(2019) Still recovering from his traumatic trip to Mexico, Longmire is back at work with two issues to deal with. A wolf has been sighted in the area that has many of the locals up in arms about a wolf invasion. Walt is convinced it is a ?lone? wolf which has stayed into this part of Wyoming. Also, a shepherd is found hanging in the woods and has been eaten upon by some predator. The mystery is that the man was murdered and not a suicide. Why? Turns out it was to try to cover up knowledge of spousal and child abuse by Donnie Lott. His father-in-law hunts Donnie down to exact revenge for his crimes.KIRKUS REVIEWSheriff Longmire untangles a nasty family snarl.Back from Mexico, where his war against a drug lord (Depth of Winter, 2018) very nearly cost him his life, Walt Longmire, Sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, is having trouble regaining his strength and characteristic swagger. Things at first seem fairly straightforward: A wolf designated 777M may or may not have killed a sheep. Longmire and his undersheriff, Victoria Moretti, begin to investigate¥the sheep's DNA will be analyzed, a predatorÂ¥wolf or mountain lionÂ¥will be identified. Either way, 777M has rattled the populace, and wolf panic has set in. It seems inevitable that 777M will be hunted down, and much as he regrets this, Longmire cannot do much to prevent it. Keasik Cheechoo ("Cree-Assiniboine/Young Dogs, Piapot First Nation, a Native wolf advocate,") appears to plead the wolf's case, but Absaroka County's legal structure has taken the process out of the sheriff's hands. Other Native characters contribute to the narrative: Henry Standing Bear, a Northern Cheyenne, offers Longmire counsel, and for a while it seems 777M may be a manifestation of the spirit of Virgil White Buffalo, who helped Longmire in the past. Henry Standing Bear is a vivid and appealing character, but the suggestion of a spiritual involvement is ultimately unrequited. As the investigation goes on, things get much more complicated. The sheep belonged to Abarrane Extepare, a second-generation Basque American and one of the richest men in Absaroka County, and was herded by a Chilean shepherd named Miguel Hernandez. When Longmire and Moretti find Hernandez, he has been hanged, and though suicide is a possibility, a reasonable case can be made for murder. The investigation widens, and the dynamics and particulars of sheep farming, of migrant labor and shepherding, and of land use in general are ably explored through the history of the Extepare family. And it is in the family that the mystery finally finds a structure and Longmire finds a solution.Sometimes informative and sometimes murky but overall a rewarding journey to Absaroka County.Pub Date: Sept. 17th, 2019ISBN: 978-0-525-52250-8Page count: 336ppPublisher: VikingReview Posted Online: July 1st, 2019Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15th, 2019

Sheriff Walt Longmire investigates the death of a shepherd. He must determine if it is suicide or murder, due to connections to a powerful family. Other complications arise, including a rogue wolf, and a child’s kidnapping. The mystery isn’t all that compelling, but the life of the sheriff is. The story can be read as a stand-alone, but would make more sense if the reader knows the backstories of the characters. It’s evenly paced, and though it’s not a page turner, it is still intriguing. Well written, it’s the characters and theirs lives that make it worth reading. ( )

To be reviewed over at Fresh Fiction! ( )

Listened to this. Love the narrator as always. The mystery was interesting and was self contained. Walt is thinking about hanging it up but i think he decided not to in the end. I hope not. This is one of my favorite series of all time. ( )

Walt investigates the apparent suicide of a Basque sheep herder. There's also the question of what killed a dead sheep. Speculation is that a lone wolf spotted in the area is responsible. As always the supporting characters are there to assist and help Walt in his investigation. An excellent addition to this series. ( )