The Longmire Defense (Walt Longmire Series #19)

by Craig Johnson Narrated by George Guidall

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Craig Johnson delivers (again) in a whodunit full of all the misdirection needed to keep the mystery fresh and addictive from the moment it’s introduced. Walt Longmire is a favorite for a reason.

Sheriff Walt Longmire uncovers a cold case that hits very close to home and forces him to put his life on the line with implications that some people would kill to keep buried forever

Sheriff Walt Longmire and Dog are called on a routine search and rescue to Wyoming's Bighorn Mountains, where Walt finds himself on a rock outcropping remembering when his father told him about the first time he saw a man die. In the late forties, Bill
Sutherland was shot but the investigation was stymied because no member of the elk camp-where he was found-was carrying the caliber rifle that killed the state accountant.

When Dog discovers the missing weapon, the sheriff of Absaroka County is plunged headfirst into a cold case. His investigation quickly finds ties to a hidden mineral fund that someone is willing to kill to keep secret. The embodiment of the fair-minded detective,
Walt is pushed to his ethical boundaries. In his relentless pursuit of the truth, he discovers the rifle in question belonged to none other than Walt's infamous and uncompromising grandfather, Lloyd Longmire.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Praise for The Longmire Defense

"[A] standout . . . The whodunit, which presents a dizzying number of red herrings, is one of Johnson’s trickiest, keeping readers deliciously off-balance throughout. Series newcomers will have no problem jumping into the action, and longtime readers will relish the dive into Longmire’s family history."
—Publishers Weekly

"Longmire lovers, rejoice! He’s back with a deeply personal case that uncovers family secrets . . . Learning the history of a beloved protagonist raises an exciting mystery to a higher level."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)


Praise for Craig Johnson and the Walt Longmire Mystery Series

“It's the scenery—and the big guy standing in front of the scenery—that keeps us coming back to Craig Johnson's lean and leathery mysteries.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Johnson's hero only gets better—both at solving cases and at hooking readers—with age.” —Publishers Weekly

“Like the greatest crime novelists, Johnson is a student of human nature. Walt Longmire is strong but fallible, a man whose devil-may-care stoicism masks a heightened sensitivity to the horrors he's witnessed.” —Los Angeles Times

“Johnson's trademarks [are] great characters, witty banter, serious sleuthing, and a love of Wyoming bigger than a stack of derelict cars.” —The Boston Globe

“The characters talk straight from the hip and the Wyoming landscape is its own kind of eloquence.” —The New York Times

“[Walt Longmire] is an easy man to like. . . . Johnson evokes the rugged landscape with reverential prose, lending a heady atmosphere to his story.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer

“Stepping into Walt's world is like slipping on a favorite pair of slippers, and it's where those slippers lead that provides a thrill. Johnson pens a series that should become a 'must' read, so curl up, get comfortable, and enjoy the ride.” —The Denver Post

“Johnson's pacing is tight and his dialogue snaps.” —Entertainment Weekly

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2023-06-21
Longmire lovers, rejoice! He’s back with a deeply personal case that uncovers family secrets.

Walt Longmire, sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, has a long record of solving crimes under unorthodox circumstances. This time, Walt’s hunt for a lost tourist leads to an investigation that’s both personally wrenching and dangerous. The search area recalls a story his father told him about an elk hunt he went on as a teen with his own father, Lloyd. During the hunt, the state accountant, Big Bill Sutherland, was shot and killed, and his murder is still unsolved. When Walt finds the tourist, he also finds a buried, custom-made .300 H&H Magnum that was probably the murder weapon in the Sutherland case. The owner of that rifle was Lloyd Longmire, a wealthy man and a tough taskmaster who used chess lessons to teach Walt about not only the game, but about life. This coldest of cold cases forces Walt to look into his grandfather, with whom he continued to have an adversarial relationship away from the chessboard. Although Walt and cemetery expert Jules Beldon find an empty coffin in Sutherland’s grave, Lucian Connally, who’d been the sheriff when Sutherland was killed, is extremely reticent about the ancient mystery. But Beldon’s shooting turns the cold case hot, and a long conversation with a childhood friend who’s now an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stirs up long-lost memories for Walt. Powerful people pressure him to forget the old case, which is tied to vast amounts of money in a hidden fund. It doesn’t matter: Walt has his own moral code, refuses to bend, and is ready to unmask his grandfather as a murderer if that’s where the clues lead.

Learning the history of a beloved protagonist raises an exciting mystery to a higher level.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159649744
Publisher:	Recorded Books, LLC
Publication date:	09/05/2023
Series:	Walt Longmire Series
Edition description:	Unabridged

Videos