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Walt Longmire #0.5
Tooth and Claw
In the tradition of Wait for Signs and The Highwayman, Craig Johnson is back with a short novel set in the Alaska tundra where a young Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear face off with powerful enemies who will do anything to get what they want.
Tooth and Claw follows Walt and Henry up to Alaska as they look for work after they both returned from serving in Vietnam. While working for an oil company in the bitter cold of winter, they soon encounter a ferocious polar bear who seems hell-bent on their destruction. But it's not too long until they realize the danger does not lurk outside in the frozen Alaskan tundra, but with their co-workers who are after priceless treasure and will stop at nothing to get it.
Fans of Longmire will thrill to this pulse-pounding and bone-chilling novel of extreme adventure that adds another indelible chapter to the great story of Walt Longmire.
Tooth and Claw follows Walt and Henry up to Alaska as they look for work after they both returned from serving in Vietnam. While working for an oil company in the bitter cold of winter, they soon encounter a ferocious polar bear who seems hell-bent on their destruction. But it's not too long until they realize the danger does not lurk outside in the frozen Alaskan tundra, but with their co-workers who are after priceless treasure and will stop at nothing to get it.
Fans of Longmire will thrill to this pulse-pounding and bone-chilling novel of extreme adventure that adds another indelible chapter to the great story of Walt Longmire.
189 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 19, 2024
525 people are currently reading
2681 people want to read
About the author
Craig Johnson
102 books4,964 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 542 reviews
November 14, 2024
If you enjoy wilderness adventure and suspense, then look no further than
Tooth and Claw: A Longmire Story
by Craig Johnson. Set in 1970, this is a short prequel book that features Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear. They’ve recently returned from Vietnam and Walt wasn’t ready to settle down in Wyoming yet. He takes a job as the head of security for an oil company near Nuiqsut, a city in the North Slope Borough of Alaska. Henry is visiting for 72 hours and doesn’t want to spend all of it inside.
He gets his wish. A security worker that was supposed to accompany a scientific expedition getting core ice samples at two locations near the Beaufort Sea is pulled due to an incident and Walt and Henry go instead. What is supposed to be a day run with maybe a single overnight stay at the remote site turns into an adventure like no other. With an encounter with a ferocious polar bear, a storm on the way, and co-workers with agendas, this turns into a riveting and pulse-pounding read.
Readers get a hint at the personalities of Walt and Henry, but due to the shortness of the novel, the characters don’t have as much depth as you see in a full-length book. However, readers do see how Walt feels like he’s becoming unwound after returning from the war. His somewhat warped sense of humor also comes through well.
This novel is fast-paced, filled with dangerous and intense scenes, and I learned some history about a steam ship that was abandoned in 1931 by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The author’s note also includes some interesting facts. The book is creative and has several layers and twists to it.
Craig Johnson is a superb storyteller who immediately engages the reader. As the story unfolds, there are some shocking and disturbing scenes with life and death consequences. The world-building is fantastic. From the clothing needed to stay warm, to the silent and deadly polar bear, to the winter storm and the darkness that seems never-ending, this reader felt transported and dreading what would happen next.
Overall, this is an amazing and suspenseful wilderness adventure that includes a mystery as well. While this is the first book I’ve read by this author, I want to read the rest of the series. Fans of the series and wilderness adventure will likely enjoy the novel.
PENGUIN GROUP Viking and Craig Johnson provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for November 19, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 4.22 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
He gets his wish. A security worker that was supposed to accompany a scientific expedition getting core ice samples at two locations near the Beaufort Sea is pulled due to an incident and Walt and Henry go instead. What is supposed to be a day run with maybe a single overnight stay at the remote site turns into an adventure like no other. With an encounter with a ferocious polar bear, a storm on the way, and co-workers with agendas, this turns into a riveting and pulse-pounding read.
Readers get a hint at the personalities of Walt and Henry, but due to the shortness of the novel, the characters don’t have as much depth as you see in a full-length book. However, readers do see how Walt feels like he’s becoming unwound after returning from the war. His somewhat warped sense of humor also comes through well.
This novel is fast-paced, filled with dangerous and intense scenes, and I learned some history about a steam ship that was abandoned in 1931 by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The author’s note also includes some interesting facts. The book is creative and has several layers and twists to it.
Craig Johnson is a superb storyteller who immediately engages the reader. As the story unfolds, there are some shocking and disturbing scenes with life and death consequences. The world-building is fantastic. From the clothing needed to stay warm, to the silent and deadly polar bear, to the winter storm and the darkness that seems never-ending, this reader felt transported and dreading what would happen next.
