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Walt Longmire #22
The Brothers McKay
A masterful new novel in the beloved New York Times bestselling Longmire series
When Pepper McKay, one of the most hated men in Absaroka County, is found murdered on his ranch in Crazy Woman Canyon, suspects aren’t in short supply. But Sheriff Walt Longmire’s attention is on those who had gathered for a family meeting that evening, McKay’s very different sons: a smooth-talking charmer, a cosmopolitan journalist, a reclusive monk, and a half-Native ranch hand who keeps the place running. Each had a motive. Each claims he’s innocent.
As Walt investigates what happened that night at the O-Kay Lodge, he’s pulled into a tangle of old grudges and long-buried secrets. Then the case takes a sharp turn: a second body surfaces, and a wildfire tears through the canyon, trapping Walt and forcing him into a fight for his life as both the killer and the elements close in.
The twenty-second novel in the Longmire series, The Brothers McKay is a murder mystery and a survival thriller that tests the sheriff’s hard-won sense of justice—all while paying sly homage to Dostoevsky’s classic.
When Pepper McKay, one of the most hated men in Absaroka County, is found murdered on his ranch in Crazy Woman Canyon, suspects aren’t in short supply. But Sheriff Walt Longmire’s attention is on those who had gathered for a family meeting that evening, McKay’s very different sons: a smooth-talking charmer, a cosmopolitan journalist, a reclusive monk, and a half-Native ranch hand who keeps the place running. Each had a motive. Each claims he’s innocent.
As Walt investigates what happened that night at the O-Kay Lodge, he’s pulled into a tangle of old grudges and long-buried secrets. Then the case takes a sharp turn: a second body surfaces, and a wildfire tears through the canyon, trapping Walt and forcing him into a fight for his life as both the killer and the elements close in.
The twenty-second novel in the Longmire series, The Brothers McKay is a murder mystery and a survival thriller that tests the sheriff’s hard-won sense of justice—all while paying sly homage to Dostoevsky’s classic.
448 pages, Paperback
Published May 26, 2026
About the author
Craig Johnson
94 books5,103 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Craig Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire mysteries, the basis for the hit Netflix original series Longmire. He is the recipient of the Western Writers of America’s spur awards and the Owen Wister Award, the Will Rogers Medallion and Lariat Award, the Mountain & Plains Independent Booksellers Association’s Reading the West Book Award for fiction, as well as the Bouchercon 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award. His novella Spirit of Steamboat was the first One Book Wyoming selection. He lives in Ucross, Wyoming, population 26.
source: Amazon
Craig Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire mysteries, the basis for the hit Netflix original series Longmire. He is the recipient of the Western Writers of America’s spur awards and the Owen Wister Award, the Will Rogers Medallion and Lariat Award, the Mountain & Plains Independent Booksellers Association’s Reading the West Book Award for fiction, as well as the Bouchercon 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award. His novella Spirit of Steamboat was the first One Book Wyoming selection. He lives in Ucross, Wyoming, population 26.
source: Amazon
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 414 reviews
August 6, 2026
It seems like everyone wants Pepper McKay dead. Their wish has been granted. Unfortunately, the list of suspects are vast, including his four sons. Longmire has his hands full sorting out this hot mess one person at a time. Speaking of hot mess, Longmire is also faced with the wildfire of a lifetime and times is running out. Putting this all together is a ball of confusion with the only reliable entity being a mule named Borax.
This was a fun read, not as fast moving as some of Johnson’s other endeavors but entertaining enough.
This was a fun read, not as fast moving as some of Johnson’s other endeavors but entertaining enough.
June 18, 2026
“The Brothers McKay” is the 22nd book in the “Longmire” mystery series (not including novellas and short stories), continuing the crime fighting 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. Just in case you weren’t aware, this is one of the best law enforcement starting lineups in the mystery/crime fiction today.
When “The Brothers McKay” starts, we find our hero, Walt Longmire, has a murder on his hands. This time it’s Pepper McKay, the most hated man in all of Absaroka County, has been found dead while fishing on his ranch in Crazy Woman Canyon. When Walt shows up to investigate it appears that someone took a rock to Pepper’s head and left him to die. That’s not much of a surprise, seeing that Pepper has threatened all of the men and attempted to rape most of the women, including Walt’s wife years ago before she passed away.
The bigger problem for Walt is that pretty everyone in the county is a suspect, starting with the three adult sons who had a serious family meeting at the ranch the night before Pepper’s death. They include a charmer who followed his father’s interest in chasing women, a very career focused journalist, and a religious monk. That’s just for starters. There’s also a half-native illegitimate son working as a ranch hand along with the Lyman’s, a long-time older couple who have been managing the ranch for a long time even though they cannot stand Pepper. Each one has a strong motive and opportunity, and although everyone claims that they wish they had, they swear their innocent.
That isn’t Longmire’s only problem. There’s more on his plate. His daughter – the greatest legal mind – has been appointed the Attorney General for the state of Wyoming. If that wasn’t enough, the former Russian special forces assassin who tried to kill him in a previous book, Maxim Sidorov, has shown up and is under the temporary legal custody of Longmire. Much to Walt’s frustration, Maxim assigns himself to his own cell and offers his assistance in helping the sheriff solve the case.
Walt’s investigation will lead him to discover long hidden family secrets and grudges, a raging wildfire blazing through the canyon and cutting off his chance to escape peril, and a death that is strangely somehow connected to the classic Russian Dostoyevsky novel “The Brothers Karamazov” …
After finishing this 22nd Longmire novel, I have mixed feelings. Let’s start with the things that I liked:
- The premise of the murder mystery - who killed a man that everyone hated - has promise and Johnson plays with that premise pretty well, including the use of past history and humor. There is even a character who wants to claim credit for the murder, even though he didn’t do it. Additionally, Johnson’s incorporation of his personal experiences with the “The Brothers Karamazov” as part of the mystery was pretty creative and added an additional layer of depth to the story.
