THE LONGMIRE DEFENSE by Craig Johnson
I’m a huge fan of the Sheriff Walt Longmire series, captivated by the remote Wyoming setting, the hint of supernatural forces, his best friend Henry Standing Bear, and Longmire’s shadowy spirit guide who announces
his presence with Mallo Cup candy wrappers.
The latest book is light on many of the elements we’ve come to expect, instead focusing on an old crime that involved Longmire’s cranky grandfather. The book feels more like a cold case whodunit that could have taken place anywhere, with an action-filled climax.
Longmire finds an old rifle as he guides a young woman to safety in a storm. The rifle matches one his grandfather used to have.
Digging into the background of the weapon, Longmire discovers that the rifle was used to kill a senior official of the state of Wyoming shortly after the end of World War II. The accident took place on his grandfather’s ranch, which Longmire
inherited and still owns. Supposedly the man’s death was a hunting accident and no one was ever charged with murder.
But did Longmire’s grandfather kill the man?
Oddly enough, two men who were there during the so-called “hunting accident” also ended up dead a short time later, under mysterious—and
uninvestigated—circumstances. All 3 men, as well as Longmire’s grandfather, were involved in Wyoming state banking and finance operations.
Longmire is determined to find answers and find out if his grandfather killed the official, but is warned off the case, not only by a Russian thug but by current state officials.
Greed is at the heart of the story. The present uncomfortably mirrors the past.
At the same time that Longmire is investigating this cold case, his domestic arrangements are unsettled. He’s asked his deputy, a trash-talking female from Philadelphia, to marry him. Instead of giving an answer, she disappears.
I have a bit of a problem with this subplot. Not only is Longmire dating an employee who is a direct report (a career-killer where I come from) but Vic is a wholly unlikeable character whose foul mouth seems to be her major feature.
If you aren’t familiar with the Longmire mystery series (or the Netflix series based on the books) this shouldn’t be your first
dive into it. But if you’re a diehard fan like me, it’s another great installment.