Overall, this is an amazing and suspenseful wilderness adventure that includes a mystery as well. While this is the first book I’ve read by this author, I want to read the rest of the series. Fans of the series and wilderness adventure will likely enjoy the novel.
PENGUIN GROUP Viking and Craig Johnson provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for November 19, 2024. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
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My 4.22 rounded to 4 stars review is coming soon.
January 20, 2025
4 stars for a prequel type book in the Longmire series. This book has Walt working for an oil company as the security chief at an oil rig on the North slope of Alaska. It is set in 1970 and Walt has been discharged from the Marines. But he needs to work things out in his mind because of his time in Vietnam, disappointing his girlfriend Martha, who waited for him in Wyoming while he was in the Marines.
Walt's friend Henry Standing Bear has also been discharged from the Army and has come to Alaska to visit his friend, partly because he is worried about Walt's state of mind. As you might guess from the title and the cover, much of the book has to do with their encounter with a polar bear. But there is a secondary plot involving employees of the oil company. This is a short book, only 189 pages and can be read in a day or so. I recommend it to fans of the series.
This was a library book.
Walt's friend Henry Standing Bear has also been discharged from the Army and has come to Alaska to visit his friend, partly because he is worried about Walt's state of mind. As you might guess from the title and the cover, much of the book has to do with their encounter with a polar bear. But there is a secondary plot involving employees of the oil company. This is a short book, only 189 pages and can be read in a day or so. I recommend it to fans of the series.
This was a library book.
December 11, 2024
I cannot get enough of Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear. No matter how much trouble they get in they always keep the humorous banter rolling. In this novel they step back in time when they were in the Arctic. The weather can be their worst enemy when it includes a honked off polar bear with a grudge. Survival, action, humor are all mixed in to create another sensational read. To Longmire fans … you are going to enjoy the ride.
December 9, 2024
4 Stars for Tooth and Claw: Walt Longmire, Book 0.5 (audiobook) by Craig Johnson read by George Guidall.
Things go sideways for Walt and Henry as they are working for an oil company in Alaska. A storm blows in as a crazed polar bear is determined to kill them. It will take all of their perseverance and cunning to outwit the bear.
Things go sideways for Walt and Henry as they are working for an oil company in Alaska. A storm blows in as a crazed polar bear is determined to kill them. It will take all of their perseverance and cunning to outwit the bear.
November 14, 2024
Henry and Walt's excellent adventure: after their tour in Vietnam, they are working in Alaska for an oil company. During a fierce storm, the crew is being pursued by a hungry creature which may be a polar bear. It is not just nature that is a problem--others working with them seem to have ulterior motives. This novella offers nonstop excitement, and offers a look at Walt and Henry as young men. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
December 9, 2024
A Real Bear of a Tale
After Nam, Walt wasn’t quite himself and couldn’t go home to Martha yet, and she was missing him. Henry went in search of Walt working as security in an Arctic research outpost.
When the researchers went out, Walt went along to provide security from the Arctic dangers. The next outing was just before an Arctic storm moved in, and Henry decided to accompany Walt.
This is the best of Walt’s “memory lane” stories, and I cut through it in a few hours. It’s not a long story, but what it lacks in duration it makes up for with substance. Five stars for this Bear of a tale.
After Nam, Walt wasn’t quite himself and couldn’t go home to Martha yet, and she was missing him. Henry went in search of Walt working as security in an Arctic research outpost.
When the researchers went out, Walt went along to provide security from the Arctic dangers. The next outing was just before an Arctic storm moved in, and Henry decided to accompany Walt.
This is the best of Walt’s “memory lane” stories, and I cut through it in a few hours. It’s not a long story, but what it lacks in duration it makes up for with substance. Five stars for this Bear of a tale.
December 24, 2024
“Tooth and Claw” is a Longmire series prequel novella running 189 pages and takes place back in Walt’s younger years when he and Henry Standing Bear were returning from their military service in Vietnam.
On a Tuesday chess night at the Durant Home of Assisted Living, retired sheriff, Lucian Connelly persuades Walt Longmire, and his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, to share a story from their past. The story begins with Henry visiting Walt, while he was working on an oil rig in Alaska following their service in the Vietnam war. Walt is having troubles adjusting back from the killing fields and is trying to work through those issues before returning to his love, Martha, waiting for him back in Wyoming.
While together, Henry goes with Walt on a field trip to help support core testing in the ice fields. Nothing is easy for the two of them, as they face down the biggest polar bear they’ve ever seen, a serious windstorm, a haunted historical ship, and an enemy willing to kill anyone perceived to getting in their way while hunting for a treasure.