- I don’t really know why, but I found the character of Maxim Sidorov unique and interesting; his exchanges with Walt were edgy, funny, and almost on the same level as Walt’s banter with his best friend, Henry. For me, Maxim brough a fresh perspective and double-edged conflict into Walt’s world.
- It was also nice to see and catch-up with Double Tough, one of Longmire’s deputies, again and the other law enforcement location. I didn’t realize how much I had missed him. I must add that it’s always nice when Cady – the greatest legal mind – shows up, even if it was only in phone calls in this one. We need more of her presence, and that of her daughter, Lola, in future novels.
- Last, but not least Borax – the most stubborn, independent and patient, mule – stole every scene he was in and was a real joy as he played a key role in helping Walt out in more ways than one. He and Maxim were definitely two of the high points of this novel.
Now for the things that I struggled with:
- Some of the primary characters, especially Walt’s fiancée and master user of the f-word, Vic, and Walt’s best friend, Henry, played smaller roles, mostly because Walt’s time and energy are spent dealing with Maxim and investigating Pepper’s murder. However, Vic hasn’t played much of a role in the last two books along with this one, and Henry’s presence was small in this one and the last one. I miss them and would like to see more development with Walt and Vic’s relationship.
- This felt like a bit of an in-betweener book. The murder mystery and Russian classic novel connection was good in concept but didn’t really draw me in the way that the earlier books in the series did. Walt did a lot of running around and asking questions, but the answers became repetitive. The responses fell into the repetitive pattern of “Everyone wanted to kill Pepper, but it wasn’t me. Still, I’m curious as to why did someone kill him now?” And when the murder is solved at the end, it came across as not only anti-climactic, but a bit of was that it? I was never invested in the killer, and the big reveal lacked any real climactic payoff. There was no real development (except for maybe Maxim) for the primary characters or their storylines.
- It felt to me like Johnson fell into his familiar formula trap that he continues to fall into with this series. I call it the let’s put Walt through a physical set of challenges are that so hellish anyone else would die. He is dramatically injured physical yet finds a way to sacrifice himself in order to save another person while miraculously surviving a runaway fire that should have killed him. Johnson puts Walt through such a physical onslaught that he’s lucky to be alive. The problem is that he does this in pretty much every book. After having survived these incredible experiences in 22 books at count, it becomes harder on the reader because you know that he’s not going to die. On the other hand, Walt is not Superman either and he cannot keep surviving these incredibly impossible “Mission Impossible” challenges. The whole time I was reading about his being trapped in the runaway fires, I was never worried about how he was going to get out of it. He’s not only the stubbornest person we know, he’s also the most incredibly luckiest person in the world.
Overall, this was an okay book, but I wouldn’t put in my upper list of Longmire favorites. For me, I struggled a bit at times with keeping my attention throughout the second half of the book, as it fell into what I already described as the Walt formula that goes something like this - Walt gets stubborn, refuses to listen to anyone and must do things his way, and almost ends up dying, but struggles (and gets really lucky) to survive and solves the crime that was committed. It felt a bit of a race towards an ending we already knew the outcome would be.
Truth be told, my primary issue was that this one lacked the emotional impact of his prior novels which captured my full attention and kept my eyes glued to every page. For me, this felt a bit like too much of the same old thing. I am now seeing that I need more from Walt and the rest of the characters moving forward, learning and growing through their challenges, and not just the same old formula in which Walt rarely faces the accountability of his actions.
I still love you Walt and crew, but here’s hoping for more growth and development in the next book!
When “The Brothers McKay” starts, we find our hero, Walt Longmire, has a murder on his hands. This time it’s Pepper McKay, the most hated man in all of Absaroka County, has been found dead while fishing on his ranch in Crazy Woman Canyon. When Walt shows up to investigate it appears that someone took a rock to Pepper’s head and left him to die. That’s not much of a surprise, seeing that Pepper has threatened all of the men and attempted to rape most of the women, including Walt’s wife years ago before she passed away.
The bigger problem for Walt is that pretty everyone in the county is a suspect, starting with the three adult sons who had a serious family meeting at the ranch the night before Pepper’s death. They include a charmer who followed his father’s interest in chasing women, a very career focused journalist, and a religious monk. That’s just for starters. There’s also a half-native illegitimate son working as a ranch hand along with the Lyman’s, a long-time older couple who have been managing the ranch for a long time even though they cannot stand Pepper. Each one has a strong motive and opportunity, and although everyone claims that they wish they had, they swear their innocent.
That isn’t Longmire’s only problem. There’s more on his plate. His daughter – the greatest legal mind – has been appointed the Attorney General for the state of Wyoming. If that wasn’t enough, the former Russian special forces assassin who tried to kill him in a previous book, Maxim Sidorov, has shown up and is under the temporary legal custody of Longmire. Much to Walt’s frustration, Maxim assigns himself to his own cell and offers his assistance in helping the sheriff solve the case.
Walt’s investigation will lead him to discover long hidden family secrets and grudges, a raging wildfire blazing through the canyon and cutting off his chance to escape peril, and a death that is strangely somehow connected to the classic Russian Dostoyevsky novel “The Brothers Karamazov” …
After finishing this 22nd Longmire novel, I have mixed feelings. Let’s start with the things that I liked:
- The premise of the murder mystery - who killed a man that everyone hated - has promise and Johnson plays with that premise pretty well, including the use of past history and humor. There is even a character who wants to claim credit for the murder, even though he didn’t do it. Additionally, Johnson’s incorporation of his personal experiences with the “The Brothers Karamazov” as part of the mystery was pretty creative and added an additional layer of depth to the story.
