Synopsis of Land of Wolves A Longmire Mystery
Recovering from his harrowing experiences in Mexico, Sheriff Walt Longmire returns to Absaroka County, Wyoming, to lick his wounds and try once again to maintain justice in a place with grudges that go back generations. When a shepherd is found dead, Longmire suspects it could be suicide.
But the shepherd’s connection to the Extepares, a powerful family of Basque ranchers with a history of violence, leads the sheriff into an intricate investigation of a possible murder.
As Walt searches for information about the shepherd, he comes across strange carvings on trees, as well as play money coupons from inside Mallo Cup candies, which he interprets as messages from his spiritual guide, Virgil White Buffalo.
Longmire doesn’t know how these little blue cards are appearing, but Virgil usually reaches out if a child is in danger. So when a young boy with ties to the Extepare clan arrives in town, the stakes grow even higher.
Even more complicating, a renegade wolf has been haunting the Bighorn Mountains, and the townspeople are out for blood. With both a wolf and a killer on the loose, Longmire follows a twisting trail of evidence, leading to dark and shocking conclusions.
Book Review of Land of Wolves A Longmire Mystery
It’s September, which can only mean one thing: a new novel by Craig Johnson! To be more specific, a new novel featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire of Absaroka County, Wyoming, and his badass deputy Vic.
The titular character of this year’s book, Land of Wolves, is a wolf.
Land of Wolves is like a breath of fresh air for the series. The sad events of the preceding volumes about Mexican drug cartels are at an end.
Related Post: Hell and Back A Longmire Mystery
After Walt crossed the border, the show lost all credibility, but that episode is over and done with. Land of Wolves, on the other hand, is about a standard Absaroka mystery: the murder of Chilean sheepherder Miguel Hernandez.
We see how Walt, worn down by his many wounds from previous volumes, tries once more to live a normal life as sheriff. He proceeds with his normal clumsy methods, with the help of Ruby and Vic, who recognize that he is acting strangely. Slow progress is being made in the investigation of a homicide that may have been a suicide.
The Basque family to whom Walt’s former boss sold his limb also employed the Chilean herder.
As a result, Craig Johnson revisits several of the storylines from earlier novels in Land of Wolves. The herder’s death was suspicious, and now there’s the wolf. The male scavenger could have murdered a sheep and eaten the Chilean herder’s lower legs following his tragic end.
With the entire county in full-on anti-wolf fever mode, this is just another enigma with which Walt must contend.
However, the best parts of the Longmire novels are the exchanges between him and his pals. The novel suffers from a lack of Henry, but this is more than made up for by Ruby and Vic. Walt is forced to face the possibility that he will not always serve as sheriff.
He’s becoming older and sicker while Ruby’s age isn’t improving. Perhaps author Craig Johnson is trying to signal to readers that he has completed the series. I can see why that may be the case. However, that is not to say that Walt’s witty exchanges with virtually every character in the novel are not entertaining.
Fans of the series will adore Land of Wolves because it was a fun adventure for Walt. There could be a little more to the story. In my experience, I was able to read it in two sittings. However, the reader must pay close attention because many plots are unfolding at once.
At times, I had to read a few more paragraphs to figure out why a previously established character had reappeared.
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About the Author
James Robinson is a voracious reader who has been captivated by the magic of books since childhood.
With a background in journalism, he has honed his skills in writing insightful and engaging book reviews.
James has a particular interest in historical fiction and non-fiction, delving into the pages of the past to uncover intriguing stories and perspectives.
