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kathydavie's review against another edition
4.0
Technically, this is 9.1 in the publication line-up of the Walt Longmire mystery series set in Wyoming---and at the start of the story with the “prologue”, but the chronology of this novella is more like 0.25 as the main events take place a few months after Walt is elected sheriff in 1988, and Martha is still alive. And, while this is technically a mystery series, it's more of a suspenseful ride with a quickly sobering Lucian and a leaky "boat".
My Take
I liked the start of this one with its present day setting before Walt heads back into memory. It's a moaning Walt, moaning in his head about how lonely this Christmas will be: no Cady as she’s expecting Walt’s first grandchild in January, Vic has gone to Belize with her mom, and Henry has a new ladyfriend. But it’s a loneliness broken by an old memory in the form of a visitor. One who takes Walt and Lucian back in time to a truly fearsome Christmas.
It’s that clue, Steamboat, when Walt realizes who their visitor is and the memory sends him back in time, remembering that fearsome Christmas Eve flight to save a little girl’s life.
It's a trip back into history on many levels as Johnson provides back history on Lucian’s life without making it an info dump, the Haylift story with those personal touches and heavy loads LOL, lots of foreshadowing--he did make me cry with that line: “Good thing we’ve got a long road ahead of us, huh?” A bit more back history gives us the background on the bucking bronco on Wyoming’s license plate with its parallel application between the horse and today’s visitor. I also enjoyed the subtle hints of the Indian spirits who would be such a help to Walt in the years to come.
It’s an exciting ride, LOL, how could it not be when Lucian Connally is at the controls of an ancient bomber with hydraulic issues and leaks of all sorts while Doc Bloomfield struggles to save a young girl’s life western style as he’s flung about the plane.
Yup, fancy flying with a whole lotta goosing and an even trickier landing that reflects back on the bucking bronco of the Mitchell’s namesake.
The Story
It’s a mysterious visitor on Christmas Eve that sends Walt down memory lane to a much earlier Christmas when Martha was still alive, just before the bad news hits.
Only a young girl survived the car crash, barely. If she doesn’t get to a burn unit down in Denver, she’ll die. And there’s a massive cold front from Canada coming in.
The Characters
Walt Longmire has been sheriff of Absaroka County for a bit over a month now, the result of an election Lucian did his best to lose. Martha is his worried wife; Cady is their nine-year-old daughter.
Lucian Connally was the poker-playing, one-legged sheriff before Walt and a Doolittle Raider during World War II. He’s now living at the Durant Home for Assisted Living.
Dr. Isaac Bloomfield goes along for the ride. Julie Luehrman teaches part-time—at Cady’s school and to pilots—and she’s a mechanic and pilot who’ll take that terrifying co-pilot’s seat. Rick Koehmstedt is the airport manager. The Ferg is Walt’s deputy.
Mrs. Oda is the grandmother of Amaterasu, the young burn victim.
Current day...
Ruby is the dispatcher for the sheriff’s department. Mary Jo Johnson works at the Durant Home for Assisted Living. Henry owns the Red Pony Bar and is Walt’s best friend. Even if he is spending most of his time with a new lady. Dog is, well, a dog who goes everywhere with Walt.
The Cover
The cover is a woodcut-effect of a B-25 bomber named Steamboat with the mustang and rider silhouette from the Wyoming license plates painted on her side, as she struggles through the snowy turquoise sky on her errand of mercy. It’s only the Spirit of Steamboat that gets them through.
My Take
I liked the start of this one with its present day setting before Walt heads back into memory. It's a moaning Walt, moaning in his head about how lonely this Christmas will be: no Cady as she’s expecting Walt’s first grandchild in January, Vic has gone to Belize with her mom, and Henry has a new ladyfriend. But it’s a loneliness broken by an old memory in the form of a visitor. One who takes Walt and Lucian back in time to a truly fearsome Christmas.
It’s that clue, Steamboat, when Walt realizes who their visitor is and the memory sends him back in time, remembering that fearsome Christmas Eve flight to save a little girl’s life.
It's a trip back into history on many levels as Johnson provides back history on Lucian’s life without making it an info dump, the Haylift story with those personal touches and heavy loads LOL, lots of foreshadowing--he did make me cry with that line: “Good thing we’ve got a long road ahead of us, huh?” A bit more back history gives us the background on the bucking bronco on Wyoming’s license plate with its parallel application between the horse and today’s visitor. I also enjoyed the subtle hints of the Indian spirits who would be such a help to Walt in the years to come.
It’s an exciting ride, LOL, how could it not be when Lucian Connally is at the controls of an ancient bomber with hydraulic issues and leaks of all sorts while Doc Bloomfield struggles to save a young girl’s life western style as he’s flung about the plane.
Yup, fancy flying with a whole lotta goosing and an even trickier landing that reflects back on the bucking bronco of the Mitchell’s namesake.
