Saturday, July 26, 2025

The Cold Dish


This is the first in the long-running "Longmire" series by author Craig Johnson; the series was made into a widely popular TV series. Reading the book highlights how some of the characters in the TV series have been miscast, e.g., Deputy Sheriff Victoria Moretti is a short dark-haired woman in the books but a tall blonde woman in the TV version. Four years prior to the story's point in time, four high school boys raped a mentally disabled Cheyenne girl and never were significantly punished. Somebody has decided that revenge is overdue and is killing the young men. Two are already dead and Sheriff Walt Longmire races to find and protect the remaining two. The characters are compelling, the setting evocatively present and the plot line is fast-paced. A satisfying read. 

Kirkus describes Deputy Moretti as "...a foul-mouthed but extremely capable Philadelphian" and Standing Bear (aka Henry), Walt's life-long friend and fellow Vietnam veteran as "Walt’s Virgil as the sheriff steps onto the local reservation." (See Appaloosa by Robert Parker for the reference to Virgil) they conclude their review, offering "The police work comes slow and the solution comes out of nowhere, but Johnson’s gorgeous Wyoming and agreeable characters make the trip very, very pleasant."

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