When Sheriff Walt Longmire takes Dog on a routine search and rescue in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming, Dog finds a gun that plunges Longmire into a cold case with ties to his infamous-- and uncompromising-- grandfather, Lloyd Longmire.
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I've been a cheerleader for Craig Johnson and Walt Longmire since the first book in the series, The Cold Dish, was published. However, no matter how much I love these books, there's always going to be one that, for one reason or another, falls a bit flat, and The Longmire Defense was that book for me. Now it's time for me to get down to the why.
Yes, it was great to see Walt back home after all the wandering he'd done in previous books. Yes, it was great to see Ruby and Henry and Vic again, but-- once again-- after making initial appearances, both Henry and Vic (especially Vic) fade from the scene. The Longmire Defense is really a book that centers around Walt's daughter and granddaughter, which leads me to my favorite part of the entire book: seeing Walt as a besotted grandpa.
The cold case involving Walt's grandfather was intriguing and kept me guessing, but it was also at the heart of why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I have others in the series. Walt and his grandfather, Lloyd, had a problematic relationship. I could've used more background on their relationship for me to understand Walt's behavior better. Walt has always been one of the most fair-minded law enforcement characters in crime fiction, but he seemed convinced that his grandfather was guilty of murder. Consequently, he kept looking for evidence proving Lloyd Longmire was guilty, which is diametrically opposed to the Walt Longmire I've known and loved for years. Perhaps this was meant to prove that Walt is human, not ten feet tall and bulletproof, but I've always known that so I didn't need convincing.
When all is said and done, I may have been a mite disappointed with Walt in The Longmire Defense, but it certainly doesn't have any effect on my anticipation for the next book in the series. Bring it on!
The Longmire Defense by Craig Johnson
ISBN: 9780593297315
Viking © 2023
Hardcover, 368 pages
Police Procedural, #19 Walt Longmire mystery
Rating: B
Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen Bookstore.
That's the thing about a long-running series like this one, Cathy. There are bound to be a few that aren't as sparkling as the others, or that even disappoint a bit. But overall, this is one of the top series out there, so we can forgive it.
ReplyDeleteYes-- I know I certainly can!
DeleteIt's been a while since I read any of this series. I need to figure out where I left off and maybe get on with reading it. The books are always enjoyable, some more than others, of course.
ReplyDeleteYes, they are-- and Walt as a besotted grandpa is worth the price of admission in this one.
DeleteWe are poles apart on this one, Cathy...and I love that. It reinforces my belief that no two readers ever read the same book. I share your appreciation of the series, for sure. It's one of the few longer series that I'm completely caught up on, and I dread the wait for the next one. I enjoyed your review.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right-- no two people ever read the same book. In this case I have to wonder how much my opinion was influenced by how ill I was while I read it.
DeleteSadly, I still haven't ever read any of these books. But I do want to. It's just hard sometimes to jump into such a long-running series like this one. At least it is for me.
ReplyDeleteI understand completely, Lark.
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