Sheriff Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear embark on their latest adventure in this novella set in the world of Craig Johnson’s New York Times bestselling Longmire series—the basis for the hit drama Longmire, now on NetflixCraig Johnson’s new novel, The Western Star, will be available from Viking in Fall 2017. When Wyoming highway patrolman Rosey Wayman is transferred to the beautiful and … patrolman Rosey Wayman is transferred to the beautiful and imposing landscape of the Wind River Canyon, an area the troopers refer to as no-man’s-land because of the lack of radio communication, she starts receiving “officer needs assistance” calls. The problem? They’re coming from Bobby Womack, a legendary Arapaho patrolman who met a fiery death in the canyon almost a half-century ago. With an investigation that spans this world and the next, Sheriff Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear take on a case that pits them against a legend: The Highwayman.
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Loved it! Walt is his foolish and crotchety self, risking hypothermia yet again! Maybe we could send him on a vacation to the islands…the WARM islands!.
This is a wonderful series–it’s even better than the tv show. It’s best to read the stories in order if possible. This in #11.5.
This is a ‘ghost’ story based on distress calls being received over the police radio from a Native American trooper who died years ago and the mysterious silver dollars that always seem to appear right before something bad happens. A policewoman, who is the only one who’s heard these messages seeks help from Sheriff Longmire and Henry Standing Bear. Can they help her? Will they hear these calls? Why does this keep happening? What is the true story behind that troopers death? I thought this was well written and a story someone would tell while sitting around a campfire. I loved the ending!
It’s Longmire and, really, no other reason to read needs to be given. It’s a short novel, but very enjoyable.
There is a legend regarding the Wind River Canyon in Wyoming. The legend has several pieces including a piece involving a highway patrol officer by the name of Bobby Womack who had a complicated career tragically cut short in a fiery crash decades ago. It is a place where strange occurrences are customary, radio communication is still nearly impossible, and very old gold coins appear on the roadway right before major events.
It is according to newly transferred highway patrol officer Rosey Wayman, a place where she can hear “officer needs assistance” radio calls from Bobby Womack. Such a call sends fear and stress through any officer. That response is made worse by the fact these calls come from somebody who can’t possibly be alive and no one else has ever heard the middle of the night calls. Sheriff Walt Longmire knows her to be a good and solid officer and intends to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Others think there is no mystery. Their perception, whether they say it or not, is that Officer Wayman is nuts. Her supervisor wants her to have a psychiatric evaluation. Such an evaluation, even if she would pass the test, certainly isn’t going to help her career prospects. Trying to convince others of what she has heard these last three months is beginning to take a serious toll on the young officer. She needs Sheriff Walt Longmire and the Henry Standing Bear to prove she isn’t crazy.
This is a heavily atmospheric mystery tale that is a really good one. There has always been a hint of the unexplained by in the stories of Sheriff Walt Longmire. It is a much heavier presence in The Highwayman where the mystery has a modern component as well as pieces of what legends are made of. The paranormal or the unexplainable has a strong presence in the tale and has not surprisingly generated quite a few negative reviews on the various review sites. As has the publisher price of this novella which is as high as a full length novel.
Don’t pay any attention to the naysayers. Much of their negative commentary is driven by either failing to understand the storyline or by being annoyed by the price set by the publisher. Either situation has nothing at all to do with the actual read. It is a fast moving novella that that is part mystery and part psychological suspense. Not everything in the world can be easily explained and that is certainly true in The Highwayman: A Longmire Story by Craig Johnson. It is also a very good book.
For another take on the book, please check out Lesa Holstine’s review. While checking that out make sure you also check out the Wind River Canyon on America’s Scenic Byways as well as the tunnels on Bridgehunter.com.
The Highwayman: A Longmire Story
Craig Johnson
http://www.craigallenjohnson.com
Viking (Penguin Random House LLC)
http://www.penguin.com
2016
ISBN# 978-0-7352-2089-8
Hardback (also available in eBook and audio formats)
201 Pages
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2016
Good read as usual with a Craig Johnson book.
This is one of my favorites–short story I have read more than once. Excellent.
I am now a big fan of Craig Johnson’s and am reading through his entire Longmire series of books. The Highwayman is a standout for me… spooky and interesting. Is there a ghost, or is somebody playing really good tricks? Western feel. Good characterization. And who doesn’t like a nice ghostly tale?
I love a good ghost story, something spooky, that keeps you guessing, but doesn’t scare the pants off of you. Craig Johnson’s The Highway Man is just that. A short easy read by the creator of LONGMIRE, I highly recommend it. In this short book, Sheriff Walt Longmire, a true skeptic of all things supernatural, comes face to face with something otherworldly that even he cannot deny. Wonderful twists and turns in this delightful ghost story, something for everyone.
Best writer in years. Always a pleasure to read and always look forward tot he next book.