Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson

Kerrie Smith's Alphabet in Crime Fiction is at "K" this week. Full particulars of the meme can be found on her blog Mysteries in Paradise. The meme involves the use of "K" in a title or author's name or mystery related topic. I have chosen a book by the great Wyoming mystery author, Craig Johnson. While I like C.J. Box's books I love Johnson's mysteries. Kindness Goes Unpunished is one of his best.

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21. – 431.) Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson – Walt Longmire accompanies Henry Standing Bear to Philadelphia where Henry is the star of a photo exhibition of Mennonite photos of the Cheyenne and to visit his daughter Cady. As they arrive his world is turned upside down for Cady is in intensive neurosurgical care because of a fall which may or may not have been an accident. Her boyfriend, Devon Cunliffe, tries to deny the seriousness of the relationship. A confrontation with Sheriff Walt sorts out what likely happened. As he seeks to discover what happened to Cady he is drawn into the life of the Morino family (his deputy Victoria’s family). Three brothers and father are police officers while mother is an alluring charming woman. The trail leads him into the depths of Philadelphia life. A key to the solution is a white Indian (a white convict who has converted to an Indian lifestyle with an Indian name). The investigation involving small notes with Indian themes reminds me of the cleverness of Michael Connelly and the early Laurie R. King books. The solution brings Wyoming to Philadelphia brilliantly. The book is a stunning exception to my reluctance to see detectives leave their home area. In dialogue and relationship and size and difference of race Walt and Henry strongly reminded me of Spenser and Hawk. (May 27/08) (Third best fiction of 2008.)