- I don’t really know why, but I found the character of Maxim Sidorov unique and interesting; his exchanges with Walt were edgy, funny, and almost on the same level as Walt’s banter with his best friend, Henry. For me, Maxim brough a fresh perspective and double-edged conflict into Walt’s world.
- It was also nice to see and catch-up with Double Tough, one of Longmire’s deputies, again and the other law enforcement location. I didn’t realize how much I had missed him. I must add that it’s always nice when Cady – the greatest legal mind – shows up, even if it was only in phone calls in this one. We need more of her presence, and that of her daughter, Lola, in future novels.
- Last, but not least Borax – the most stubborn, independent and patient, mule – stole every scene he was in and was a real joy as he played a key role in helping Walt out in more ways than one. He and Maxim were definitely two of the high points of this novel.
Now for the things that I struggled with:
- Some of the primary characters, especially Walt’s fiancée and master user of the f-word, Vic, and Walt’s best friend, Henry, played smaller roles, mostly because Walt’s time and energy are spent dealing with Maxim and investigating Pepper’s murder. However, Vic hasn’t played much of a role in the last two books along with this one, and Henry’s presence was small in this one and the last one. I miss them and would like to see more development with Walt and Vic’s relationship.
- This felt like a bit of an in-betweener book. The murder mystery and Russian classic novel connection was good in concept but didn’t really draw me in the way that the earlier books in the series did. Walt did a lot of running around and asking questions, but the answers became repetitive. The responses fell into the repetitive pattern of “Everyone wanted to kill Pepper, but it wasn’t me. Still, I’m curious as to why did someone kill him now?” And when the murder is solved at the end, it came across as not only anti-climactic, but a bit of was that it? I was never invested in the killer, and the big reveal lacked any real climactic payoff. There was no real development (except for maybe Maxim) for the primary characters or their storylines.
- It felt to me like Johnson fell into his familiar formula trap that he continues to fall into with this series. I call it the let’s put Walt through a physical set of challenges are that so hellish anyone else would die. He is dramatically injured physical yet finds a way to sacrifice himself in order to save another person while miraculously surviving a runaway fire that should have killed him. Johnson puts Walt through such a physical onslaught that he’s lucky to be alive. The problem is that he does this in pretty much every book. After having survived these incredible experiences in 22 books at count, it becomes harder on the reader because you know that he’s not going to die. On the other hand, Walt is not Superman either and he cannot keep surviving these incredibly impossible “Mission Impossible” challenges. The whole time I was reading about his being trapped in the runaway fires, I was never worried about how he was going to get out of it. He’s not only the stubbornest person we know, he’s also the most incredibly luckiest person in the world.
Overall, this was an okay book, but I wouldn’t put in my upper list of Longmire favorites. For me, I struggled a bit at times with keeping my attention throughout the second half of the book, as it fell into what I already described as the Walt formula that goes something like this - Walt gets stubborn, refuses to listen to anyone and must do things his way, and almost ends up dying, but struggles (and gets really lucky) to survive and solves the crime that was committed. It felt a bit of a race towards an ending we already knew the outcome would be.
Truth be told, my primary issue was that this one lacked the emotional impact of his prior novels which captured my full attention and kept my eyes glued to every page. For me, this felt a bit like too much of the same old thing. I am now seeing that I need more from Walt and the rest of the characters moving forward, learning and growing through their challenges, and not just the same old formula in which Walt rarely faces the accountability of his actions.
I still love you Walt and crew, but here’s hoping for more growth and development in the next book!
June 24, 2026
I love catching up with Walt and his motley crew of friends and family. One of the things that I love about Walt is that he kind reminds me of my Papa Jack (FIL), who died quite a few years ago and who I miss very much. Anyway, like Walt, Papa Jack was such an interesting character whose stories I could listen to forever. He was a man who lived a very full life and loved sharing his experience with the people he loved. Anyway, Walt is such a great character, and Craig Johnson has created such an epic series that I hope to enjoy for as long as he chooses to entertain us.
The book summary introduces the primary storyline of Walt and his officers investigating the death of Pepper McKay, who it seems no one is going to miss. The suspect list is long and pretty much includes all of his kids (legal and illegitimate) and quite a few neighbors, including a couple of women he raped. There is the secondary storyline of a series of fires that the local troopers and fire departments are trying to contain.
Most of the story revolves around the questioning of the suspects, where a lot of family secrets are revealed along with some of Pepper’s more notorious behavior and offences. The ending got really intense for Walt who had to depend on a wild beast to save his life. Johnson kept me guessing on this one throughout the whole story and I never saw the ending coming. WHOO HOO!!! Boy howdy!!! Loved that ending! Walt is such a bad@$$!!!
The continuing character development of Walt and the gang was entertaining. Really enjoyed the addition of Maxim Sidorov, that we met in the last installment. Maxim, aka Boris, has been working with the Feds and is now going to be living in Absaroka County and Walt is going to be his quasi-parole officer. Looking forward to seeing more of him and his antics. The pacing was steady to fast, especially in the second half that often had me doing the “one more chapter” chant. The storyline was interesting as all of the installments are and the writing was classic Johnson and as good as ever. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.5 that I will be rounding up to a 5star review. I want to thank NetGalley and Viking Penguin for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #VikingPenguin # TheBrothersMcKay
The book summary introduces the primary storyline of Walt and his officers investigating the death of Pepper McKay, who it seems no one is going to miss. The suspect list is long and pretty much includes all of his kids (legal and illegitimate) and quite a few neighbors, including a couple of women he raped. There is the secondary storyline of a series of fires that the local troopers and fire departments are trying to contain.
Most of the story revolves around the questioning of the suspects, where a lot of family secrets are revealed along with some of Pepper’s more notorious behavior and offences. The ending got really intense for Walt who had to depend on a wild beast to save his life. Johnson kept me guessing on this one throughout the whole story and I never saw the ending coming. WHOO HOO!!! Boy howdy!!! Loved that ending! Walt is such a bad@$$!!!
