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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
I loved the book, but I hate a cliffhanger. OK...I don't hate them, but I hate to wait on the sequel. At the end of this one Walt is heading out to take care of some unfinished business...that's all I'll say here, but I think I'll start bugging Mr. Johnson about the next book soon...like this afternoon!!!
A two-fer. The memories of a past case are told along with a current case that has some strong resonances. Johnson really managed to hit me with a surprise I did not see coming. And who doesn't love a western set on a train?
There were some really creepy scenes, and I loved the atmosphere of the train mystery. But listening on audio it was a bit difficult to ascertain what time period we were in, and the twist at the end was a bit OTT.
Also, the thing with Cady is really annoying.
Also, the thing with Cady is really annoying.
This is book 13 in the Longmire series. I have enjoyed all of them. This book is told in two threads, one present day and one in 1972. They do connect at the end, and there is a cliffhanger for those of you annoyed by cliffhangers. The book opens in the present day with Walt coming to a parole hearing for a murderer he arrested in many years ago. Then the flashback sequence starts in the same chapter--somewhat confusing and it took me a while to separate the two. We learn more about Walt and his start as an Absaroka County Deputy Sheriff. The flashback sequence takes place during a special steam trip across Wyoming and has some steam train trivia if you are a steam train buff. This was a library book.
3.5 stars
My wife also read this book. The cliffhanger and the alternating threads did not bother her. She says 4.5 stars.
3.5 stars
My wife also read this book. The cliffhanger and the alternating threads did not bother her. She says 4.5 stars.
Another great Longmire book, and I especially enjoyed the Murder on the Orient Express nods. However, the flashback story-line was much more compelling than the current day story-line, which made the novel a bit uneven, and the ending left off on a huge cliffhanger, which I found quite frustrating.
Fun enjoyed! Got me back in though. I don’t love some end big picture stuff that happened
I've been a fan of Craig's since I picked up the first book in the Longmire series. Each year since then, he's graced the shelves with another jaunt around Absaroka County, Wyoming, and I look forward to that book every year.
This year's installment is THE WESTERN STAR. The title refers to a steam train that takes all the sheriffs of Wyoming on a four-day run where they can get drunk, have a good time, and deal with general sheriff business.
The book leaps back-and-forth in time, telling a story about Walt Longmire in the present, and leaping back to tell the story of a young Walt, just two weeks on the job, taking the ride on the Western Star with his boss, the cantankerous Lucian Connally.
Young Walt purchases a copy of Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at the beginning of the book. That should tell you where the story is headed.
In the present, Walt and his usual cast of Absaroka regulars (Henry, Vic, Lucian, Dog, Cady, and granddaughter Lola) are dealing with their own crisis. The situation in the present ties into the mystery in the past.
Craig leaps back and forth in time with simple grace and manages to weave both stories together. This is a trick he's done before, but it still works. It's always interesting to get more insight into Walt and why he is who he is. Seeing Walt and Henry as young men is a pleasant contrast to who they've become.
As always, Johnson's prose is effortlessly readable and charming. One of my favorite things about how he writes (and something I've been trying to take notes on) is the lack of dialogue attribution. There's probably only five, maybe six uses of the word "said" in the whole book. Instead, the dialogue blends seamlessly with the prose and there's never any doubt about who is saying what. The dialogue is sharp and witty, too. There are moments of laugh-out-loud humor balanced in among the seriousness of the murder. His descriptions are sparse as Wyoming prairie, but there is nothing left to the imagination. He peels back layers of description and gives you precisely what you need to know with only a few simple phrases. It's a gift to be envied, for sure.
I'm already looking forward to the next installment. They really can't come fast enough for my tastes.
Five stars.
This year's installment is THE WESTERN STAR. The title refers to a steam train that takes all the sheriffs of Wyoming on a four-day run where they can get drunk, have a good time, and deal with general sheriff business.
The book leaps back-and-forth in time, telling a story about Walt Longmire in the present, and leaping back to tell the story of a young Walt, just two weeks on the job, taking the ride on the Western Star with his boss, the cantankerous Lucian Connally.
Young Walt purchases a copy of Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at the beginning of the book. That should tell you where the story is headed.
In the present, Walt and his usual cast of Absaroka regulars (Henry, Vic, Lucian, Dog, Cady, and granddaughter Lola) are dealing with their own crisis. The situation in the present ties into the mystery in the past.
Craig leaps back and forth in time with simple grace and manages to weave both stories together. This is a trick he's done before, but it still works. It's always interesting to get more insight into Walt and why he is who he is. Seeing Walt and Henry as young men is a pleasant contrast to who they've become.
As always, Johnson's prose is effortlessly readable and charming. One of my favorite things about how he writes (and something I've been trying to take notes on) is the lack of dialogue attribution. There's probably only five, maybe six uses of the word "said" in the whole book. Instead, the dialogue blends seamlessly with the prose and there's never any doubt about who is saying what. The dialogue is sharp and witty, too. There are moments of laugh-out-loud humor balanced in among the seriousness of the murder. His descriptions are sparse as Wyoming prairie, but there is nothing left to the imagination. He peels back layers of description and gives you precisely what you need to know with only a few simple phrases. It's a gift to be envied, for sure.
I'm already looking forward to the next installment. They really can't come fast enough for my tastes.
Five stars.