Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire opens a can of worms when he finds an old rifle hidden on his family’s elk camp. He remembers his father’s story about an accidental shooting that resulted in the death of one of Walt’s grandfather’s hunting companions. Walt, who never got along with his grandfather, wonders if his grandfather might have been a murderer. Walt’s questions catch the attention of people in high places, for whom it seems the past isn’t really dead. Meanwhile, Walt’s relationship with his undersheriff, Vic, takes a new turn.

I liked a lot of the elements of the story – a historical mystery where family history is important, well-read characters who think it’s natural to talk about books, dogs as supporting characters. However, the plot is so convoluted that it’s hard to keep track of all the important elements. I liked that Vic is absent through a lot of the book since I prefer her in small doses due to her foul mouth. If Johnson intended for his readers to be surprised that Vic had moved into Walt’s cabin, he shouldn’t have been so heavy-handed about Walt avoiding going home. Every time Walt wondered to himself where Vic had gone, I’d tell him “She’s at your house,” but he didn’t listen. ( )

(2023) This book was a hoot! Enjoyed it from beginning to end as it was much lighter than the last few darker novels in the series. Longmire is drawn into murders from the 1940s that involved his grandfather, who he had a bad relationship with. To the point of suspecting Lloyd Longmire as the culprit in the 3 deaths. Somewhere along the way Walt proposes marriage to Vic in a most inappropriate setting and she storms off in a huff, never to be seen again until the last page. She wonders where the hell he has been for the last several days. Seems that relationship will continue to flower. In the meantime the 1940s' murders are tied to a much bigger Wyoming state-wide scandal of a secret Trust Fund that no-one seems to know about in the state government, while it enriches many powerful and secretive men. Thoroughly enjoyed this one. KIRKUS: ongmire 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.
Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023

ISBN: 9780593297315

Page Count: 368

Publisher: Viking

I've been a cheerleader for Craig Johnson and Walt Longmire since the first book in the series, The Cold Dish, was published. However, no matter how much I love these books, there's always going to be one that, for one reason or another, falls a bit flat, and The Longmire Defense was that book for me. Now it's time for me to get down to the why.

Yes, it was great to see Walt back home after all the wandering he'd done in previous books. Yes, it was great to see Ruby and Henry and Vic again, but-- once again-- after making initial appearances, both Henry and Vic (especially Vic) fade from the scene. The Longmire Defense is really a book that centers around Walt's daughter and granddaughter, which leads me to my favorite part of the entire book: seeing Walt as a besotted grandpa.

The cold case involving Walt's grandfather was intriguing and kept me guessing, but it was also at the heart of why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I have others in the series. Walt and his grandfather, Lloyd, had a problematic relationship. I could've used more background on their relationship for me to understand Walt's behavior better. Walt has always been one of the most fair-minded law enforcement characters in crime fiction, but he seemed convinced that his grandfather was guilty of murder. Consequently, he kept looking for evidence proving Lloyd Longmire was guilty, which is diametrically opposed to the Walt Longmire I've known and loved for years. Perhaps this was meant to prove that Walt is human, not ten feet tall and bulletproof, but I've always known that so I didn't need convincing.

When all is said and done, I may have been a mite disappointed with Walt in The Longmire Defense, but it certainly doesn't have any effect on my anticipation for the next book in the series. Bring it on! ( )

Walt works a cold case, nearly alone, that turns out bad. Except for Ruby, neither deputy is around and the story suffered because of it. I found the plot hard to follow and the missing characters added to the confusion. Not a part of the previous 18 episodes, who knew that Walt played chess? ( )

This is the 19th book in Johnson's series about Wyoming sheriff Walt Longmire, and it's a strong entry for so late in the series. Readers of the last book (Hell and Back) who were put off by the high level of mystical woo-woo can rest assured that we are back on Planet Earth in this one.

In this one, Walt and his undersheriff Victoria Moretti are on the search for a missing woman who disappeared in the back country after abandoning her car. Along the way, Walt solves that mystery and is faced with another, much more personal one when he discovers an old hunting rifle that he believes was used to kill a Wyoming state official 60 years ago. Even more troubling, Walt has good reason to believe that his late grandfather, Lloyd Longmire, was involved in the long-ago crime.

Along the way there are developments on both the personal and the professional fronts for Walt, who has been contemplating retirement for several books now. I suspect this is author Johnson signaling to his readers that Walt will not be with us much longer. If that's the case, I'd be happy to have him go out on the sort of high note he reaches in this book than carry on too long and make it a relief when he finally hangs it up. ( )