Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
I'm getting ready to read the latest in this series, Dry Bones, so I thought I'd go back to the first in the series. Walt Longmire is among my favorite characters along with Vic and Henry Standing Bear. I never could get into the TV series because the characters just weren't the same.
I watched the first couple of episodes of this on Netflix and enjoyed it enough to want to listen to the books. This was pretty darn good. Interesting characters. I think that's what sold me on the book. The characters. The author took some time and made them feel like real people to me. The mystery kept me guessing, although I am afraid I figured it out a bit ahead of time.
Mr Johnson's ability to set the scene and readily fill my head with the vision of his story impressed me throughout. He never lagged. The story is about a small town sheriff in Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains, so of course there's a case that the sheriff and his deputies must investigate. But the real story is about the characters that live in the Big Horn Mountains and the mountains themselves. They are richly drawn and well rounded. The mystery provides the stage for the various characters to interact. Of course, I was interested in the solution to the case, but was swept away by the personal stories of those characters that become the "regulars" in the following books. I've already asked my library to add this series to their collection and they have agreed to.
So happy that I finally read this first book in the Longmire series. I'm not generally a fan of westerns so wasn't really sure how this was going to go. Walt Longmire is the easy going sheriff in a small Wyoming town dealing with the usual small town problems when the dead body of a local teenager with a criminal past is found dead. The investigation opens up some old wounds that the community would probably rather keep quiet. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the resolution made sense.
I was glad I’d watched the show before reading this or I don’t think I would have made it through. It’s outside of my typical wheelhouse of choices, though, so I knew going in that it might not be my cup of tea.
Wonderful writing, descriptions of the western landscape and the interactions between Native Americans on the Rez with the other “Americans” are very interesting. Excellent plot, character descriptions, and pacing of the narrative. I am diving right into the second book now!
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I was on the hunt for a new (to me) mystery/crime series to read and I came across a best-of list that recommended the Longmire series. I've seen the first episode of the book-inspired series on Netflix, so I had an idea what to expect from this series opener. There were elements of THE COLD DISH, though, that took me by surprise. In a good way.
First, I was surprised by what a strong sense of place the book has. The setting is of huge importance, a character unto itself really. Johnson describes the land and its people in a way that really makes the region come alive. Second, it surprised me that The COLD DISH is more character-driven than plot-driven. Third, I was surprised by how funny the book is. Walt and his BFF both have a dry sense of humor that made me laugh out loud more than once. All these elements made the book a fun, lively read for me.
As far as mystery/thrillers go, THE COLD DISH moves along very slowly. It's a long book (about 448 pages) and it takes a long time for the story to really get anywhere. Which isn't to say that the tale is boring. It's not. But if you're expecting an adrenaline-fueled, edge-of-your-seat kind of ride, you're going to be disappointed. While the mystery is pretty straightforward, I was still surprised by the identity of the killer.
Overall, I didn't end up absolutely loving THE COLD DISH. I liked it, though, and will likely continue on with the series. If I could, I would give it 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I rounded up.
First, I was surprised by what a strong sense of place the book has. The setting is of huge importance, a character unto itself really. Johnson describes the land and its people in a way that really makes the region come alive. Second, it surprised me that The COLD DISH is more character-driven than plot-driven. Third, I was surprised by how funny the book is. Walt and his BFF both have a dry sense of humor that made me laugh out loud more than once. All these elements made the book a fun, lively read for me.
As far as mystery/thrillers go, THE COLD DISH moves along very slowly. It's a long book (about 448 pages) and it takes a long time for the story to really get anywhere. Which isn't to say that the tale is boring. It's not. But if you're expecting an adrenaline-fueled, edge-of-your-seat kind of ride, you're going to be disappointed. While the mystery is pretty straightforward, I was still surprised by the identity of the killer.
Overall, I didn't end up absolutely loving THE COLD DISH. I liked it, though, and will likely continue on with the series. If I could, I would give it 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I rounded up.