it is a Longmire story. Yes, all the characters are 'there'. And, yes, Walt gets to say "Boy Howdy", in the appropriate place.
What I really didn't like about this story was how it sets-up, or continues to set-up the conflict between our: folksy, cowboy, Sherlock and his: evil, international criminal, Moriarty-like, nemesis (hint: who shot Vic?).
What was wrong with Walt solving cowboy crimes in Absaroka County, Wyoming and its surrounds, with a dash of native American mysticism for spice? Isn't there enough crime and punishment to write about in the wide, American west (and Philadelphia)? Why does Johnson have to have South American assassins sent by a criminal mastermind gunning for Walt?
So, I'm really not pleased with the direction the story-line is taking. Its becoming Robert Ludlum-esque, and sacrificing a lot of its charm in the process.
Yes, it is a Longmire story. Yes, all the characters are 'there'. And, yes, Walt gets to say "Boy Howdy", in the appropriate place.
What I really didn't like about this story was how it sets-up, or continues to set-up the conflict between our: folksy, cowboy, Sherlock and his: evil, international criminal, Moriarty-like, nemesis (hint: who shot Vic?).
What was wrong with Walt solving cowboy crimes in Absaroka County, Wyoming and its surrounds, with a dash of native American mysticism for spice? Isn't there enough crime and punishment to write about in the wide, American west (and Philadelphia)? Why does Johnson have to have South American assassins sent by a criminal mastermind gunning for Walt?
So, I'm really not pleased with the direction the story-line is taking. Its becoming Robert Ludlum-esque, and sacrificing a lot of its charm in the process.
June 4, 2014
This book was a return to form after the last entry in the series, A Serpent's Tooth, didn't meet my highest expectations of the Walt Longmire series. The plot was tight, the characters diverse, the mystery elusive, and the subplot of Walt's daughter's giving birth created a tension -- can Walt crack the case in time to fly to Philadelphia for his grandchild's birth? -- to the entire book. This volume also ties up some loose ends and left some possibilities for the future of the series .
January 11, 2018
This man is always trudging through snow while dead American Indians talk to him. Is this the third book this has happened to him? The bad guys weren't just bad but demented and if these were real people I would hope that everything they did was done to them twice.
I'm going to hold off on the next book in the series because although the series does have some humor, this one made me just sick to my stomach. Even with that, good book/series.
I'm going to hold off on the next book in the series because although the series does have some humor, this one made me just sick to my stomach. Even with that, good book/series.
January 22, 2018
**As I continue my Longmire series read, full disclosure requires that I openly admit I am a devoted fan of the Longmire television show (on A/E and now Netflix) and have enjoyed reading the previous books in the Longmire book series that inspired that show even more. With that said, I am still doing my best to provide objective and an honest review. **
“Any Other Name” is the tenth 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.
The story begins with Walt waiting for Cady to give birth to his first grandchild while he is asked by Lucian, the former sheriff and his previous, to review the suicide of a detective in a nearby county. Lucian had an unspecified personal relationship with the detective’s wife and wants Walt to find out if the man really took his own life, and if so, why.
The birth of Walt’s grandchild could involve complications so Cady is scheduled to be induced within a matter of days so with the clock running, Walt reviews the detective’s caseload, and gets started with what he does best, investigating and irritating almost everyone he meets. When Walt’s investigation leads him on the trail of three missing women, he enlists the aid of both Henry Standing Bear and Vic Moretti in his search. Henry is tough as ever, but Vic is carrying the emotional baggage of her personal loss she suffered at the end of the last book ("A Serpent’s Tooth"), a secret she is not aware that Walt knows about.
As the story gets going the mystery is nicely layered and develops effectively for the reader. There are some definitely interesting characters, and strong challenges that Walt faces before the outcome is resolved. And there was an interesting reveal of information about a professional contract on Walt’s life that could lead to more conflict for him in future books.
There are some really good moments in this book. The interactions between Lucian and Walt are priceless. This time, it Lucian fires his gun several times, including at one particular restaurant pot of coffee. Walt’s moments with Vic are filled with tension and a special bonding. And I personally find that certain swear words are just funnier coming from Vic’s mouth than anyone else. These are some prime examples of what make the “Longmire” series so rich and special for the reader.