Or, in Walt and Henty’s case, just another adventure…
Following on the heels of last Spring’s “First Frost” which served as Walt and Henry graduating from college adventure, “Tooth and Claw” is a kind of bookend follow-up adventure of the two following their return from the Vietnam war. The big difference is Walt is not the carefree, easy go lucky young man that he was before the war. He is suffering and having challenges adjusting back to his old life, as well as picking things back up with his true love, Martha. Walt is bitter, angry, and sarcastic. Henry is there to help his vest friend deal with his issues.
There were several things that I loved about this novella, starting with Johnson’s storytelling prowess. His recipe of ingredients starts with the friendship of Walt and Henry, then throw in drama and conflict, a mystery or two, a unique and harsh outdoors setting, a ghost ship, and an incredibly large polar pear. Johnson mixes them all together to create a focused story that builds on their brotherhood, legacy, and doing what is right mantra.
Overall, “Tooth and Claw” is a good, entertaining read that drives home why we love Walt and Henry. We need our personalized reading experience with them annually or more to remind us of what the good guys do.
On a personal note, this is one of the rare times that Walt doesn’t suffer a concussion. That alone is reason to celebrate.
From a Longmire novella perspective, I found “Tooth and Claw” to be as good as “The Highway Man” but not as good as “Spirit of Steamboat” which is one of my absolute favorite Longmire adventures of all. Still, even though I wouldn’t consider this one of Walt’s strongest outings, it was still a worthy and pleasurable read. Consider it an afternoon or evening well spent with close friends. There are no bad Longmire outings. Their just different shades of good or great.
On a Tuesday chess night at the Durant Home of Assisted Living, retired sheriff, Lucian Connelly persuades Walt Longmire, and his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, to share a story from their past. The story begins with Henry visiting Walt, while he was working on an oil rig in Alaska following their service in the Vietnam war. Walt is having troubles adjusting back from the killing fields and is trying to work through those issues before returning to his love, Martha, waiting for him back in Wyoming.
While together, Henry goes with Walt on a field trip to help support core testing in the ice fields. Nothing is easy for the two of them, as they face down the biggest polar bear they’ve ever seen, a serious windstorm, a haunted historical ship, and an enemy willing to kill anyone perceived to getting in their way while hunting for a treasure.
Or, in Walt and Henty’s case, just another adventure…
Following on the heels of last Spring’s “First Frost” which served as Walt and Henry graduating from college adventure, “Tooth and Claw” is a kind of bookend follow-up adventure of the two following their return from the Vietnam war. The big difference is Walt is not the carefree, easy go lucky young man that he was before the war. He is suffering and having challenges adjusting back to his old life, as well as picking things back up with his true love, Martha. Walt is bitter, angry, and sarcastic. Henry is there to help his vest friend deal with his issues.
There were several things that I loved about this novella, starting with Johnson’s storytelling prowess. His recipe of ingredients starts with the friendship of Walt and Henry, then throw in drama and conflict, a mystery or two, a unique and harsh outdoors setting, a ghost ship, and an incredibly large polar pear. Johnson mixes them all together to create a focused story that builds on their brotherhood, legacy, and doing what is right mantra.
Overall, “Tooth and Claw” is a good, entertaining read that drives home why we love Walt and Henry. We need our personalized reading experience with them annually or more to remind us of what the good guys do.
On a personal note, this is one of the rare times that Walt doesn’t suffer a concussion. That alone is reason to celebrate.
From a Longmire novella perspective, I found “Tooth and Claw” to be as good as “The Highway Man” but not as good as “Spirit of Steamboat” which is one of my absolute favorite Longmire adventures of all. Still, even though I wouldn’t consider this one of Walt’s strongest outings, it was still a worthy and pleasurable read. Consider it an afternoon or evening well spent with close friends. There are no bad Longmire outings. Their just different shades of good or great.
January 3, 2025
The story starts on new years eve when Walt Longmire & Henry Standing Bear are visiting former sheriff Connally in his resthome for the elderly. Walt tells a story when hé worked security on an Alaskan oil property and how Cheyenne was visiting. This was after Vietnam en before Walt became a deputy. So in essence a prequel to the known Longmire series we so love and enjoy.
This book fits in greatly we get Walt & Henry, show, a lot of Alaska, a large polar bear stalking our hero's and a ghostwriter from the past. These ingredients make for an entertaining and exciting new story by Craig Johnson who by no means has run out of steam when it comes to Longmire by the looks of this great yarn.
My only complaint would be that there are not more pages in this Longmire tale, but then again the story is perfect as it is.
