Craig Johnson (1) (1961–)

A remarkably complete T. Rex skeleton has been found by a young paleontologist on what may or may not be Cheyenne land, or land owned personally by Danny Lone Elk, who mysteriously ends up dead in the Turtle Pond where he often feeds and communes with the ancient creatures before feeding on them. The FBI gets involved because if it turns out the Cheyenne, individually or collectively, do not own the land, it might be federal property, and the government wouldn't want to lose out on the sale of that T. Rex. Lots of nasty business, Walt's family situation takes a turn, and he faces more than one crazy bastard intent on shooting, stabbing or otherwise maiming him. Miraculously, he escapes this time with nothing more than a possible concussion. Tragedy and comedy overlap in the best way, a character who has apparently served his purpose is "written out", and it looks like Cady is coming back to Wyoming. A definite improvement over the last installment… (meer)

Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire opens a can of worms when he finds an old rifle hidden on his family’s elk camp. He remembers his father’s story about an accidental shooting that resulted in the death of one of Walt’s grandfather’s hunting companions. Walt, who never got along with his grandfather, wonders if his grandfather might have been a murderer. Walt’s questions catch the attention of people in high places, for whom it seems the past isn’t really dead. Meanwhile, Walt’s relationship with his undersheriff, Vic, takes a new turn.

I liked a lot of the elements of the story – a historical mystery where family history is important, well-read characters who think it’s natural to talk about books, dogs as supporting characters. However, the plot is so convoluted that it’s hard to keep track of all the important elements. I liked that Vic is absent through a lot of the book since I prefer her in small doses due to her foul mouth. If Johnson intended for his readers to be surprised that Vic had moved into Walt’s cabin, he shouldn’t have been so heavy-handed about Walt avoiding going home. Every time Walt wondered to himself where Vic had gone, I’d tell him “She’s at your house,” but he didn’t listen.… (meer)

I thoroughly enjoyed this entry in the Walt Longmire series, the first I'd listened to.
George Guidall's pace and diction was just right for the story, so much so that I didn't take advantage of the 'speed-up' available, and listened to it as read.

Through flashbacks prompted by the murder of a Vietnamese woman in Longmire's territory, we learn a great deal about his time in Vietnam, the corrupt underside of the
war, and the price everyone paid. We also learn about the price paid by Native Americans assumed to be brutal at home. I found it engaging overall, and will try to find the next in the series on Audio.… (meer)

This is the 8th book of the series and I think I missed out on being as invested in the characters as I should have been had I started at the beginning. A major plot point is the wedding of longmire’s daughter.The mystery at the center is good, with the obligatory twists and turns. I was a little uncomfortable with having the white male sherriff show the Native American female how it is done. I think that is why the author made her a veteran and tough. The setting in and around the reservation was interesting. Will go back to the first and try some more.… (meer)