Longmire New Season Kickoff + Any Other Name (Walt Longmire #10) by Craig Johnson

The new season of Longmire kicked off in A&E. The first episode began with a bang! I personally thought it was fantastic and am following the episodes closely. It picked up exactly where last season ended with both Henry and Branch in trouble, and Walt running to save them both. These two story lines are obviously going to serve as this season's overall story arc, with mysteries to be solved by Longmire, Vic, Ferge, and his crew, interwoven within each episode.

Last year I became addicted to both the television program and the original book series by Craig Johnson. The program is based on the books and I became curious and read books 1 through 4 then skipped to book 9 because well. . . I wanted to catch up on a "spoiler" and couldn't wait to find out. I have books 5 through 8 in my Kindle but decided to read them this summer and indulge myself in more of Johnson's fantastic contemporary western goodness. For more about the differences between the television series vs. the books go here.

But there is also a new book by Craig Johnson that released last month.

ANY OTHER NAME (Walt Longmire Mystery #10) by Craig Johnson

Any Other Name begins as Walt's daughter Cady is waiting to give birth and Walt is due to travel to Philadelphia for his first grandchild's birth. In the meantime his old boss Lucian asks him to accompany him to Gillette in Campbell County to help investigate the alleged suicide of a friend's husband -- semiretired Detective Gerald Holman. The by-the-book Holman was working the County's cold files and his widow, who doesn't believe the forensic reports or the sheriff's assertion that her husband committed suicide, insists that there is some sort of cover-up going on. Lucian warns her to make sure she wants Walt involved in the investigation because “he’s like a gun; once you point him and pull the trigger, it’s too late to change your mind.” And, that's exactly what happens. Once Walt becomes invested in the investigation he's relentless and no matter the results, good or bad, there's no stopping until he's done.

Walt quickly comes to the conclusion that Holman committed suicide. But his question is why? Once he begins digging deeper Walt realizes that Holman may have been hiding information that connected the disappearance of three women, all three investigated as separate crimes. Why would a by-the-book lawman knowingly hold back that kind of information? With the assistance of his Undersheriff and lover Vic Moretti, best friend Henry Standing Bear, Dog, and a rookie from Campbell County, Walt's investigation begins to make sense of the information trickling in until it all takes a dark, unexpected, and dangerous turn. And as the countdown begins to the time when Cady's is scheduled to give birth, the anxiety builds for Walt who won't give up on solving the case or hoping that he will make it in time to get to Philadelphia.

The timeline for solving this mystery is short, a few days, so the pacing is quick and just as relentless as Walt. The bulk of the novel is taken up by the mystery with an anxious Walt trying to find out why a man like Holman would commit suicide while knowing that no matter what happens, he has to be there for over-emotional and demanding Cady. Both the mystery and action are great -- peppered with high octane dangerous situations, Walt's witty narrative, humanity and determination. As in other books, you can count on excellent contributions by Henry, Vic, and Lucian, which are accompanied by a few of Johnson's atmospheric, signature mystic moments. If anything is lacking, in my opinion, it is the lack of page time dedicated for Vic and Walt to discuss the events with which Johnson closed A Serpent's Tooth -- a situation that brought such deep despair to them both.

Any Other Name is another great mystery installment in Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire Mystery series with less of the personal overall story arc involved. Still, I gobbled up this book in one sitting. There's a big revelation at the end of the book that foreshadows what's to come in the next, or in future installments, for Walt. I can't wait to find out how that turns out. If you're a fan, I know you won't miss it. If you're not, I definitely recommend this western contemporary mystery series as a whole.

Category: Western Contemporary Mystery
Series: Walt Longmire
Publisher/Release Date: Viking Adult/May 13, 2014
Grade: B+

Review of books in Series:
The Cold Dish #1
Death Without Company #2
Kindness Goes Unpunished #3
Another Man's Moccasins #4
A Serpent's Tooth #9

TV vs. Books: A&E's Longmire vs. Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson

The Cold Dish (Walt Longmire #1) by Craig Johnson is the first book of a western mystery series that my husband and I read in tandem while we were on vacation. We both watch and enjoy the A& E television program, Longmire, based on this popular book series and decided that reading the first book was a good idea if we wanted to find the differences and commonalities between the two.