The continuing character development of Walt and the gang was entertaining. Really enjoyed the addition of Maxim Sidorov, that we met in the last installment. Maxim, aka Boris, has been working with the Feds and is now going to be living in Absaroka County and Walt is going to be his quasi-parole officer. Looking forward to seeing more of him and his antics. The pacing was steady to fast, especially in the second half that often had me doing the “one more chapter” chant. The storyline was interesting as all of the installments are and the writing was classic Johnson and as good as ever. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.5 that I will be rounding up to a 5star review. I want to thank NetGalley and Viking Penguin for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #VikingPenguin # TheBrothersMcKay
May 31, 2026
After more than twenty books in the Longmire universe, I thought I had a good sense of where Craig Johnson might take Walt next. After introducing Russian assassins to the story one, a reimagining of a Russian literary classic, did not catch me by surprise too much.
With “The Brothers McKay”, Johnson borrows liberally from the original source material and somehow makes it feel perfectly at home in modern-day Wyoming. The result is a novel that works both as a mystery and as a playful literary adaptation, rewarding readers whether they recognize the inspiration or not.
As always, Johnson's greatest strength remains his characters and dialogue. My favorite exchange may be:
"The person you are after is insane or a literary major."
"Same thing—I should know."
That combination of wit, self-awareness, and affection for humanity is what continues to make these books so enjoyable.
We are also introduced to a character I sincerely hope will become a regular fixture in future installments: Borax the mule. Walt's description of him is perfect:
"I climbed in the truck and sat there staring at him thinking that if I had an animal spirit, I was probably looking at it."
In a series filled with memorable characters, it takes something special for a mule to steal scenes, but Borax manages it.
Most long-running series eventually begin to feel tired. The Longmire books continue to do the opposite. “The Brothers McKay” is fresh, funny, thoughtful, and another reminder of why I keep coming back to Absaroka County year after year. Now that Johnson has successfully brought a Russian classic to Wyoming, the next logical step seems to be a visit to Russia itself.
With “The Brothers McKay”, Johnson borrows liberally from the original source material and somehow makes it feel perfectly at home in modern-day Wyoming. The result is a novel that works both as a mystery and as a playful literary adaptation, rewarding readers whether they recognize the inspiration or not.
As always, Johnson's greatest strength remains his characters and dialogue. My favorite exchange may be:
"The person you are after is insane or a literary major."
"Same thing—I should know."
That combination of wit, self-awareness, and affection for humanity is what continues to make these books so enjoyable.
We are also introduced to a character I sincerely hope will become a regular fixture in future installments: Borax the mule. Walt's description of him is perfect:
"I climbed in the truck and sat there staring at him thinking that if I had an animal spirit, I was probably looking at it."
In a series filled with memorable characters, it takes something special for a mule to steal scenes, but Borax manages it.
Most long-running series eventually begin to feel tired. The Longmire books continue to do the opposite. “The Brothers McKay” is fresh, funny, thoughtful, and another reminder of why I keep coming back to Absaroka County year after year. Now that Johnson has successfully brought a Russian classic to Wyoming, the next logical step seems to be a visit to Russia itself.
June 7, 2026
Three “legitimate”sons, and one much younger half brother conceived in rape. A murdered father, apparently universally hated. Parallels to the classic Dostoyevsky novel The Brothers Karamazov right in Absaroka county. I always enjoy visiting with Walt, Vic, and Henry, but this parallel was a bit heavy handed, the cliffhanger ending was disappointing, and the Russian character who spoke in broken English really got on my nerves.
June 4, 2026
Craig Johnson never disappoints! Long live Borax!
June 8, 2026
I need to give up on this series, I haven’t liked one in ages, this was slightly better than the last few but I spent most of it feeling like I was rushing to get through it in a bad way
August 12, 2026
What have we here in Longmire Land circa volume #22 ?
There's Sheriff Walt Longmire, a bit more damaged but still indestructable.
Some of his verbal interactions with suspects, downright pissy. Uncharacteristic.
And now, more than ever, his detailed knowledge of history and trivia are becoming
more absurd: St. Bernard dogs in the Alps (57 BC), Lucas Land Rover (68 series 11A
88), Oscar Wilde vs. Aristotelian mimesis, the minor characters from THE BROTHERS
KARAMAZOV and so much more ; there's a difference between being smart and just
copying out arcane trivia from Wikipedia to sound smart.
Arch nemesis Boris Sidarov reappears, teasing Walt with information on his missing
friend Ruth One Heart. A subplot dragging along from novel to novel screaming "sequel."
The same Sidarov with the horrible racist accent somewhere between Boris Badenov of
Moose and Squirrel fame and Yoda. No wonder Russia hates us.
Then we have Cady making several phone appearances, Henry leaning menacingly in
doorways and Dog who is perpetually underfoot when not being petted and scritched
behind the ears. Vic, now Walt's lovable four letter spoutin' fiancé leans on stuff pretty
much just to strike a sexy pose.
The reader is still in for an interesting plot, a few murders and multiple suspects, and the
comfort of a familiar, well liked cast. The issue here is maybe how long the series has
been around. As beloved as it is by so many die-hard fans, does Craig Johnson find
himself, like Cady, 'phoning it in' because the publisher has to have another best seller ?
Sad to say but the best parts centered on a temporary character : Borax the mule.
There's Sheriff Walt Longmire, a bit more damaged but still indestructable.
Some of his verbal interactions with suspects, downright pissy. Uncharacteristic.
And now, more than ever, his detailed knowledge of history and trivia are becoming
more absurd: St. Bernard dogs in the Alps (57 BC), Lucas Land Rover (68 series 11A
88), Oscar Wilde vs. Aristotelian mimesis, the minor characters from THE BROTHERS
KARAMAZOV and so much more ; there's a difference between being smart and just
copying out arcane trivia from Wikipedia to sound smart.