New to the series, you can read this book first. But what kept you so long if you are a new reader?
Onwards to the waiting for the next book.
PS the first book of 2025 and what a start.
This book fits in greatly we get Walt & Henry, show, a lot of Alaska, a large polar bear stalking our hero's and a ghostwriter from the past. These ingredients make for an entertaining and exciting new story by Craig Johnson who by no means has run out of steam when it comes to Longmire by the looks of this great yarn.
My only complaint would be that there are not more pages in this Longmire tale, but then again the story is perfect as it is.
New to the series, you can read this book first. But what kept you so long if you are a new reader?
Onwards to the waiting for the next book.
PS the first book of 2025 and what a start.
April 6, 2025
This is a novella and a stand alone. Even if you have never read or watched a Longmire-- and I would have to ask what planet are you living on--this is an good ghost story. I listen to the podcast The Book Cougars and they are featuring Ghost stories this year and I accidentally tripped into this one while looking foe a fun easy read (I've had few lately) Longmire is often that for me. This is a backstory of Walt and Henry in Alaska just after their return from Vietnam war. Walt is at loose ends and Henry comes to Alaska to visit his friend and see if he can entice him to come back to Montana. They run into a rogue polar bear and a ghost ship (one that actually exists according to sightings and legend). I'll say no more but it is a fun ride on audio narrated so masterfully by George Guidall as always. Too short to really take on the story but was a fun ride.
February 2, 2025
Just when you think an author has run out of storylines.
Just when you pick up a slim volume on the NY Times bestseller shelf and think, "What do they have the nerve to charge for this?"
Along came TOOTH AND CLAW by Craig Johnson.
Edge of the seat storytelling.
Story within a story.
Heroes and villains and a monster to boot. Stuff of legends.
Pure unapologetic Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear.
Yeah, but TWENTY FIVE BUCKS.......?
That's why God created Craig Johnson AND the public library.
Eighth/ ninth day I'm guessin'........
Just when you pick up a slim volume on the NY Times bestseller shelf and think, "What do they have the nerve to charge for this?"
Along came TOOTH AND CLAW by Craig Johnson.
Edge of the seat storytelling.
Story within a story.
Heroes and villains and a monster to boot. Stuff of legends.
Pure unapologetic Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear.
Yeah, but TWENTY FIVE BUCKS.......?
That's why God created Craig Johnson AND the public library.
Eighth/ ninth day I'm guessin'........
December 21, 2024
A memory piece. Following their wartime experiences in Vietnam, Walt Longmire and his lifelong friend Henry (who he refers to as The Cheyenne Nation) find themselves in Alaska in 1972, which offers a change of locale. The seemingly immortal duo find themselves pitted against the elements, a traumatized but wily polar bear, and of course, human greed in this fast paced short novel. Johnson's talent for writing action scenes is on full display here, and it's a worthy addition to the Longmire series.
November 21, 2024
Wow, what a great story from 1970 with Walt and Henry in Alaska. Tooth and Claw by Craig Johnson is a great short mystery told at the tuesday chess game about the time after his service in Vietnam Walt takes a security job at an oil drilling site in Alaska. This adventure is told in the way we have grown accustomed to by this master story teller and it all revolves around polar bears. I really recommend this series for fans of good books.
March 21, 2025
This book could have been titled “Murphy’s Law” because it is basically a yarn about “whatever can go wrong will go wrong.” We are in the “early Walt” period (1970) as he has just finished his military service in Vietnam and has taken a security job on the North Slope of Alaska. Whether from PTSD or other parts of his military experience, Walt is a mess. I complained in another review about the early Walt period that Johnson had failed to get the tone right. That’s not the case here, where the reader can easily pick up the vibe of Walt’s lack of purpose and angst.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
No such complaints here. Walt’s BFF, Henry Standing Bear, has just come up from Wyoming for a visit. It’s clear that he can perceive the bad shape that Walt is in. From just about the moment he arrives things start to go wrong. This includes a “field trip” out on the ice to determine the status of some “worms.” Creatures, storms, death and other disasters follow one after another and might include both a “monster” and a “ghost ship.”
Other interesting factors include the limited amount of daylight during the story (about 4 hours), the weather, and the icefloe that they are on breaking up. Walt isn’t at his usual level of awareness and his decision-making is suspect. Henry is injured and vulnerable.
