A Serpent's Tooth: A Longmire Mystery
There comes a time in many long-running series when plot, no matter how carefully crafted, becomes secondary to the reader’s pleasure in seeing the characters interact. This, the ninth installment of Johnson’s series about genial Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire, is that book. The plot, here, is both more convoluted and more modern than usual: though it starts with the appearance of a Mormon “lost boy” and an elderly fellow who appears to have walked out of the Book of Mormon, Walt finds himself taking on a shady, well-armed crew who just may be using religion as a cover for a more nefarious scheme. Through it all—through deaths and conflagrations—runs the easygoing give-and-take among Walt, his deputy/love interest, Victoria Moretti, old friend Henry Standing Bear, and deputies Saizarbitoria, Double Tough, and Frymire. Sticklers may be put off by Walt’s growing disregard for the rule book (and, perhaps, the relative ease with which national secrets are uncovered), but fans will eat it up. And, with the second season of Longmire airing soon on A&E, Walt’s playing to a larger audience than ever. --Keir Graff--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.