Arch nemesis Boris Sidarov reappears, teasing Walt with information on his missing
friend Ruth One Heart. A subplot dragging along from novel to novel screaming "sequel."
The same Sidarov with the horrible racist accent somewhere between Boris Badenov of
Moose and Squirrel fame and Yoda. No wonder Russia hates us.
Then we have Cady making several phone appearances, Henry leaning menacingly in
doorways and Dog who is perpetually underfoot when not being petted and scritched
behind the ears. Vic, now Walt's lovable four letter spoutin' fiancé leans on stuff pretty
much just to strike a sexy pose.
The reader is still in for an interesting plot, a few murders and multiple suspects, and the
comfort of a familiar, well liked cast. The issue here is maybe how long the series has
been around. As beloved as it is by so many die-hard fans, does Craig Johnson find
himself, like Cady, 'phoning it in' because the publisher has to have another best seller ?
Sad to say but the best parts centered on a temporary character : Borax the mule.
June 10, 2026
2.5
Like a number of other reviewers, I loved Borax, but the novel itself, not so much. It just feels like Craig Johnson is getting tired of writing about Sheriff Longmire’s life and job.
Like a number of other reviewers, I loved Borax, but the novel itself, not so much. It just feels like Craig Johnson is getting tired of writing about Sheriff Longmire’s life and job.
July 1, 2026
Another great one in the long-running Longmire series.
This time the author manages to riff on The Brothers Karamazov. And Walt's dangerous encounter with Nature involves a wildfire. Never a dull moment!
This time the author manages to riff on The Brothers Karamazov. And Walt's dangerous encounter with Nature involves a wildfire. Never a dull moment!
June 19, 2026
Johnson really outdid himself with this one. A wealthy rancher who is basically hated by anyone he's ever met is murdered. A classic style mystery with a Longmire twist.
The rancher left 4 children, 1 illegitimate who all could be considered suspects, along with the neighbors, employees and even Walt. Meanwhile after an incredibly dry season wildfires are running rampant all over the area.
Knowing Walt, the possibilities are endless for unexpected mayhem.
The rancher left 4 children, 1 illegitimate who all could be considered suspects, along with the neighbors, employees and even Walt. Meanwhile after an incredibly dry season wildfires are running rampant all over the area.
Knowing Walt, the possibilities are endless for unexpected mayhem.
July 13, 2026
Worst in the series. Boring and time to put this series to bed
July 3, 2026
Enjoyed this latest Walt Longmire novel tremendously. Craig Johnson is one of the few authors who is truly a master of creating interesting and multifaceted characters like Maxim Sidorov who was a deadly adversary in a previous novel now potential ally who now shows a modicum of shared law enforcement background and respect towards Longmire . No doubt we will see Maxim in a future Longmire novel who has agreed to help locating and rescuing Longmire’s relative, Ruth One Heart. I loved the nonhuman character in mule form known as “Borax” who helps Longmire locate the murder weapon and helps Longmire to escape an out of control fire and save the life of a troubled young monk. Longmire is tempted to “deputize” Borax! LOL”
I find Craig Johnson’s trivia references to the game of “Clue”, the ninth marquess of Queensbury, and The Brothers Karamasov novel to be intriguing and educational. Encouraged me to do some research and learn!
Thanks for the adventure!
I find Craig Johnson’s trivia references to the game of “Clue”, the ninth marquess of Queensbury, and The Brothers Karamasov novel to be intriguing and educational. Encouraged me to do some research and learn!
Thanks for the adventure!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2026
A murder mystery, survivalist, Borax, theology, FIRE! Russian literature, buried secrets, Crazy Woman Canyon, small town and who would have thought- our hero-Sheriff Walt Longmire. The prose of writing enhance the experience of reading so Enjoy.
September 13, 2026
I had high hopes but the last couple of chapters were too convenient and idiotic.
July 31, 2026
The prompt in the review space reads “What did you think of this book?”
Well, if I was writing in the style of Vic Moretti’s speech pattern, I would drop about 23 f-bombs in describing how idiotic the premise and story telling were.
The never-ending escaping the fire scene; the completely random killer; the idiotic ending with the Russian; the mule who’s more intelligent than the main characters.
Gimme a break - horrible read.
Johnson churns out his Longmire works annually. I am giving myself a reminder for next year to remember NOT to pick up his Longmire book #23.
Well, if I was writing in the style of Vic Moretti’s speech pattern, I would drop about 23 f-bombs in describing how idiotic the premise and story telling were.
The never-ending escaping the fire scene; the completely random killer; the idiotic ending with the Russian; the mule who’s more intelligent than the main characters.
Gimme a break - horrible read.
Johnson churns out his Longmire works annually. I am giving myself a reminder for next year to remember NOT to pick up his Longmire book #23.
May 27, 2026
This one started out a bit slow for me. It's hard to get upset at the dead guy when he was so awful. The weird Russian guy was more interesting as was Walt's reaction to him being there. I find I'm very intrigued by their conversation at the end.
The last part of the book was a bit harrowing for Walt. The fire coming, he's stuck out there, a weird guy, random elk stampede and a stubborn mule, all things that made it harder for Walt to deal with. At least he figured out the bad guy and why, even if it was a stupid reason for everything.
The last part of the book was a bit harrowing for Walt. The fire coming, he's stuck out there, a weird guy, random elk stampede and a stubborn mule, all things that made it harder for Walt to deal with. At least he figured out the bad guy and why, even if it was a stupid reason for everything.
May 30, 2026
One of the least enjoyable Longmire books but still much better than most. A ridiculous plot with silly gimmicks like pretending you can legally force people to stay in a location without arresting them or having any probable cause they committed a crime. But it's a Longmire book so it's worth reading.
