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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
Like a lot of newer readers, I came to the Walt Longmire mysteries from the currently-airing t.v. show. And, like anytime one transfers an enthusiasm from one medium to another, I tried to keep my expectations in check. I hoped to find the same instantly familiar, modern Western feeling that the t.v. show so ably captures. I hoped to find the same likable, relatable characters full of slow wisdom and fast remarks. And, I hoped I would like the books just as much as I enjoy the show.
To say that my hopes were exceeded would be a disservice to this first Longmire novel. It not only met my hopes, it reached beyond them to the point where I now much prefer the novels. (This is not as common an occurrence as you might think.) The characters, the location, and, most of all the mystery are all exactly what I could have wished for; I've seen a lot of comparisons to Dick Francis' novels or Elmore Leonard's Raylan Givens character and they're not far off the mark.
Sheriff Walt Longmire solves his mysteries through slow, careful police work, not a fair bit of which he's more than willing to shovel off onto a deputy or two, rather than flashes of brilliance or Holmesian deductions. In this, he is aided by a full roster of interesting characters, from his fish-out-of-water deputy, Vic Moretti, to his best friend and sparring partner, Henry Standing Bear. In fact, it is the latter character that adds a very "Hap and Leonard" feeling to the novel, which is, of course, a good thing.
The action is slow and unfolds a step at a time, unlike a lot of modern fiction which seems to be enamored of the "everything goes to hell at once" method of story-telling. It's a nice change of pace.
Really, there's just an awful lot to like about these novels and I recommend them to anyone who's a fan of any of the other books cited in this brief review.
To say that my hopes were exceeded would be a disservice to this first Longmire novel. It not only met my hopes, it reached beyond them to the point where I now much prefer the novels. (This is not as common an occurrence as you might think.) The characters, the location, and, most of all the mystery are all exactly what I could have wished for; I've seen a lot of comparisons to Dick Francis' novels or Elmore Leonard's Raylan Givens character and they're not far off the mark.
Sheriff Walt Longmire solves his mysteries through slow, careful police work, not a fair bit of which he's more than willing to shovel off onto a deputy or two, rather than flashes of brilliance or Holmesian deductions. In this, he is aided by a full roster of interesting characters, from his fish-out-of-water deputy, Vic Moretti, to his best friend and sparring partner, Henry Standing Bear. In fact, it is the latter character that adds a very "Hap and Leonard" feeling to the novel, which is, of course, a good thing.
The action is slow and unfolds a step at a time, unlike a lot of modern fiction which seems to be enamored of the "everything goes to hell at once" method of story-telling. It's a nice change of pace.
Really, there's just an awful lot to like about these novels and I recommend them to anyone who's a fan of any of the other books cited in this brief review.
slow-paced
Surprise! Surprise! Yep, books can still surprise me.
Recently I saw a trailer on A&E plugging the debut of TheWalt Longmire Mystery series coming to tv with the first to be aired last Sunday. I have heard wonderful things about theis award winning series but had never read one myself. Time to turn the pages!
The Walt Longmire series begins with The Cold Dish and it seemed appropriate to start right at the beginning. I knew they took place in Absaroka County,Wyoming and had that sort of western, outdoorsy appeal but wasn't certain what else to expect.
I really enjoyed my first Longmire book. I actually finished it after watching the debut of the TV series. Though Johnson is happy with the production and I can see why, I'll stick with the books. Johnson knows how to tell a story, and his descriptions of place will put you right on the scene. Most importantly for me Longmire and his cast of characters are fleshed out beautifully in this first of the series. That’s not to say you know all about the man. Johnson is cagey enough to leave some loose ends and room for character development so you'll come back for more.
The Longmire series is much about what it's like to be a Wyoming Sheriff and Johnson is quick to point out the man needs to be big. A western sheriff is it, no back up, so he, Longmire, is the end all. Johnson's descriptions of Longmire make you see this. A large, tall man, heavy set, a bit paunchy, widowed just a year, he's chiseled enough for men and has just enough of a soft side for us women to love him. He drinks hard, mostly Rainier Beer, is ex military, tends to moodiness and seems a bit intellectual. The cast of supporting characters in this first outing include his good friend, Henry Standing Bear, of the Cheyenne Nation, Vic, a smart, sassy, sexy, exurbanite who becomes his deputy sheriff and plays well to Longmire's grieving soul, a former one legged sheriff, and a bunch of others I hope return in upcoming books.
There's enough mystery in The Cold Dish to keep fans of this genre entertained. Add to this smart dialog, sexual tension to add hope for the big guy, humor that surprised me and plain good writing that engaged me throughout.
The Cold Dish is a solid start as the first in what is now eight books. I'm hooked!
Recently I saw a trailer on A&E plugging the debut of TheWalt Longmire Mystery series coming to tv with the first to be aired last Sunday. I have heard wonderful things about theis award winning series but had never read one myself. Time to turn the pages!
The Walt Longmire series begins with The Cold Dish and it seemed appropriate to start right at the beginning. I knew they took place in Absaroka County,Wyoming and had that sort of western, outdoorsy appeal but wasn't certain what else to expect.
