A review by skinnypenguin
The Western Star by Craig Johnson

3.0

Interesting way the author wrote the book. Every other chapter was from something that happened back in 1972. Walt Longmire was just joining the sheriff's department as a deputy and the story revolved around his taking a trip on a train with a group of other sheriffs and solving the murder of one of them. The rest of the book had Walt in present time going to the capital to testify against the release of a murderer he had put away many years prior. He would show up every few years to make sure the guy did not get released. This time the man was ill and the governor's wife was asking for compassionate release which Walt was opposed to.
It turns out that the man was the same one he had arrested on the train long ago. The story is complicated by someone from his recent past with a vendetta against him trying to hurt him. His daughter is kidnapped near the end and the story is left hanging setting it up for another book.
The present story has his buddy Henry Standing Bear helping him and his former boss, the previous sheriff, accompanying him on his current quest. His girlfriend, and undersheriff, also came with him to the hearing. In the story that takes place many years ago it talks about his relationship with his wife and the problems they were facing then. It felt like you needed to have read some of the prior books in the series to totally understand all that was happening and some of the relationships. Talks about loyalty and dedication to a job and friends and family.