June 13, 2026
Would give it a 2.9 if I could. I’ve read all of Craig Johnson’s Longmire series and love the main character and his musings. That was the saving grace of this book. Other than enjoying Longmire, the story was kind of “meh”. The book was fairy slow through the 1st three quarters and then seemed to rush to the end. Didn’t really draw me in like many of his other books. The parallels to Dostoyevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov” were somewhat awkward, the super mule was totally unrealistic, and the ending was wrapped up in a little bow. Maybe a bit harsh but I have high expectations for this series.
June 17, 2026
Detective western that rips off Dostoevsky? What more could you want?
June 4, 2026
Walt Longmire continues to prevail in the Wyoming landscape. Complete with his sidekicks Dog and The Navajo Nation, he encounters a family with many viable suspects and withstands a raging natural disaster.
August 15, 2026
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader. If you like this post, you might like others on that site. Consider checking it out!
---
WHAT'S THE BROTHERS MCKAY ABOUT?
That's the opening paragraph of the book—and we keep getting reminded of this point. A chapter or so later, Walt is interviewing a witness:
That won't be the last time the sentiment is echoed.
Pepper has three (legitimate) sons, and one known illegitimate son. And more enemies—or at least people who actively disliked him—than the population of Absaroka County. At least it seems that way.
Walt Longmire happens to be one of them (but not a suspect). But that's how much this man is disliked. I really can't understand how he was able to convince the mothers of his children to sleep with him, but he seems to have plenty more lovers, too. I'm really not sure Johnson established that to my satisfaction (one of two problems I have with this book, so take it with a grain of salt).
Soon, he, Vic, and Double-Tough find themselves with too many suspects—including all of the man's (known) children—and at least one monk! Motives range from revenge to greed to jealousy. And there are multiple suspects for each motive, too.
It's noticed by several people that the murders—oh yeah, there are multiple killings (eventually)—resemble a certain Russian classic. But I'll talk about that in a minute.
CHECKOV'S WILDFIRES
One of Johnson's—and the series'—strengths is highlighting the stark beauty of Wyoming, the nature around Absaroka County, the wide stretches of uninhabited land, and the forces of nature. We're really used to seeing storms wreak havoc on Walt and the rest of his Department.
This time, it's fire.
We learn early on about a couple of fires that are being fought near—but not too-near—the crime scene. Now, everyone who's watched TV or read more than one book reads about them and knows that before the end of the book, at least one of those fires is going to play a role. This is made even clearer by Walt getting regular updates about them getting closer.
Sticking with one of themes of this book, let's borrow an idea from Russian literature and call them Chekov's wildfires.
Johnson brings those fires to life in much the same way he has done with blizzards—but the danger seems (and probably is) greater for Walt and those with him. It's an extended part of the book—a lot longer than I expected it to be. But once the flames started nipping at their heels, it engulfed my attention and wouldn't let go. It was some really exciting material.
THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV
Now, what I know about Russian literature couldn’t fill up a decent blog post. When it comes to [author’s] The Brothers Karamazov, my knowledge is even more limited.
It was expanded a lot by this book—both in what I can tell were parallels Johnson was drawing, and what Walt and Sidorov mused about it.
From what I gather, people better read than I can probably easily see what Johnson was doing there and appreciate it. Not unlike Walt’s version of the Inferno back in Hell is Empty.
I also have to say, learning that The Brothers Karamazov is volume 1 of an unfinished trilogy pretty much guarantees I’m never going to get around for it. People complain about Martin and Rothfuss, but 146 years is far too long to wait for a sequel. Where are the songs and memes about Dostoevsky?
WHY DID I PICK THIS UP? WHY DID I KEEP READING?
I grabbed this reflexively because it was a new Walt Longmire novel.
I stuck with it because you just don’t walk away from Walt. But more importantly, because it worked in so many ways that you really didn’t notice you’d been reading for a while—all you know is that you’re in the middle of a puzzle for Walt and you’re having a good time. I'm really not sure how aware I was of anything else.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE BROTHERS MCKAY?
This is the best Longmire in a while. The interplay with the characters, the complexity of the case, the characters that were created just for this book—and the little glimpse we got into Walt's younger years...and a few other things I can't think of at the moment, really elevate this to one of the best in the series. I don't think Johnson's written a bad novel, but some are clearly better than others. This falls into the "better" column.
As usual, I really enjoyed Vic in this book. As usual, I wanted more of her—but what we got was great. Henry didn't show up in this as much as he could've—and that worked for the best. And we got some good time with Double-Tough—it has been far too long since he graced the pages of this series.
What I said above about Chekov's wildfires started off as a line or two here...but I won't repeat myself. The other bit of nature that worked really well in this book was a mule. Johnson did a good job in making you care as much about the mule as he did many of the humans.
Oh, and we shouldn't forget Walt's dry wit, Vic's less subtle humor, and Walt's deep font of trivia. Who knew you'd get the history of a boardgame in the book?
Johnson really brought Sidorov (the Russian that’s been lurking around Walt lately) into the spotlight for both this novel and to set up the next one (at least). When we got his first big update about Ruth One Heart, the writing was on the wall for Walt’s future, sadly. I’m not crazy about: a. the set-up for the next novel—as much as I figured something like it was going to happen; b. the way that Johnson set it up—as well as it was executed. I’ll save my complaints for the next book (hopefully after Johnson changed my mind).
But that’s for 2027, for now? I can focus on what a great book this was.
---
It wasn't so much of a surprise that Pepper McKay was dead as much as it was an amazement to everyone in the county that it had taken so long for him to die, or for somebody to kill him.
WHAT'S THE BROTHERS MCKAY ABOUT?