What we found is that unlike the television program which targets western aficionados who love action, mystery and drama, the book series that begins with The Cold Dish is a western mystery that includes all of the above, but that is geared toward, and I feel would be highly enjoyed by, mature adult readers. The primary character Walt Longmire is in his 50's as is his close friend and fellow investigator in many of the crime mysteries, Henry Standing Bear. Additionally many of the secondary characters that populate Walt's life in Wyoming's Absaroka County where the series is set are also mature adults. There is one main character in her 30's, Walt's Under-sheriff Victoria Moretti, and a few secondary characters, including deputies and Walt's daughter Cady. So, if you prefer to read stories with younger central characters this book and series may not be for you.

The mystery in The Cold Dish is excellent and the western atmosphere is flawless! I love Walt as the narrator with his self-deprecating wit and the overall humor that carries the reader through some seriously dangerous action. The close relationship and interactions between Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear provide some of the best moments of the story, as Henry helps Walt navigate personal problems brought about by the death of his wife, but Henry also serves as a sort of liaison between the Sheriff and the Cheyenne reservation when political or human issues arise. Walt's close friendship with Henry keeps him grounded, but it also brings a spirituality and a touch of mysticism to his life that adds much to the series as a whole. Obviously, Henry is a favorite character.

Robert Taylor as Longmire

In comparing the book to the television program, both my husband and I agree that Walt's quick, dry wit and self-deprecating humor is sorely missing from the television program. The TV Longmire is a depressed rough, tough, stoic man who cares deeply for his daughter Cady. He's not charming to others and often looks grim. Yet in the books, although Walt is coming out of a depression after losing his wife to cancer and definitely drinks too much, he is very much admired for his past and present deeds and liked by the town's population. Walt tries to be charming and often uses his sense of humor to win people over. Most importantly, he is ready to move on after having lost his wife four years earlier. Walt's wit and self-doubts make him quite human and the reader connects with this rough and tough man who on the inside is really a marshmallow -- everyone knows that! To me, this character became Walt in the books, a man I would love to know better, but he is the somewhat intimidating Longmire in the show. I think that says a lot.

Katee Sakhoff as Vic

The other difference I found is in how Walt's female deputy Victoria Moretti is portrayed in the show as opposed to the books. In the books, as the series begins, Vic has been working with Walt for two years and they know each other pretty well. She came to Absaroka County from Philadelphia's Police Department when her husband transferred to a new job in the area. She is not really happy to be stuck in the middle of nowhere and the contentious and dying relationship with her husband doesn't help, but that is kept off the pages. Vic is a foul-mouthed intelligent woman, a straight shooter so well-versed in new police procedures and forensics that she basically runs the Sheriff's office for Walt who is old school. Walt wants her to replace him when he retires. She thinks of Walt as her only friend and there is obvious care and affection between the two. I really love how Vic is characterized in The Cold Dish, and the respect and care that exists between her and the other characters in the story. Later on her relationship with Walt grows and moves in unexpected directions, but her direct approach never changes.

On the television program Vic's background is the same. She is still smart but works closer with Walt than in the first book or even in subsequent books, however, she somehow doesn't come off as knowledgeable, and although she is still tough there is a "lightness" about her that is not part of her character in the first book, but that can be found sparingly in some of the other installments. She is a much tougher and rougher character in the books. Additionally, in Longmire Vic plays Walt's partner and seems to spend time trying to set up Walt with women (in other words taking Henry's role), and secretly acting possessive of Longmire. Vic is not secretive, she says what she thinks. I see pieces of the Vic I love in the books in the Vic portrayed on television, but she's definitely not the same.

Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry

Overall, though, both the television program and the books are excellent and recommended. The crime mysteries and western atmosphere are excellent in both, and although I prefer the characterization in the books and the fact that the deep relationship and partnership between Walt and Henry drive many of the plot points with Vic serving as a central secondary character, I think the television program definitely draws viewers for a reason. I enjoy it, even if I find myself looking for those moments when Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips) makes a longed for appearance. The Cold Dish I recommend to anyone who loves to read westerns and excellent mysteries. The series is addictive as I soon found out when I found myself reading Death Without Company, #2, Kindness Goes Unpunished #3, Another Man's Moccasins #4, and the latest release A Serpent's Tooth #9. I will definitely be going back to read the books in between!