The murder was committed outside of Sheriff Longmire’s jurisdiction, but he has learned enough about the case to suspect that, despite the medical adage, “if it looks like a horse, don’t expect zebras,”  maybe this time it is zebras.

Walt thinks the answer to this enigmatic problem could best be solved by going undercover. Posing as an insurance investigator, he goes to the ranch to examine what remains of the barn. He then interviews Mary who responds, if at all, in monosyllables. She does utter one cryptic reply, “She wasn’t there.”  The other candidates who might know something about the Barsads are those that live in the area. Since the location is rural Wyoming, the list of people is a small one, including a Guatemalan woman who works as a bartender and a rancher. While the locals quickly figure out that Walt isn’t an insurance investigator, they are more than willing to cooperate for the sake of justice.

The setting is as much a character as the humans populating the area. Distances can be great and the terrain is such that conventional methods of transportation are not are practical. ATVs and four wheel drive vehicles as well as horses figure prominently in this story. Even so, rivers and mountains get in the way. The author does an excellent job of subtly communicating how the topography effects life in Sheriff Longmire’s patch. While Walt has access to modern conveniences, author Johnson reminds us of a more bucolic time where there are hitching posts outside town buildings to tie up your horse.

There is a fair amount of alternating the action in different time frames. Though the whole story takes place in the fall, the action flips from early to mid to late October making it a bit of a challenge for the reader to remember what has happened vs. what is yet to happen. A major portion of the action requires that the sheriff ride a horse that is totally unfamiliar to him. Granted Walt knows something about horses, but having said this I don’t think he should be allowing a severely dehydrated horse to first overexert itself, and then consume several buckets of water at once without being cooled down first. Walt can probably expect a well justified visit from the Humane Society, if the horse doesn’t require veterinary attention first. I’m all for willing suspension of disbelief in the interest of a good story so I’ll go along with the horse accepting being ridden by a strange man after having suffered some abuse, but said strange man could have been a little kinder to the horse.

The tone of the book is unique. It is definitely not comedic although there are some light moments in the narrative. It is not a western with a mysterious twist, but the setting harkens back to an earlier time. There are some subtle clues inserted in the text which allow the reader a chance to play detective on his own and more than a fair smattering of genuine life lessons to be learned from both the bad guys and good guys. There is more to this book than just a way to amuse oneself on a hot summer afternoon.

--Andy Plonka