That's the opening paragraph of the book—and we keep getting reminded of this point. A chapter or so later, Walt is interviewing a witness:
“Have Pepper and Manx been having any difficulties lately?”
“Lately?” She laughed and then covered her mouth with a hand as if to capture the sound. “You mean beyond the last twenty-two years?”
“Manx didn’t seem very torn up about Pepper's passing.”
“Do you honestly think anybody in the county will be?”
That won't be the last time the sentiment is echoed.
Pepper has three (legitimate) sons, and one known illegitimate son. And more enemies—or at least people who actively disliked him—than the population of Absaroka County. At least it seems that way.
Walt Longmire happens to be one of them (but not a suspect). But that's how much this man is disliked. I really can't understand how he was able to convince the mothers of his children to sleep with him, but he seems to have plenty more lovers, too. I'm really not sure Johnson established that to my satisfaction (one of two problems I have with this book, so take it with a grain of salt).
Soon, he, Vic, and Double-Tough find themselves with too many suspects—including all of the man's (known) children—and at least one monk! Motives range from revenge to greed to jealousy. And there are multiple suspects for each motive, too.
It's noticed by several people that the murders—oh yeah, there are multiple killings (eventually)—resemble a certain Russian classic. But I'll talk about that in a minute.
CHECKOV'S WILDFIRES
One of Johnson's—and the series'—strengths is highlighting the stark beauty of Wyoming, the nature around Absaroka County, the wide stretches of uninhabited land, and the forces of nature. We're really used to seeing storms wreak havoc on Walt and the rest of his Department.
This time, it's fire.
We learn early on about a couple of fires that are being fought near—but not too-near—the crime scene. Now, everyone who's watched TV or read more than one book reads about them and knows that before the end of the book, at least one of those fires is going to play a role. This is made even clearer by Walt getting regular updates about them getting closer.
Sticking with one of themes of this book, let's borrow an idea from Russian literature and call them Chekov's wildfires.
Johnson brings those fires to life in much the same way he has done with blizzards—but the danger seems (and probably is) greater for Walt and those with him. It's an extended part of the book—a lot longer than I expected it to be. But once the flames started nipping at their heels, it engulfed my attention and wouldn't let go. It was some really exciting material.
THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV
Now, what I know about Russian literature couldn’t fill up a decent blog post. When it comes to [author’s] The Brothers Karamazov, my knowledge is even more limited.
It was expanded a lot by this book—both in what I can tell were parallels Johnson was drawing, and what Walt and Sidorov mused about it.
From what I gather, people better read than I can probably easily see what Johnson was doing there and appreciate it. Not unlike Walt’s version of the Inferno back in Hell is Empty.
I also have to say, learning that The Brothers Karamazov is volume 1 of an unfinished trilogy pretty much guarantees I’m never going to get around for it. People complain about Martin and Rothfuss, but 146 years is far too long to wait for a sequel. Where are the songs and memes about Dostoevsky?
WHY DID I PICK THIS UP? WHY DID I KEEP READING?
I grabbed this reflexively because it was a new Walt Longmire novel.
I stuck with it because you just don’t walk away from Walt. But more importantly, because it worked in so many ways that you really didn’t notice you’d been reading for a while—all you know is that you’re in the middle of a puzzle for Walt and you’re having a good time. I'm really not sure how aware I was of anything else.
SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT THE BROTHERS MCKAY?
She studied me. “What's the matter?”
I slumped back on the bench, taking off my hat and staring up at the delicate design of the pressed-tin ceiling. “It’s all just so abstract, stupid, and petty.”
Vic glanced at Henry and Sidorov, and then back at me before making her way over to the mini fridge and pulling out four cans of Rainier. Sauntering over, she popped the top of one and handed it to me. “How long have you been in law enforcement?”
“Most of my life, but I keep hoping that our species will evolve.”
“Yeah, good luck with that.”
This is the best Longmire in a while. The interplay with the characters, the complexity of the case, the characters that were created just for this book—and the little glimpse we got into Walt's younger years...and a few other things I can't think of at the moment, really elevate this to one of the best in the series. I don't think Johnson's written a bad novel, but some are clearly better than others. This falls into the "better" column.
As usual, I really enjoyed Vic in this book. As usual, I wanted more of her—but what we got was great. Henry didn't show up in this as much as he could've—and that worked for the best. And we got some good time with Double-Tough—it has been far too long since he graced the pages of this series.
What I said above about Chekov's wildfires started off as a line or two here...but I won't repeat myself. The other bit of nature that worked really well in this book was a mule. Johnson did a good job in making you care as much about the mule as he did many of the humans.
Oh, and we shouldn't forget Walt's dry wit, Vic's less subtle humor, and Walt's deep font of trivia. Who knew you'd get the history of a boardgame in the book?
Johnson really brought Sidorov (the Russian that’s been lurking around Walt lately) into the spotlight for both this novel and to set up the next one (at least). When we got his first big update about Ruth One Heart, the writing was on the wall for Walt’s future, sadly. I’m not crazy about: a. the set-up for the next novel—as much as I figured something like it was going to happen; b. the way that Johnson set it up—as well as it was executed. I’ll save my complaints for the next book (hopefully after Johnson changed my mind).
But that’s for 2027, for now? I can focus on what a great book this was.
July 4, 2026
Without further exploration of the meta-discussion, of the author’s use of the "Brothers Karamazov," the final novel by Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, as the backdrop or skeleton story for this book; allow me to say, that there are other issues of style, pace, plotting, and writing for this volume that caused me to give it a poor rating, compared to many other reviewers, here on Goodreads®
I realize that an author of the magnitude, rectitude, and attitude, of Mr. Johnson, might make him so, “creative” that he thought this ["TBK"] would be a clever allusive or "intertextual" premise for one of his Wyoming murder mysteries. Unfortunately, it was not. He led the book with this acknowledgment, prior to page one!
