The Cold Dish by Craig Johnson

Introducing Wyoming’s Sheriff Walt Longmire in this riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author, the first in the Longmire mystery series Craig Johnson's new novel, LAND OF WOLVES, is forthcoming from Viking Fans of Ace Atkins, Nevada Barr and Robert B. Parker will love this outstanding first novel, in which New York Times bestselling author Craig Johnson introduces Sheriff Walt Longmire of Wyoming’s Absaroka County. Johnson draws on his deep attachment to the American West to produce a literary mystery of stunning authenticity, and full of memorable characters. After twenty-five years as sheriff of Absaroka County, Walt Longmire’s hopes of finishing out his tenure in peace are dashed when Cody Pritchard is found dead near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Two years earlier, Cody has been one of four high school boys given suspended sentences for raping a local Cheyenne girl. Somebody, it would seem, is seeking vengeance, and Longmire might be the only thing standing between the three remaining boys and a Sharps .45-70 rifle. With lifelong friend Henry Standing Bear, Deputy Victoria Moretti, and a cast of characters both tragic and humorous enough to fill in the vast emptiness of the high plains, Walt Longmire attempts to see that revenge, a dish best served cold, is never served at all.

Being introduced to Longmire from the TV show. I found the first novel to be similar to what I expected. I had hoped for a little more investigation or procedural police.

I like the tv show but this is better, its a plot they used on the show but with a different killer and different reasons. The show does get quite a lot things right, with some minor name changes and they didn't lop off Peter Wellers leg in order to play Lucian (he is still spot on though). Quite looking forward to reading the rest of these.

This is by and large what I had to say about the book a couple of years ago – but I've expanded it a touch.

It's hard to believe this is a first novel. I love it when that happens. Johnson is assured in his writing, he knows his characters and their world, there's no mistaking that. The world and the characters are very well-developed, it's hard to believe that Johnson worked in as much backstory as he did for these characters in such a short space. Walt, Vic, Henry Standing Bear, Lucien – they're all fully fleshed out and ready to go.

As always, the mixture of Cheyenne Mysticism (for lack of a better word) and Longmire's realism (and Vic's cynicism) is great – even at this point, Johnson's ready to present things that could be Cheyenne ghosts, or it could be Longmire's mind playing tricks on him as a result of injury and exposure without taking a clear narrative stance. It's not a fast-paced tale by any means–Johnson saunters through his prose like Longmire would through the world. That doesn't mean it's not gripping, though. It's lush with detail, as scenic and expansive as the Wyoming country it takes place in.

It took awhile for Guidall's narration to work for me, I did eventually come around, and I expect I'll enjoy him more fully in the next book.

I figured out whodunit pretty quickly, but it took a while to get the why. The journey to the why was compelling, interesting and well worth the time. Looking forward to the next installment.

I had a really hard time staying motivated to read this. Took me much longer than books of similar lengths. I appreciate the style of writing pays tribute to your smaller modern western town, and that part of that may be a slower pace. I appreciate the skill of the author to to artfully describe and convey the beauty of the west. But it needed something else to build suspense or keep you excited, and I found that lacking.