Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
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!
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!