Time is running out for this “away team” and Johnson ramps up the tension as this story plays out.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
No such complaints here. Walt’s BFF, Henry Standing Bear, has just come up from Wyoming for a visit. It’s clear that he can perceive the bad shape that Walt is in. From just about the moment he arrives things start to go wrong. This includes a “field trip” out on the ice to determine the status of some “worms.” Creatures, storms, death and other disasters follow one after another and might include both a “monster” and a “ghost ship.”
Other interesting factors include the limited amount of daylight during the story (about 4 hours), the weather, and the icefloe that they are on breaking up. Walt isn’t at his usual level of awareness and his decision-making is suspect. Henry is injured and vulnerable.
Time is running out for this “away team” and Johnson ramps up the tension as this story plays out.
July 1, 2025
Reading the Longmire novella: Tooth and Claw was very entertaining. It reminded me of the 1996 movie, The Ghost and the Darkness where Hunter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas) and Engineer John Henry Patterson are pitted against two blood thirsty lions estimated to have killed 130 people. In this
Case, Longmire, Henry Standing Bear & BlackJack, an Inuit hunter are pitted against a monstrous polar bear who has developed a taste for killing humans. There is also a side story of avaricious individuals. Oh yes, and a bit of myth thrown in for good measure involving a haunted boat which provides a temporary sanctuary and a growing threat to the survival of Longmire and his group of survivors. If you like Longmire and his adventures, undoubtedly you’ll enjoy this story. My only disappointment was I felt that the Inuit hunter character was under utilized in the story.
Case, Longmire, Henry Standing Bear & BlackJack, an Inuit hunter are pitted against a monstrous polar bear who has developed a taste for killing humans. There is also a side story of avaricious individuals. Oh yes, and a bit of myth thrown in for good measure involving a haunted boat which provides a temporary sanctuary and a growing threat to the survival of Longmire and his group of survivors. If you like Longmire and his adventures, undoubtedly you’ll enjoy this story. My only disappointment was I felt that the Inuit hunter character was under utilized in the story.
July 1, 2025
A fun little prequel story of Henry & Walt on an oil rig.
I liked how it answered a few details in the series and continued building on their friendship and history.
4 Stars
I liked how it answered a few details in the series and continued building on their friendship and history.
4 Stars
December 12, 2024
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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WHAT'S TOOTH AND CLAW ABOUT?
After his time with the Marines is over, Walt needs to get away from people, society, anything that makes him think of Vietnam and what he witnessed there. He also wants to get away from what he knows--and what fits that description better than Alaska? He takes a job working security on an oil field, replacing someone who'd killed himself.
He also finds himself drinking. A lot. There's not much to do when he's not on the job—and you get the impression he can do a lot of it with a little bit of a buzz on.
We encounter Walt in this state as Henry comes up to visit--he's concerned about what Walt's doing to himself (as is Walt's former fiance, Martha). Henry shows up at the end of December, when there are very few hours of daylight each day up by the Arctic Circle.
Henry's a little bored, truth be told, so when Walt finds the opportunity to take him along on a quick research trip to help keep a scientist safe they go.
The day trip doesn't go the way they expect (naturally). Instead, the friends find danger, a blizzard, a large polar bear (even by polar bear standards), a ghost ship, and some garden-variety human evil.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT TOOTH AND CLAW?
This quick novella was fine. Walt and Henry against nature—weather and animal—isn't exactly new territory, but Alaska isn't what we're used to seeing from them. It makes Wyoming look crowded. It's a bit more extreme than we're used to for them.
Add in a bunch of people we don't know and a ship out of legend, and you've got something even better. There's a potential supernatural element here--and the story works either way you approach that element.
It's not a perfect read. The criminal activity seemed a bit perfunctory—and really didn't add much to the novella, I might have appreciated the novella more without it. I don't know that Johnson sold Walt's drinking as being as much of a problem as Henry and a couple of others made it out to be.
But for what it is—a quick thrill-ride and a look at young-Walt, it's good. There are some entertaining moments, it's good to see these two in another environment. There's at least one character I'd like to run into again.
It's not a must-read for Longmire fans or the best introduction to the characters—but it'll please longtime fans and should whet the appetites of new readers for the full novels. That's good enough, right?
---
WHAT'S TOOTH AND CLAW ABOUT?
After his time with the Marines is over, Walt needs to get away from people, society, anything that makes him think of Vietnam and what he witnessed there. He also wants to get away from what he knows--and what fits that description better than Alaska? He takes a job working security on an oil field, replacing someone who'd killed himself.
He also finds himself drinking. A lot. There's not much to do when he's not on the job—and you get the impression he can do a lot of it with a little bit of a buzz on.
