AS THE CROW FLIES
by Craig Johnson
In the eighth of this excellent series (Hell is Empty, 2011, etc.), Wyoming Sheriff Walt Longmire finds himself out of his element, and not just because he’s in Montana.
More to the point, it’s because he’s father of the bride. Walt’s beloved daughter Cady should have known better, so it’s really on her that Longmire, feeling twinges of guilt and wishing he could be in two places at once, veers off to track down a killer instead of being at the alternative nuptial site as she suddenly requires. Audrey Plain Feather, recently returned from duty in Iraq, has gone off a cliff somewhere in Montana’s Cheyenne Reservation. Longmire, who saw her “walk the air,” has no doubt he’s witnessed a homicide. On the other hand, the tribal chief of police has all manner of doubts, though mostly about herself and her ability to do her new job. Though she’s been severely scarred by her own service in Iraq, Lolo Long is quick to spot mentor material when it crosses her path. She commandeers the visitor from Wyoming, who puts up only token resistance. Something of an odd couple at the outset, Long and Longmire pull together as the complex investigation deepens.
Tough, resourceful and quietly funny, as always. No wonder Johnson’s hero will debut in a new A&E TV series, Longmire, this summer.