I really enjoyed my first Longmire book. I actually finished it after watching the debut of the TV series. Though Johnson is happy with the production and I can see why, I'll stick with the books. Johnson knows how to tell a story, and his descriptions of place will put you right on the scene. Most importantly for me Longmire and his cast of characters are fleshed out beautifully in this first of the series. That’s not to say you know all about the man. Johnson is cagey enough to leave some loose ends and room for character development so you'll come back for more.
The Longmire series is much about what it's like to be a Wyoming Sheriff and Johnson is quick to point out the man needs to be big. A western sheriff is it, no back up, so he, Longmire, is the end all. Johnson's descriptions of Longmire make you see this. A large, tall man, heavy set, a bit paunchy, widowed just a year, he's chiseled enough for men and has just enough of a soft side for us women to love him. He drinks hard, mostly Rainier Beer, is ex military, tends to moodiness and seems a bit intellectual. The cast of supporting characters in this first outing include his good friend, Henry Standing Bear, of the Cheyenne Nation, Vic, a smart, sassy, sexy, exurbanite who becomes his deputy sheriff and plays well to Longmire's grieving soul, a former one legged sheriff, and a bunch of others I hope return in upcoming books.
There's enough mystery in The Cold Dish to keep fans of this genre entertained. Add to this smart dialog, sexual tension to add hope for the big guy, humor that surprised me and plain good writing that engaged me throughout.
The Cold Dish is a solid start as the first in what is now eight books. I'm hooked!
Two years ago, four boys were put on trial for raping a Cheyenne girl. When one of them winds up dead, sheriff Walt Longmire finds himself in the middle of murder investigation. Plenty of people had cause for wanting Cody Prichard dead but who had the guts to do the deed? And are his three compadres next on the hit list?
In my never-ending quest to sample what series crime fiction has to offer, I decided to give The Cold Dish a try. After all, A&E wouldn't make a crime series about a dud, would they?
The setting sets the Cold Dish apart from most crime fiction on the racks. A sleepy Wyoming town next to an Indian reservation is a far crime from most metropolitan cesspools. Walt Longmire isn't a super cop by any means. He's out of his depth and he knows it. His feelings about his daughter, his deceased wife, and Vonna, the woman he's recently taken a shine to, make him seem human and vulnerable.
The supporting cast is also interesting, although I thought some of the Native American portrayals might be leaning toward stereotypes. I liked the backstory and I loved that I had no idea who the murderer was until Walt did.
And now here's the stuff I wasn't crazy about. This very much felt like a first novel, particularly in the first half. Also, the author overused pronouns and sometimes it was hard to figure out which "he" or "she" he was talking about. The pace also dragged. For the first 60% of the book, I thought it was so average that I couldn't pick it out of a police lineup.
The last hundred pages was the saving grace of the book. The story got the kick in the ass it needed and I wound up digging it quite a bit by the end.
All things considered, I'm awarding this a 3.5. It's good and I want to read more about Longmire but there are other detectives in line ahead of him.
In my never-ending quest to sample what series crime fiction has to offer, I decided to give The Cold Dish a try. After all, A&E wouldn't make a crime series about a dud, would they?
The setting sets the Cold Dish apart from most crime fiction on the racks. A sleepy Wyoming town next to an Indian reservation is a far crime from most metropolitan cesspools. Walt Longmire isn't a super cop by any means. He's out of his depth and he knows it. His feelings about his daughter, his deceased wife, and Vonna, the woman he's recently taken a shine to, make him seem human and vulnerable.
The supporting cast is also interesting, although I thought some of the Native American portrayals might be leaning toward stereotypes. I liked the backstory and I loved that I had no idea who the murderer was until Walt did.
And now here's the stuff I wasn't crazy about. This very much felt like a first novel, particularly in the first half. Also, the author overused pronouns and sometimes it was hard to figure out which "he" or "she" he was talking about. The pace also dragged. For the first 60% of the book, I thought it was so average that I couldn't pick it out of a police lineup.
The last hundred pages was the saving grace of the book. The story got the kick in the ass it needed and I wound up digging it quite a bit by the end.
All things considered, I'm awarding this a 3.5. It's good and I want to read more about Longmire but there are other detectives in line ahead of him.
It was okay, I definitely prefer the T.V. show for now although I do quite enjoy Henry Standing Bear's character in the book.
This is a well written book, it's sort of dark, sort of Western, a good mystery novel. With a great bit of humor written in.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I watched the entire Longmire series on Netflix and really enjoyed it so, I thought I'd check out the books. Well, I struggled staying interested at the beginning. I finally got the audiobook and that helped. The book picked up steam later on and I ended up enjoying it. There are some big differences between the TV series and the book-so I'm glad that I read/listened to it. The narrator, who did a great job, made Walt seem older than he seemed on the TV show. I'm interested to read more in the series.
An intriguing mystery. Combines the witty dialogue and engaging mystery of a noir novel with some of the sensibilities and pacing of a western. And within that context plays out an ethically complex storyline that touches on real issues of justice. Very satisfying.