We encounter Walt in this state as Henry comes up to visit--he's concerned about what Walt's doing to himself (as is Walt's former fiance, Martha). Henry shows up at the end of December, when there are very few hours of daylight each day up by the Arctic Circle.
Henry's a little bored, truth be told, so when Walt finds the opportunity to take him along on a quick research trip to help keep a scientist safe they go.
The day trip doesn't go the way they expect (naturally). Instead, the friends find danger, a blizzard, a large polar bear (even by polar bear standards), a ghost ship, and some garden-variety human evil.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT TOOTH AND CLAW?
This quick novella was fine. Walt and Henry against nature—weather and animal—isn't exactly new territory, but Alaska isn't what we're used to seeing from them. It makes Wyoming look crowded. It's a bit more extreme than we're used to for them.
Add in a bunch of people we don't know and a ship out of legend, and you've got something even better. There's a potential supernatural element here--and the story works either way you approach that element.
It's not a perfect read. The criminal activity seemed a bit perfunctory—and really didn't add much to the novella, I might have appreciated the novella more without it. I don't know that Johnson sold Walt's drinking as being as much of a problem as Henry and a couple of others made it out to be.
But for what it is—a quick thrill-ride and a look at young-Walt, it's good. There are some entertaining moments, it's good to see these two in another environment. There's at least one character I'd like to run into again.
It's not a must-read for Longmire fans or the best introduction to the characters—but it'll please longtime fans and should whet the appetites of new readers for the full novels. That's good enough, right?
May 2, 2025
In this framed story, Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear tell the story of an adventure in Alaska during their youth in 1970. They've both made it out of Vietnam in one piece, but Walt has taken a security job on an oil rig off the coast of Alaska rather than go home to Wyoming. He seems to be working the job to forget and to give him time to drink. Henry goes to visit him.
After one of the security team goes berserk on the rig, Walt takes his place on a routine U.S. geological seminar collecting worms, with Henry accompanying. The pleasant but nerdy young geologist, Wormy, needs to collect these worms so that the government can determine if a large portion of Alaska should become a wildlife refuge. They fly from the rig to the site with a CAT, Blackjack a bear sniper, the CAT driver, Wormy, the pilot, co-pilot, navigator-radioman. I may have forgotten a man or two. They have a limited time to complete the survey because a major storm is heading their way.
After seeing a huge polar bear near the geological site, Walt and Henry get out of the CAT to make sure the bear is not following the CAT. Henry discovers and rescues a living baby bear in a den with a slaughtered female bear and cubs. Then they trek to the site to find the CAT and a frantic CAT driver, Marco. As Wormy was making his collections, the huge polar bear got him and killed him. By the time they make it back to the plane, the storm is hitting. Matt the navigator reports that the radar shows a ship nearby. While Walt and Mike the pilot tie down the plane, Mike disappears, presumably killed by the bear. The storm is so fierce that it breaks the plane loose and topples it to where the ship, a ghost ship, is caught in the ice. The survivors take refuge, they think, in the ghost ship, not realizing that the giant polar bear is stalking them. From then on, we have a cat and mouse, or rather a polar bear and prey, chase around the ship.
When I saw the cover, I thought the story might not measure up to Johnson's usual standards. Was I wrong! Like Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, the gripping story kept me up late with its blood stains and dragged off bodies. Although I knew Walt and Henry made it out alive (or how could there be all the other books in the series?), it was still a nailbiter. Johnson capitalizes on the isolation, the monster bear, and the ghost ship to make the book hard to put down.
The cub seemed a weak part of the story to me, and I didn't understand the worms which seemed to be geological things that looked like worms rather than actual worms (maybe I was reading too fast), but I was willing to suspend my disbelief. This is a secular story, so it has language issues. Another question was whether century-old liquor remains liquid at twenty below zero. However, it is a story full of tension and excitement, a fun read for those who like thrillers.
After one of the security team goes berserk on the rig, Walt takes his place on a routine U.S. geological seminar collecting worms, with Henry accompanying. The pleasant but nerdy young geologist, Wormy, needs to collect these worms so that the government can determine if a large portion of Alaska should become a wildlife refuge. They fly from the rig to the site with a CAT, Blackjack a bear sniper, the CAT driver, Wormy, the pilot, co-pilot, navigator-radioman. I may have forgotten a man or two. They have a limited time to complete the survey because a major storm is heading their way.