This story is a disjointed, rambling mess, and in many places, it is “overwritten” w/ too many words, emotions, and all the methodical manners of repetitive dialogue between this cast of characters, that we all know and love. I’m sure that Viking® [Random House LLC] will look back on the marketing numbers of this book someday and see that it poorly performed. When reason fails, the devil helps!
I’m glad that I did not spend $30 on this 22nd novel in the Walt Longmire series. Two (2) **-stars. Maybe next time!
I realize that an author of the magnitude, rectitude, and attitude, of Mr. Johnson, might make him so, “creative” that he thought this ["TBK"] would be a clever allusive or "intertextual" premise for one of his Wyoming murder mysteries. Unfortunately, it was not. He led the book with this acknowledgment, prior to page one!
This story is a disjointed, rambling mess, and in many places, it is “overwritten” w/ too many words, emotions, and all the methodical manners of repetitive dialogue between this cast of characters, that we all know and love. I’m sure that Viking® [Random House LLC] will look back on the marketing numbers of this book someday and see that it poorly performed. When reason fails, the devil helps!
I’m glad that I did not spend $30 on this 22nd novel in the Walt Longmire series. Two (2) **-stars. Maybe next time!
May 29, 2026
I don’t know if the reason this book is so confusing and disjointed is because it has been edited for the kindle version or it’s the actual writing. Either way it has left questions. Who is the Russian and why is he relevant to the story? If he’s from a previous book , it’s been too long to remember who he is. The motive for the murders is unbelievable, especially because the person is religious. Where’s the premedication and evidence he is a psychopath? There’s too much unfunny banter ongoing between Walt and others as well as his “philosophy” and literature knowledge. Who cares that he’s a reader? And Moretti’s language has become really smutty. It’s unbecoming to her character. Who is double tough’S real name and why is he relavent? The story itself jumps all over the place Only the last few chapters where the strongly determined character of Longmire is displayed is the book worth reading. I was very disappointed overall except for one character…..Borax. Love the mule.
August 6, 2026
Pepper McKay, an ornery and hated patriarch in Absaroka County, is found dead, very possibly murdered, and Walt Longmire has a plethora of suspects, not the least of which are McKay's four sons, three legit and one illegitimate. On top of that, the Russian assassin he once battled is in town, but wanting Walt to be his parole officer, as he claims he has information on the whereabouts of Ruth One Heart. Then another suspicious death occurs at the McKay ranch. As Walt works through lumtiple layers to solve the crimes an even worse threat appears in the form of a raging wildfire the likes of which Abaroka County has never seen.
The writing is sharp as ever, the mystery fast paced an compelling. However, it suffers from a few disappointing drawbacks. Craig Johnson fully explains at the beginning that this novel was inspired by The Brothers Karamazov, then proceeds to hammer the reader over the head with Dostoevsky by shoving that actual hovel in repeatedly. And while characters making poor, even stupid, decisions is the mainstay propelling force in fiction, and Longmire is no stranger to making poor decisions, Walt makes the absolute stupidest choices in this story, that made for gripping but utterly unrealistic reading. Plus, the killer and their motivations were total weak sauce , but even in that case, I think it's still pretty weenie, and what lowered my review by 1/2 a star.
The writing is sharp as ever, the mystery fast paced an compelling. However, it suffers from a few disappointing drawbacks. Craig Johnson fully explains at the beginning that this novel was inspired by The Brothers Karamazov, then proceeds to hammer the reader over the head with Dostoevsky by shoving that actual hovel in repeatedly. And while characters making poor, even stupid, decisions is the mainstay propelling force in fiction, and Longmire is no stranger to making poor decisions, Walt makes the absolute stupidest choices in this story, that made for gripping but utterly unrealistic reading. Plus, the killer and their motivations were total weak sauce , but even in that case, I think it's still pretty weenie, and what lowered my review by 1/2 a star.
July 12, 2026
3.5 stars. Another witty who done it based very loosely on Dostoevky’s The Brothers Karasmov. Walt is called in on a suicide/murder of Pepper McKay, disliked by practically everyone including his sons, both biological and illegitimate. The Russian agent from the last book is sitting in Walt’s jail for shelter not under arrest; he tells more of his background and helps Walt and company solve the McKay murder. High drama with a fire that sweeps through Crazy Woman canyon having Walt take shelter in a cave with a new character, Borax the mule. Blink.
September 10, 2026
A riff on The Brothers Karamazov, which I attempted to read decades ago and have no desire to attempt again. Walt has quite the adventure in a canyon fleeing a wildfire while trying to solve a suspicious death at a dude ranch owned by the most reviled man in the county. Instead of Dog his steadfast companion is a mule, Borax. The usual engaging dialogue permeates his interactions with the public. But the background plot is the appearance of the Russian who tried to kill him and an uneasy alliance between them that sets the stage for the next book.
July 4, 2026
Might be my favorite so far. Johnson.claims he read The Brothers Karamozov at a young age. This mystery is based on that book, which makes it even more interesting than usual. There are some new characters, though one who we have encountered before. Also, all our favorites are here.
Longmire is of course put in jeopardy several times, but that goes without saying.
I will listen to this book as soon as it is available on Hoopla.
Longmire is of course put in jeopardy several times, but that goes without saying.
I will listen to this book as soon as it is available on Hoopla.
May 29, 2026
Another great book about sheriff Walt Longmire on the hunt for a killer caught in a wildfire. Love the series and the characters and I highly recommend it.
June 10, 2026
4.5
Refresh for the series… storyline exploring The Brothers Karamazov was a great idea! Loved Borax and hope he appears again. Looks like Walt will be going abroad in the next installment!
Refresh for the series… storyline exploring The Brothers Karamazov was a great idea! Loved Borax and hope he appears again. Looks like Walt will be going abroad in the next installment!
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