Another Man's Moccasins: A Longmire Mystery

Walt Longmire, the sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, finds himself in the midst of a mystery derived from his service in Vietnam around the time of the Tet offensive. A young Vietnamese woman is found murdered near the interstate with Walt's picture in her purse. The picture was taken at a bar during the war and shows a woman with whom he had been friendly. The murder victim resembles the woman in the photo, and Walt thinks that perhaps she is that woman's granddaughter. So much for the beginnings of the mystery. From that point, the novel progresses on two planes, juxtaposing memories of Walt's experiences in Vietnam and the investigation into the murder. It is a richly rewarding tale, with haunting memories of the Vietnam War, with Walt having to solve two mysteries separated by 40 years. This novel is the fourth in the series and the Wyoming setting is certainly different from most other mysteries. The inclusion of a ghost town may be symbolic--the ghosts of the past continue to haunt the present. Written sparingly, but forcefully, the tale is gripping, and the book is highly recommended.

The caller informs 911 that a female body lies alongside the highway in Absaroka County, Wyoming. Sheriff Walt Longmire goes to investigate. There he finds the corpse of Vietnamese woman Ho Thi Paquet; nearby sitting on the ground holding the victim's purse as if it is sacred is Native American Virgil White Buffalo. However Walt is stunned when he goes through Ho's personal possessions to find a photograph of him when he served as a military inspector in Nam with a Vietnamese barmaid circa 1968. Walt concludes that the obvious in which Virgil killed Ho is not what happened. He and his friend Native American Henry Standing Bear investigate by trying to follow Ho's recent journey, They are shocked when the paths the young woman took lead back to a West Coast slave trafficking ring and the sheriff's Vietnam duty. This is the fourth Longmire police procedural (see DEATH WITHOUT COMPANY, COLD DISH and KINDNESS GOES UNPUNISHED), but this reviewer's first; based on this superb tale this reviewer will have to go back to read them. The whodunit is fun to follow, but the look back to Walt's war time makes for a superior read as the present connects to four decades ago. Sub-genre fans will appreciate this engaging, engrossing thriller that ties late 1960s Viet Nam and 2008 Wyoming effortlessly together. Harriet Klausner

Are you a Craig Johnson fan? If not, read this book and you will be. Just when I thought he couldn't improve his Wyoming sheriff series, he manages to incorporate the Vietnam war and current-day Western life in one book. And it's riveting. Not only is the plot compelling, you'll fall in love with these characters. And the descriptions, from the Vietnam red-light district, to the wilderness of the American West, are amazing. And, for the record, all of us women are in love with Henry Standing Bear. Yes, we are.

Craig Johnson's books just keep getting better and better. This one was great. I love Walt Longmire and Henry Standing Bear, and the way they interact. This is a compassionate and caring book. Can't wait for his next.

Having been a Craig Johnson fan since The Cold Dish, seeing the growth of this amazing author is a thrill in itself. With Another Man's Moccasins, he has taken a giant leap into serious literature (but with, of course, his characteristic humor ever-present). After the body of a young girl is found dumped by the side of the highway, Sheriff Longmire also discovers a huge, and hugely troubled Indian living in a culvert near the girl's body. These two threads take Walt and Henry Standing Bear back to their memories of Vietnam in fascinating ways as they seek to discover the girl's murderer and the story behind the disturbed Indian. The cast is all there: Vic, Ruby, Sancho, Lucian (in one of his most powerful scenes to date), Cady, and others. The writing is stellar as we've come to expect. What sets Another Man's Moccasins in a league of its own is that it is so profoundly gut-wrenching and powerful. The contrast between present day Absaroka County and Walt's memories of Vietnam disturb both Walt and the reader. And the story behind the Big Indian is a heart breaker more profound than one can imagine. How Craig Johnson created this extraordinary book is a mark of his incredible talent and growing maturity. I've loved every one of the three former books but Another Man's Moccasins towers above his earlier works. An absolute must read, and certainly not just for mystery readers. This book is powerful literature for anyone interested in issues of living with oneself, injustice, Vietnam, venality, or the human spirit as it tries to make its way in the world. Craig Johnson has outdone himself and we readers are the fortunate recipients.