After seeing a huge polar bear near the geological site, Walt and Henry get out of the CAT to make sure the bear is not following the CAT. Henry discovers and rescues a living baby bear in a den with a slaughtered female bear and cubs. Then they trek to the site to find the CAT and a frantic CAT driver, Marco. As Wormy was making his collections, the huge polar bear got him and killed him. By the time they make it back to the plane, the storm is hitting. Matt the navigator reports that the radar shows a ship nearby. While Walt and Mike the pilot tie down the plane, Mike disappears, presumably killed by the bear. The storm is so fierce that it breaks the plane loose and topples it to where the ship, a ghost ship, is caught in the ice. The survivors take refuge, they think, in the ghost ship, not realizing that the giant polar bear is stalking them. From then on, we have a cat and mouse, or rather a polar bear and prey, chase around the ship.
When I saw the cover, I thought the story might not measure up to Johnson's usual standards. Was I wrong! Like Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, the gripping story kept me up late with its blood stains and dragged off bodies. Although I knew Walt and Henry made it out alive (or how could there be all the other books in the series?), it was still a nailbiter. Johnson capitalizes on the isolation, the monster bear, and the ghost ship to make the book hard to put down.
The cub seemed a weak part of the story to me, and I didn't understand the worms which seemed to be geological things that looked like worms rather than actual worms (maybe I was reading too fast), but I was willing to suspend my disbelief. This is a secular story, so it has language issues. Another question was whether century-old liquor remains liquid at twenty below zero. However, it is a story full of tension and excitement, a fun read for those who like thrillers.
December 1, 2024
Craig Johnson NEVER disappoints! And this adventure with Walt and Henry in Alaska is full of laughs and thrills, especially when polar bears are around! "If it's brown lay down, if it's black fight back, if it's white goodnight...."
April 3, 2025
I finally completed my read for "Alaska" in my 50-state challenge! It took 3 tries but this was worth the wait.
This was a very short read, only 189 pages, but the story kept up a good pace up and, as the reader, I just wanted to keep going. The end was surprise and just made this read even better.
A group of people, stranded in the worse conditions imaginable and throw in the plot a killer polar bear. Enough said, you might want to take a little time and check this one out for yourself.
This was a very short read, only 189 pages, but the story kept up a good pace up and, as the reader, I just wanted to keep going. The end was surprise and just made this read even better.
A group of people, stranded in the worse conditions imaginable and throw in the plot a killer polar bear. Enough said, you might want to take a little time and check this one out for yourself.
December 19, 2024
Something different - a mystery set in the Arctic Circle with a lot of confusing action on a ghost ship. It may have been better with a schematic drawing of the ship and a map of the area.
November 22, 2024
Definitely could have finished this much faster, but I was trying to make it last!
Well crafted short story, but you really need to have read at least a couple of the full-length novels to truly appreciate Walt and Henry. (And be aware how truly shocking it is to have Henry down and Walt saving!)
Interesting glimpse of Walt's rocky reentry into civilian life after Vietnam. I appreciated that nod to our veterans.
Only drawback, and it came up in the last book: age! This story takes place in 1970. No guessing. So Walt is 24ish in 1970. So he's how old as the current sheriff in Absaroka County?! *sigh* I love these books, but I can't keep suspending my disbelief if you lay it out in black and white.
Well crafted short story, but you really need to have read at least a couple of the full-length novels to truly appreciate Walt and Henry. (And be aware how truly shocking it is to have Henry down and Walt saving!)
Interesting glimpse of Walt's rocky reentry into civilian life after Vietnam. I appreciated that nod to our veterans.
Only drawback, and it came up in the last book: age! This story takes place in 1970. No guessing. So Walt is 24ish in 1970. So he's how old as the current sheriff in Absaroka County?! *sigh* I love these books, but I can't keep suspending my disbelief if you lay it out in black and white.
November 24, 2024
An action packed throwback novella featuring Sheriff Walt and Henry Standing Bear. We enjoy these prequels - it seems the best solution to let us keep reading about Walt but acknowledge that he is now too old to be an action hero.
It's 1970, the two buddies are back from Vietnam. Walt is not doing well. He took a job in remote Alaska as a security guy, he's fallen out of touch with Martha, and he's drinking too much. Henry comes up to check on him and is concerned about what he finds.
Meanwhile, there's lots going on. Walt and Henry go along on a mini scientific expedition to an even more remote area. Naturally, the weather turns hazardous. And to up the ante, they run into a legendary ghost ship and a monstrous polar bear in a fight for survival.
Compulsively readable, a bit over the top in an enjoyable way. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It's 1970, the two buddies are back from Vietnam. Walt is not doing well. He took a job in remote Alaska as a security guy, he's fallen out of touch with Martha, and he's drinking too much. Henry comes up to check on him and is concerned about what he finds.
