22. – 485.) Another Man’s Moccasins by Craig Johnson
– Sheriff Walt Longmire is back in Durant helping Cady recover from the
injuries she suffered in Philadelphia. The body of a young Vietnamese woman is
found just off the highway near the Hole-in-the-Wall. Longmire is exploring a
large nearby culvert when a pile of refuse explodes into a 7’ Crow Indian who
is barely subdued by a collection of officers. Finding the woman with a photo
of himself and a bar girl taken in Vietnam in early 1968 sends Longmire
flashing back to his war. As he works on the puzzle of a Vietnamese woman, who
could not be a daughter, seeking him out 40 years later Longmire relives the
war where he was a Marine investigator investigating drug trafficking. In
Vietnam he endures intense trauma from which he has never truly recovered.
Moving back and forth in time Longmire also occasionally finds himself in the
spirit world. Ruby, his longtime administrative assistant, says he cares more
about the dead than the living. I was surprised to read Longmire is a skilled
pianist especially on popular favourites of the first half of the 20th
Century. As noted in my last review the relationship of Longmire and Henry
Standing Bear reminds of Spenser and Hawk. Each duo is a pair of big powerful
men of different races accustomed to violence who have reached middle age.
Longmire and Spenser share a classic stubborn integrity. They differ in that
Standing Bear, unlike Hawk, is a moral man. The mystery unfolds fairly but I
never saw the solution coming. It is a rare mystery that could combine parallel
stories from Vietnam and Wyoming. Longmire reminds of the even more tortured
myster veterans of World War I – Ian Rutledge (Charles Todd), John Madden
(Rennie Airth) and Maisie Dobbs (Jacqueline Winspear). Ninety years after
the Great War Longmire bears the physical scars and suffers the emotional
turmoil of his war. I raced through the book eager to know what was on the next
page. At their best Michael Connelly and Robert Crais are just as compelling. I
can hardly wait for my next chance to return to Absaroka County. Excellent.
(June 6/09)
A blog reviewing mystery books, with a listing of Saskatchewan mysteries, and a sprinkling of non-fiction books, especially history and biographies
About Me
- Bill Selnes
- Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada
- I am a lawyer in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada who enjoys reading, especially mysteries. Since 2000 I have been writing personal book reviews. This blog includes my reviews, information on and interviews with authors and descriptions of mystery bookstores I have visited. I strive to review all Saskatchewan mysteries. Other Canadian mysteries are listed under the Rest of Canada. As a lawyer I am always interested in legal mysteries. I have a separate page for legal mysteries. Occasionally my reviews of legal mysteries comment on the legal reality of the mystery. You can follow the progression of my favourite authors with up to 15 reviews. Each year I select my favourites in "Bill's Best of ----". As well as current reviews I am posting reviews from 2000 to 2011. Below my most recent couple of posts are the posts of Saskatchewan mysteries I have reviewed alphabetically by author. If you only want a sentence or two description of the book and my recommendation when deciding whether to read the book look at the bold portion of the review. If you would like to email me the link to my email is on the profile page.
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Bill - Isn't it nice when a series stays strong like this? So glad it lived up to your expectations. You make an apt comparison, too, I think between the Longmire/Standing Bear relationship and the Spenser/Hawk relationship even though they are quite different people...
ReplyDeleteMargot: I agree. It is sad when a series declines in quality.
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