Sheriff Walt Longmire has made a lot of enemies during his career. He's known as a no-nonsense lawman who looks after the little guy and pursues the bad guys until he catches them. But something has happened that has turned his life own its head: the abduction of his daughter Cady by a Mexican Cartel. This is a sticky situation, since he cannot count on help from his friends in law enforcement on either side of the border and going after her on his own risks causing diplomatic issues. Yet he is determined to rescue her at any cost.
âDepth of Winterâ by Craig Johnson is the 14th entry in the popular Walt Longmire series, which also spawned a successful television series. The character of Longmire will remind readers of the classic westerns of the mid-20th century, such as Gunsmoke and Bonanza, which featured strong lawmen who were firm but fair in their attitudes towards enforcing law and order. Johnson has crafted a series which merges the classic western with the modern mystery very successfully. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give 4/5 stars.
*A copy of the ebook is the only consideration received for this review.*
âDepth of Winterâ by Craig Johnson is the 14th entry in the popular Walt Longmire series, which also spawned a successful television series. The character of Longmire will remind readers of the classic westerns of the mid-20th century, such as Gunsmoke and Bonanza, which featured strong lawmen who were firm but fair in their attitudes towards enforcing law and order. Johnson has crafted a series which merges the classic western with the modern mystery very successfully. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and give 4/5 stars.
*A copy of the ebook is the only consideration received for this review.*
I've been reading the Longmire series off and on ever since I first saw the TV series several years ago. I haven't read all of the books but for the most part, I have enjoyed the ones that I have read. However, I was kind of mixed on this one. It continues where the last book left off (THE WESTERN STAR, which I have not read). Longmire's daughter Cady has been kidnapped by the Mexican drug lord, Tomas Bidarte, and is being held somewhere in the desert of Northern Mexico where drug cartels abound. Bidarte sends a post card to Longmire telling him to come. So off he goes on a very impossible mission. The American Government is limited in what it can do, but Longmire is able to get assistance from some of the locals including a blind man with no limbs called the Seer, a mute Indian sharp shooter, and a doctor seeking justice for his community.
Well some of the problems I had with this one are first of all, Longmire was outmatched and outgunned all along the way but miraculously is saved a number of times. There really isn't a mystery involved like in most of the other novels -- this is a straight action novel. Also the action takes place in Mexico, far away from the familiar landscape of Wyoming. And the characters we all love, Standing Bear and Vic in particular, play little to no role in this book. Also, you know from the start that Longmire will survive this quest otherwise, the series would be at an end. I did enjoy a lot of the action sequences and Johnson definitely knows how to write but only a mild recommendation for this one. Hopefully, the next novel will take us back to familiar territory.
Well some of the problems I had with this one are first of all, Longmire was outmatched and outgunned all along the way but miraculously is saved a number of times. There really isn't a mystery involved like in most of the other novels -- this is a straight action novel. Also the action takes place in Mexico, far away from the familiar landscape of Wyoming. And the characters we all love, Standing Bear and Vic in particular, play little to no role in this book. Also, you know from the start that Longmire will survive this quest otherwise, the series would be at an end. I did enjoy a lot of the action sequences and Johnson definitely knows how to write but only a mild recommendation for this one. Hopefully, the next novel will take us back to familiar territory.
14th in the Longmire series and a direct sequel to THE WESTERN STAR. Walt Longmire heads into Mexico on his own, to get back his kidnapped daughter Cady from the notorious cartel kingpin Bidarte. None of the familiar characters make an appearance here. Longmire gets help from a new cast of characters - some of whom seem pretty unlikely, like the legless blind dwarf who has friends everywhere. It's a straight action novel, no mystery to be solved except how in the heck does Longmire manage to survive it. He's outmanned and outgunned the entire way, although he manages several miraculous escapes. It's very reminiscent of a movie like Rambo or Die Hard, where the lone hero must overcome evil villains and save the day all on his own. I assume that's what Johnson was going for, and from that standpoint I think it works really well, except that Longmire has such a developed sense of morality he won't kill anyone. So a couple of evil villains get a second chance, and then a third chance, etc., and every time they pop back up twirling their mustaches and threatening to kill Longmire all over again. And then there's the knife fight with Bidarte... Well, I read it straight through, and if I think of it as a movie I liked it a lot. As a Longmire novel, not as much. I hope he goes back to Absaroka County next book.
If you're a Longmire fan who's not happy unless Walt is firmly ensconced amongst his friends and they all have an equal part in the action, you won't like with Depth of Winter. This is a one-man show, and characters like Henry and Vic play very limited roles (although I did love Henry's). Me? I'm the type of Longmire fan who'd follow Walt willingly into any one of my own circles of hell (which include rooms of long-haired cats and/or screaming babies), let alone his. I trust Walt to get me out alive and show me a good time while he's doing it.
One of the reasons why I was looking forward to this book was the fact that I'm used to Walt chasing bad guys in the depth of winter on his home turf, with howling winds, blizzard conditions, and snow up to his eyebrows. In Depth of Winter, he's facing an entirely different beast: winter in the desert of northern Mexico, and I wanted to see how he'd deal with blinding sunlight, blazing heat, and not a drop of water around. Walt is a Man On A Mission, so he deals with it as only he can.
Since he's got Henry and Vic handling things for him elsewhere, he manages to scrape together a motley crew to help him down in Mexico, and the rescue of Cady is one wild ride that only someone like Craig Johnson can put together. Walt is a man who goes out of his way not to kill people, but folks down in Mexico keep telling him, "Kindness to a killer builds coffins." After a grueling trek through the desert and coming face to face with "that kernel of madness" he keeps buried deep inside, the finale of Depth of Winter is explosive-- and satisfying.
Once again, I find myself in a familiar place-- all caught up with the series and waiting for a new adventure with Walt. Some authors just don't write fast enough, you know?
One of the reasons why I was looking forward to this book was the fact that I'm used to Walt chasing bad guys in the depth of winter on his home turf, with howling winds, blizzard conditions, and snow up to his eyebrows. In Depth of Winter, he's facing an entirely different beast: winter in the desert of northern Mexico, and I wanted to see how he'd deal with blinding sunlight, blazing heat, and not a drop of water around. Walt is a Man On A Mission, so he deals with it as only he can.
Since he's got Henry and Vic handling things for him elsewhere, he manages to scrape together a motley crew to help him down in Mexico, and the rescue of Cady is one wild ride that only someone like Craig Johnson can put together. Walt is a man who goes out of his way not to kill people, but folks down in Mexico keep telling him, "Kindness to a killer builds coffins." After a grueling trek through the desert and coming face to face with "that kernel of madness" he keeps buried deep inside, the finale of Depth of Winter is explosive-- and satisfying.
Once again, I find myself in a familiar place-- all caught up with the series and waiting for a new adventure with Walt. Some authors just don't write fast enough, you know?