Meanwhile, there's lots going on. Walt and Henry go along on a mini scientific expedition to an even more remote area. Naturally, the weather turns hazardous. And to up the ante, they run into a legendary ghost ship and a monstrous polar bear in a fight for survival.
Compulsively readable, a bit over the top in an enjoyable way. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 29, 2024
Of all the Walt Longmire novellas Craig Johnson has written over the years, this one stands out as the most suspenseful yet. Even knowing that the events take place in the past and that Walt and Henry survive, I still found myself on the edge of my seat. Set on Alaska's North Slope in December 1970, the story unfolds with Walt freshly returned from Vietnam and not yet ready to settle into married life with Martha back in Wyoming. Henry arrives to visit, curious about why Walt has taken a job as security for an oil company instead of returning home.
When the oil company is tasked with escorting a U.S. Geological Survey scientist to collect samples, Walt accompanies his coworkers, and Henry joins as additional support. The primary danger seems to be the threat of polar bear attacks, and a larger group offers better protection. What follows is a classic adventure-horror story that delivers spine-tingling chills. A polar bear with an eerie ability to slip silently in and out of sight and an insatiable thirst for blood, a legendary ghost ship, a ferocious winter storm, and the relentless darkness of the Arctic Circle at the winter solstice create a haunting atmosphere of dread, while the twisting plot keeps the pages turning.
This exceptional addition to Johnson's long-running Walt Longmire series is not to be missed.
When the oil company is tasked with escorting a U.S. Geological Survey scientist to collect samples, Walt accompanies his coworkers, and Henry joins as additional support. The primary danger seems to be the threat of polar bear attacks, and a larger group offers better protection. What follows is a classic adventure-horror story that delivers spine-tingling chills. A polar bear with an eerie ability to slip silently in and out of sight and an insatiable thirst for blood, a legendary ghost ship, a ferocious winter storm, and the relentless darkness of the Arctic Circle at the winter solstice create a haunting atmosphere of dread, while the twisting plot keeps the pages turning.
This exceptional addition to Johnson's long-running Walt Longmire series is not to be missed.
December 10, 2024
A great afternoon read! Yep, less than 200 pages and I agree with everyone regarding pricing. I borrowed it from my library so that didn't affect me.
Fast paced story, liked the characters, and it got me through an otherwise boring afternoon. Definitely worth a read!
Fast paced story, liked the characters, and it got me through an otherwise boring afternoon. Definitely worth a read!
October 18, 2025
I do like the Longmire novellas, but seriously, who let Walt out in the snow again? It never goes well!!
March 18, 2025
"Tooth and Claw" by Craig Johnson provides a gripping and fast-paced introduction to the "Walt Longmire" series that instantly captivated me. As my first encounter with Johnson’s work, I was impressed by the intensity and depth he packed into such a concise narrative. Some scenes are striking, evoking raw and visceral imagery. The sense of danger and overwhelming force heightens the stakes, maintaining taut and relentless tension throughout. The vivid descriptions of the megafauna feel naturally impressive.
The series unfolds as a collection of loosely connected short stories, bound together by a framing device that might seem somewhat contrived to some readers; however, it ultimately lends cohesion to the narrative without weighing it down. It’s a lean story that makes the most of every moment, and I’m already eager to see where the series goes from here.
The series unfolds as a collection of loosely connected short stories, bound together by a framing device that might seem somewhat contrived to some readers; however, it ultimately lends cohesion to the narrative without weighing it down. It’s a lean story that makes the most of every moment, and I’m already eager to see where the series goes from here.
December 6, 2024
Walt and Henry are visiting Lucian at the Assisted Living Facility and a story from their past is shared with him while he cooks steaks. Right after Vietnam Walt took a job in Alaska doing security for an oil company. He was in a real funk with his yet to be wife and just life in general. Henry goes to visit him and cheer him up. What ensues is a rather dangerous adventure in the Arctic ice with a legendary polar bear, a ghost ship, a gigantic storm, and some corporate greed.
December 22, 2024
This was a wonderfully atmospheric man vs nature adventure story that had me hooked. Being a novella, the action moved and the read was quick and entertaining. Loved the main characters. Alaska and polar bears; a whole different venue for me!
January 28, 2025
Almost didn't finish it. Just not something I liked.
December 28, 2024
Tooth and Claw is a fast paced action abbreviated prequel in the excellent Walt Longmire series. On balance the book s very good with super action and provides another look at the younger versions of Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear before Walt became a sheriff. The book does not include many of the regular cast of characters to participate in the story like usual. I gave this book 4 stars because a lower score is more based on a comparison with other books in the series than a true reflection of the book compared to all others.
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