Now, let me mention two things that are starting to become a pattern and – sorry to say – beginning to be turn into an annoyance. First, it seems like this is the third or fourth time that Longmire is racing through an investigation because he is supposed to be somewhere for his daughter Cady. This can be a nice tool for the writer to run two plots – a professional and personal one – together in a story. It just seems to be a pattern for Walt and I am starting to be annoyed with it for a couple of reasons. One, investigations do not always resolve themselves in a nice and tidy manner in the timeframe required. Yes, I know – UNLESS it is in a novel where the writer has total control. Got it. I think this time it really bugged me because Cady’s argument was absolutely correct. Walt owed her his commitment and he should have showed it because he WANTED to. She is his first priority. Walt’s endless commitment to helping others, even over his own family members, is a habit he refuses to break. Someday, I truly fear he will pay an awful price. Maybe the writer could just tone this aspect down a little bit. Cady deserves some love and respect. Okay, I am done with the rants. And no, they did not take away from the greatness of the characters and the books. And yes, I know that many of you will say, “Yes, but that’s Walt. And we love him for it.” Got it.
Overall, “Any Other Name” is a strong story about different aspects of family, including dealing with loss, birth, love, betrayal, guilt, and of course, a tunnel-vision focus on justice the Longmire way. It was also another strong entry in an excellent mystery series.
“Any Other Name” is the tenth 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.
The story begins with Walt waiting for Cady to give birth to his first grandchild while he is asked by Lucian, the former sheriff and his previous, to review the suicide of a detective in a nearby county. Lucian had an unspecified personal relationship with the detective’s wife and wants Walt to find out if the man really took his own life, and if so, why.
The birth of Walt’s grandchild could involve complications so Cady is scheduled to be induced within a matter of days so with the clock running, Walt reviews the detective’s caseload, and gets started with what he does best, investigating and irritating almost everyone he meets. When Walt’s investigation leads him on the trail of three missing women, he enlists the aid of both Henry Standing Bear and Vic Moretti in his search. Henry is tough as ever, but Vic is carrying the emotional baggage of her personal loss she suffered at the end of the last book ("A Serpent’s Tooth"), a secret she is not aware that Walt knows about.
As the story gets going the mystery is nicely layered and develops effectively for the reader. There are some definitely interesting characters, and strong challenges that Walt faces before the outcome is resolved. And there was an interesting reveal of information about a professional contract on Walt’s life that could lead to more conflict for him in future books.
There are some really good moments in this book. The interactions between Lucian and Walt are priceless. This time, it Lucian fires his gun several times, including at one particular restaurant pot of coffee. Walt’s moments with Vic are filled with tension and a special bonding. And I personally find that certain swear words are just funnier coming from Vic’s mouth than anyone else. These are some prime examples of what make the “Longmire” series so rich and special for the reader.
Now, let me mention two things that are starting to become a pattern and – sorry to say – beginning to be turn into an annoyance. First, it seems like this is the third or fourth time that Longmire is racing through an investigation because he is supposed to be somewhere for his daughter Cady. This can be a nice tool for the writer to run two plots – a professional and personal one – together in a story. It just seems to be a pattern for Walt and I am starting to be annoyed with it for a couple of reasons. One, investigations do not always resolve themselves in a nice and tidy manner in the timeframe required. Yes, I know – UNLESS it is in a novel where the writer has total control. Got it. I think this time it really bugged me because Cady’s argument was absolutely correct. Walt owed her his commitment and he should have showed it because he WANTED to. She is his first priority. Walt’s endless commitment to helping others, even over his own family members, is a habit he refuses to break. Someday, I truly fear he will pay an awful price. Maybe the writer could just tone this aspect down a little bit. Cady deserves some love and respect. Okay, I am done with the rants. And no, they did not take away from the greatness of the characters and the books. And yes, I know that many of you will say, “Yes, but that’s Walt. And we love him for it.” Got it.
Overall, “Any Other Name” is a strong story about different aspects of family, including dealing with loss, birth, love, betrayal, guilt, and of course, a tunnel-vision focus on justice the Longmire way. It was also another strong entry in an excellent mystery series.
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