Hell and Back

Craig Johnson is a must-read for me. Since I first discovered Longmire shortly after the release of the first book, it's been one of the books I've looked forward to every year. Walt Longmire is at his absolute best when Craig Johnson is doing one of two things:
1. Light banter with slick jokes between Walt, Henry, and Vic
and
2. Walking that shadow world between light and dark, reality and myth, and courting the edge of magical reality.

Ever since Virgil White Buffalo's introduction into the series way back in ANOTHER MAN'S MOCCASINS, he's been my favorite character. His passing and subsequent self-appointment as Longmire's spirit guide on the other side have been one of the best things Craig has done with the series. Sure, some might dislike the magic or spirituality of it, but for my money, I'm always interested when the big Crow makes his presence felt in Walt's life. Virgil practically takes center stage in this novel, and the movement through the twilight realm is fascinating. It's done briskly and leaves the reader questioning his own reality.

In HELL AND BACK, Walt has headed into Montana to investigate the disappearance of a young woman from the reservation back in Absaroka. The events of the previous book, DAUGHTER OF THE MORNING STAR, set Walt on this path, but when HELL AND BACK opens, Walt is in a strange realm of eternal night and has no memory of who he was or what he was doing to get there.

First-timers to the Longmire series might enjoy this book, but really–this book is one for people who have been reading since 2004. It brings back so many things from Walt's past adventures, like the ghostly highway patrolman, Bobby Womack, or Walt's late wife Martha, but it moves it forward in a way that forces Walt to confront his past and appreciate the present.

In the end, Walt is faced with a showdown with the Wandering Without, and he is faced with his own regrets, the little things that haunt him yet. And he's faced with the memory that he's to an age where most cops retire. It feels like Walt is coming into a reckoning. No matter how much he tries to cowboy up and keep strapping on the Colt to keep the peace in Absaroka, time will win in the end. It always does. And it seems like Walt is becoming more aware of that fact with each book in the series.

If you're a fan of the series, get yourself a Rainier and a pack of Mallo Cups. You've got some reading to do.