Junkyard Dogs: A Longmire Mystery

One week a year I get to live in the town of Durant, entertained by Vic, charmed by Henry, and comforted by Walt's warmth, humor and unique way of enforcing the law. I dragged the book out to make my visit last longer, but sadly it's time to leave. Meticulously plotted, an intellectual challenge, funny and thoroughly delightful.

"Junkyard Dogs" is Craig Johnson's sixth book in his Walt Longmire mystery series and as always he doesn't disappoint his many fans. In "Junkyard Dogs" we are again reunited with Sheriff Longmire and the citizens of Absaroka County but in the first chapter we are introduced to some new characters and I mean characters! Within the first few pages I was laughing out loud. Craig is a master wordsmith and a natural born storyteller. As you read his books you may find yourself going back over different passages because they are so poetic. In "Junkyard Dogs" Johnson's description of a certain house is reminiscent of works by Edgar Allen Poe. And how many Western Mysteries do you see Rasputin mentioned? In his books Johnson has proven himself to be one of the best mystery writers today. From the first to the last page of "Junkyard Dogs" Craig will take you on a literary ride and then you will eagerly be anticipating his next book.

Craig Johnson is an author that never disappoints. I open up his books and am lost in the characters and beauty of Absaroka County. If Walt Longmire and friends really existed, I'd pack my bags and move there (snow and all).

Junkyard Dogs is another excellent book by Craig Johnson. Like his other books, except for his most recent book, Dark Horse, this book contains the characters that liven up the story: Vic and Henry (Cheyenne Nation) especially and of course, Walt Longmire, the sheriff of this disguised Wyoming county (probably Buffalo, WY). As usual, the dialogue is fast and quick-witted, the changes in direction are many and keep the reader on his/her toes. Because of the characters, the dialogue and the story, this book, like his others, is very hard to put down. I kept wondering where the story was going to go next and continue to be surprised. At the end, however, what keeps me coming back to Walt Longmire and crew are the characters. These folks are interesting and to me worth the read. They have depth and the story weaves their personal lives well into the mystery giving you a human interest side. Keep up the good work, Craig, I anxiously await your next book on Walt Longmire.

My mom got me hooked on mystery novels and certain writers and I sure wish she was still around so I could introduce her to Craig Johnson and the citizens of Absaroka County, Wyoming. His first novel, "The Cold Dish", enthralled me and I fell in love with Sheriff Walt Longmire, Henry Standing Bear and Deputy Sheriff Vic. And now "Junkyard Dogs" has opened the door, again, to a small part of the world filled with unforgettable characters, humorous interactions and starkly beautiful scenery. His mysteries are always fun to try and untangle before the end. But. it's his writing and sense of the absurd that makes me laugh out loud. When a book starts out with "I tried to get a straight answer from his grandson and granddaughter-in-law as to why their grandfather had been tied with a hundred feet of nylon rope to the rear bumper of the 1968 Oldsmobile Toronado:...well, I know my mom would have wanted to keep reading. Damn good book