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A review by iamkallia
Hell Is Empty by Craig Johnson
4.0
"What is it with you white people and morals? Maybe it's just a story about what happened." He paused for a moment. "If an Indian points at a tree, you white people are always thinking, What does that mean? What does the tree stand for? What's the lesson in this for me? Maybe it's just a tree."
Another brilliant outing by [a:Craig Johnson|63607|Craig Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1349965600p2/63607.jpg].
I think one of my favorite aspects of long running mystery series, and what sets an amazing one apart from the good ones, is the ability to weave a world. Perhaps it's not an entire universe, with unique flora and fauna, and detailed maps; but the ability to show how a character from a previous novel continues to affect the characters, and how their past interactions can reflect on present interactions.
Craig Johnson is a master of this. From [b:The Cold Dish|109901|The Cold Dish (Walt Longmire, #1)|Craig Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1398028367l/109901._SY75_.jpg|105919] all the way to Hell Is Empty, people that Walt has met and befriended continue to pop up. It really helps make him feel like a good sheriff - not just an okay sheriff, but one who genuinely cares about his community. It also helps make it seem like a small county.
While perhaps not the strongest mystery - there's no question as to whodunit - it's still a strong narrative. I think Walt is at his peak when it's just him against the elements, fighting against both mother nature and human nature. And this book really nails that down - the majority of the book is spent with Walt and his own thoughts.
All in all, I can't recommend these books enough. If you like a good mystery, Longmire should be required reading.
Another brilliant outing by [a:Craig Johnson|63607|Craig Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1349965600p2/63607.jpg].
I think one of my favorite aspects of long running mystery series, and what sets an amazing one apart from the good ones, is the ability to weave a world. Perhaps it's not an entire universe, with unique flora and fauna, and detailed maps; but the ability to show how a character from a previous novel continues to affect the characters, and how their past interactions can reflect on present interactions.
Craig Johnson is a master of this. From [b:The Cold Dish|109901|The Cold Dish (Walt Longmire, #1)|Craig Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1398028367l/109901._SY75_.jpg|105919] all the way to Hell Is Empty, people that Walt has met and befriended continue to pop up. It really helps make him feel like a good sheriff - not just an okay sheriff, but one who genuinely cares about his community. It also helps make it seem like a small county.
While perhaps not the strongest mystery - there's no question as to whodunit - it's still a strong narrative. I think Walt is at his peak when it's just him against the elements, fighting against both mother nature and human nature. And this book really nails that down - the majority of the book is spent with Walt and his own thoughts.
All in all, I can't recommend these books enough. If you like a good mystery, Longmire should be required reading.