Craig Johnson is another new-to-me author.
At time of writing he's 14 books deep into his Walt Longmire series. Not sure I'm going to be reading them all, but I'll keep an open mind until after I've read these first two in the series.
Longmire has been adapted into a TV series, but I've not watched any of it. Not sure what the general consensus is on it, but I guess it hasn't harmed the author's book sales or bank balance and good luck to him.
Craig Johnson has a website here, where you can find out about the rest of the books in the series.
The Cold Dish (2004)
The citizens of the Cowboy State boast a long and bloody history of dispensing rough justice but the last few decades have bred peace between the white and Native American communities. So when Cody Pritchard is found dead near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation, Sheriff Walt Longmire and the general population of Absaroka County are inclined to think it's a hunting accident. But two years earlier Cody was one four high school boys convicted of brutally raping Melissa Little Bird, a young Cheyenne girl with fetal alcohol syndrome. The boys were guilty but let off with suspended sentences. Was this a revenge killing? Sheriff Longmire intends to find out.
After twenty-four years as sheriff, Walt, along with Deputy Victoria Moretti and lifelong friend Henry Standing Bear, is embroiled in the most volatile and challenging case of his career. He might be the only thing standing between the three remaining boys and a Sharps .45-70 buffalo rifle.
In the first book of this new series, Wyoming resident Craig Johnson fills the vast emptiness of the high plains with a cast both tragic and humorous and brings a unique landscape and its people to life with mesmerizing authenticity.
Death Without Company (2006)A new Sheriff Walt Longmire mystery from the author of the acclaimed The Cold Dish
With his debut novel, The Cold Dish, Craig Johnson proved himself a strong new voice in the realm of literary mystery. In his newest work, Johnson again takes us to Sheriff Walt Longmire's Absaroka County, Wyoming.
When Mari Baroja is found poisoned at the Durant Home for Assisted Living, Sheriff Longmire is drawn into an investigation of her death that proves to be as dramatic as her life. Her connections to the Basque community, the lucrative coal-bed methane industry, and the personal life of the previous sheriff, Lucian Connally, lead to a complex web of half-truths and assumed allegiances. As the specter of Mari's abusive husband arises, Sheriff Longmire, aided by his friend Henry Standing Bear, Deputy Victoria Moretti, and newcomer Santiago Saizarbitoria, must connect the past to the present to find the killer among them. Death Without Company is a riveting tale of the unspeakable viciousness that can lurk in the most beautiful and unlikely of places.
Col – I’ve read THE COLD DISH. I’ll be interested to see what you think of it. As for the show, I’ve watched several seasons and liked it quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteElgin, I think I caught a few minutes from one episode, but didn't see enough to get hooked or get turned off. Maybe I'll see how I go with these two first.
DeleteOh, Col, I think you're really going to like these books and this series. In my opinion, there are great characters, strong plots, and a very effective writing style. And I'm just getting started. I hope you'll enjoy them and I look forward to finding out what you think.
ReplyDeleteMargot - high praise. I'll bump the first one a bit further up the pile then.
DeleteHave watched all the series & enjoy the characters, although there is sometimes an absence of levity that can be a bit draining. Only recently noticed the books & think they could be a good read, as the TV series has that 'adapted from a book' feel about it.
ReplyDeleteI definitely need to look up the series and see if its available on any of my "channels". The Keane household quite likes programmes with a bit of grim and grit on occasions. Maybe your library has some of the books?
DeleteIt's got two - another man's moccasins & as the crow flies - so not the first few, which is tricky for orderly readers such as myself, but I'll probably give them a go anyway.
DeleteYou're in the UK aren't you? If you like, I'll post you these two then you can post them back when you're done? They are the first two in the series, and they aren't in any imminent danger of getting read anytime soon, so no hurry.
DeleteCol, I have read about Craig Johnson and his Walt Longmire series, though I haven't actually read any of the books. Your post is a welcome reminder.
ReplyDeleteI wonder which one of us gets to his books first, I reckon it will be you!
ReplyDeleteI have read the first three in the series and I liked them all. I think I liked books 2 and 3 best so it seems to get better as it goes along.
ReplyDeleteWe watched the series and liked it a lot for 3 seasons, as long as it was on TV. But when Netflix continued it, it took a different turn and we did not stick with it. The actors are great. I did not think it stayed that close to the books but that did not matter, it was good in a different way.
Tracy, hopefully you keep going with the series, you're only 11 behind. I'm glad to hear they are worth looking at.
DeleteI'll see if I can connect with the TV show as soon as I have caught up with some of the recorded items.