{my thoughts} - This books starts off talking about Walt Longmire's obsession with a particular file about an Cheyenne Indian girl named Melissa Little Bird. She was clearly gang raped by four boys who had led her into basement. The saddest part is that she suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome. This is that one case that every cop has the one they can't shake because they couldn't bring it to justice. He has the file memorized from the inside out and just thinking about it the entire case washes over his every thought. The connection between Walt is that Melissa's Uncle Henry Standing Bear and him are old friends from both youth and military. He feels he owes it to his friend to bring justice to the boys that had wronged such a trusting girl.

It is up to Walt to figure out why the boys that had been accused of the crimes against Melissa have been turning up dead. He also goes through a trial and error love mishap throughout the book. The book essentially ends with an unexpected twist.

{reason for reading} - I have to admit I love the show, however the book took me over a month to read. I do not believe I will be reading further into this series as it did not appear to be something that I enjoy. I had an interesting story line, but it had so much foul language and unwanted speech that I had a really difficult time enjoying it. The ending however was a rather nice twist. ( )

{my thoughts} - This books starts off talking about Walt Longmire's obsession with a particular file about an Cheyenne Indian girl named Melissa Little Bird. She was clearly gang raped by four boys who had led her into basement. The saddest part is that she suffers from fetal alcohol syndrome. This is that one case that every cop has the one they can't shake because they couldn't bring it to justice. He has the file memorized from the inside out and just thinking about it the entire case washes over his every thought. The connection between Walt is that Melissa's Uncle Henry Standing Bear and him are old friends from both youth and military. He feels he owes it to his friend to bring justice to the boys that had wronged such a trusting girl.

It is up to Walt to figure out why the boys that had been accused of the crimes against Melissa have been turning up dead. He also goes through a trial and error love mishap throughout the book. The book essentially ends with an unexpected twist.

{reason for reading} - I have to admit I love the show, however the book took me over a month to read. I do not believe I will be reading further into this series as it did not appear to be something that I enjoy. I had an interesting story line, but it had so much foul language and unwanted speech that I had a really difficult time enjoying it. The ending however was a rather nice twist. ( )

Very strong for a series opener…with complex characters who have long histories together.I always have problems with plots that involve rape and especially violence toward children.it is handled well here and I’ll definitely try more books in the series. The settings and bits of culture and folklore make it absolutely fascinating ( )

Johnson does a good job of evoking the landscape and the people of Wyoming. The story covers a series of revenge killings, and Sheriff Longmire's reluctant pursuit of the murderer. The victims pretty much deserved what they got, IMHO. I enjoyed following this dogged lawman as he put the clues together. The story did drag in places, and I thought the solution kind of came out of nowhere, but overall it was a satisfying read. ( )

1st in series. KIRKUS REVIEWRevenge killings disrupt the serenity of a small western community and greatly complicate life for a sheriff nearing retirement.Kent Haruf?s readers will feel immediately comfortable in newcomer Johnson?s Absaroka County. Everybody in the beautiful, isolated Wyoming area knows each other. Conversations are spare and, if not always irony-free, certainly lacking coastal self-pity, analysis, or politics. And the inhabitants are smart enough to handle their own business, even when that business is murder and the clues are few. Responsibility for solutions rests in the broad hands of Sheriff Walt Longmire, Vietnam Marine veteran and widower, overweight, and excessively fond of beer. The victims are two of the four local high-school boys who got off way too lightly for the rape of and assault on Melissa Little Bird, a mentally disabled Cheyenne girl. Longmire realizes after the first murder that if his plan to name his successor is to succeed¥tricky enough even before the murders, since his fondest wish is to pass the badge to Deputy Victoria Moretti, a foul-mouthed but extremely capable PhiladelphianÂ¥he?s going to have to solve things before the state police muscle in. Considerable assistance with the police work comes to Walt from Cheyenne publican Henry Standing Bear, the sheriff?s best friend and also a Vietnam vet. Henry is Walt?s Virgil as the sheriff steps onto the local reservation. Melissa had many friends and a large family, and feelings ran high after the rape. Bullets at the crime scene seem to have come from an elegant 19th-century rifle like the one owned by Melissa?s father. Moving carefully (the pace is exceptionally deliberate), Walt reconstructs crime scenes and picks through lab analyses, but the sparse clues are slow to yield their truths. Indian spirits step in to help, but they don?t solve the puzzle. Walt does.The police work comes slow and the solution comes out of nowhere, but Johnson?s gorgeous Wyoming and agreeable characters make the trip very, very pleasant.