The Story
It’s a mysterious visitor on Christmas Eve that sends Walt down memory lane to a much earlier Christmas when Martha was still alive, just before the bad news hits.
Only a young girl survived the car crash, barely. If she doesn’t get to a burn unit down in Denver, she’ll die. And there’s a massive cold front from Canada coming in.
The Characters
Walt Longmire has been sheriff of Absaroka County for a bit over a month now, the result of an election Lucian did his best to lose. Martha is his worried wife; Cady is their nine-year-old daughter.
Lucian Connally was the poker-playing, one-legged sheriff before Walt and a Doolittle Raider during World War II. He’s now living at the Durant Home for Assisted Living.
Dr. Isaac Bloomfield goes along for the ride. Julie Luehrman teaches part-time—at Cady’s school and to pilots—and she’s a mechanic and pilot who’ll take that terrifying co-pilot’s seat. Rick Koehmstedt is the airport manager. The Ferg is Walt’s deputy.
Mrs. Oda is the grandmother of Amaterasu, the young burn victim.
Current day...
Ruby is the dispatcher for the sheriff’s department. Mary Jo Johnson works at the Durant Home for Assisted Living. Henry owns the Red Pony Bar and is Walt’s best friend. Even if he is spending most of his time with a new lady. Dog is, well, a dog who goes everywhere with Walt.
The Cover
The cover is a woodcut-effect of a B-25 bomber named Steamboat with the mustang and rider silhouette from the Wyoming license plates painted on her side, as she struggles through the snowy turquoise sky on her errand of mercy. It’s only the Spirit of Steamboat that gets them through.
roseleaf24's review against another edition
4.0
This is a sweet, Christmas novella, focused primarily on Lucian. Quick and enjoyable read, even with a lot of airplane talk that went mostly over my head.
geekwayne's review against another edition
4.0
Spirit of Steamboat takes place in the Walt Longmire series of books, but it's not a mystery. Rather an adventure story from Walt's past and takes place in 1988 and features old sheriff Lucian Connally. It's a novella length novel and is filled with nail-biting suspense and humor.
During Walt's first term as sheriff, near Christmas, Walt needs to transport a badly burned little girl. The problem is the weather is deadly and no one wants to fly in it. That is until an old B-29 bomber is found that has a slight hydraulic problem. Offering to pilot is Lucian who used to fly them in World War 2. So with a pilot and co-pilot, the young girl, her mother and a doctor, Walt takes to the skies to save the girls life. There is enough heart-pounding suspense for much longer novels and just when I thought things would completely fall apart, well, I wouldn't dare spoil it for you.
There is a framing story which works to set Walt's memory going back to that time in the late 1980s, and it works to get the reader into the story, but when I ran into it at the end, it felt a little tacked on to me. The story takes place at Christmas and Dickens A Christmas Carol is featured, but it could be read anytime you are ready for a quick adventure with some fun characters.
I was given a review copy of this book by Penguin Group Viking and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this book.
During Walt's first term as sheriff, near Christmas, Walt needs to transport a badly burned little girl. The problem is the weather is deadly and no one wants to fly in it. That is until an old B-29 bomber is found that has a slight hydraulic problem. Offering to pilot is Lucian who used to fly them in World War 2. So with a pilot and co-pilot, the young girl, her mother and a doctor, Walt takes to the skies to save the girls life. There is enough heart-pounding suspense for much longer novels and just when I thought things would completely fall apart, well, I wouldn't dare spoil it for you.
There is a framing story which works to set Walt's memory going back to that time in the late 1980s, and it works to get the reader into the story, but when I ran into it at the end, it felt a little tacked on to me. The story takes place at Christmas and Dickens A Christmas Carol is featured, but it could be read anytime you are ready for a quick adventure with some fun characters.
I was given a review copy of this book by Penguin Group Viking and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for letting me review this book.
zmull's review against another edition
5.0
Spirit of Steamboat is set in 1988 and isn't a mystery. In this one Walt and Lucian are forced to fly a disused WWII era bomber from Durant to Denver to get a young girl burned in a fire to the hospital there. As an action story this one's a real corker. Fast and fun, and a great showcase for former Sheriff Lucian Connelly who in the main series often comes off as a bit of a cliche. Craig Johnson shines in novella form. I hope he writes more of these.
Note: No Bear or Vic in this one.
Note: No Bear or Vic in this one.
greaydean's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty good showing. Quite enjoyable. Shorter than his usual but worth the time.
qu33nofbookz's review against another edition
4.0
A short story about a little Christmas time miracle pulled off by the Sheriff and his friends.
krobart's review against another edition
3.0
See my review here:
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/spirit-of-steamboat/
http://whatmeread.wordpress.com/tag/spirit-of-steamboat/
wearsteel's review
4.0
I brief backstory for the series of Longmire. Compact & complete would best describe it.
elanorh's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Really a nice fast read - shorter than the regular Longmire books and rather than focusing on a death, it's about a prior sheriffing experience for Longmire and Lucian. Really a nice one!