A Serpent's Tooth

Review from my site at https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/a-serpents-tooth-by-craig-johnson/

“Do you think there are more crazy people in our country than anywhere else?” Walt’s latest project has Vic Moretti wondering about the mental health of her adopted state. You see, Barbara’s son is worried about Barbara’s stories that angels are doing her household repairs. And eating her fried chicken. While Walt speculates that the wide-open space attracts those who need a certain amount of space, I’m thinking Absaroka County, Wyoming isn’t all that different. People just have more space to let their crazy run wild. Just wait until Vic meets Van Ross Lynear and his twelve spaceships. It turns out that the angel is a show more teenage boy who has been kicked out of a local Mormon-based cult. When Walt goes looking for the teenager’s mother, he gets stonewalled by cult members who refuse to allow him on to their well-guarded property. Lacking probably cause, Walt tries various ruses to get a closer look, but the cult members have some significant connections.

At any rate, this was series redemption. Relationship issues are present, but take a back seat to matters of a religious sect and a missing woman. Characters really are quite interesting, and there are more than enough people introduced to make for a complex puzzle of relationships. (It’s always nice in an ongoing series when it isn’t immediately obvious who the ‘red shirts’ are). There’s a fair amount of humor here, mostly in the form of the wide variety of people we meet, particularly an elderly man claiming to be over 200 years old, but also from Vic’s wildly inappropriate cop humor. Along with Vic, the Cheyenne Nation assists in investigation and resolution.

“‘Edgar Lynear was the first to ask from the other side of the truck bed, ‘We’re not already arrested?’
‘Not yet, but if I do it goes on your permanent record.’
‘What’s a permanent record?’
I turned and looked at Henry. ‘Doesn’t seem to carry the weight it used to.’”

The writing has a nice balance of action and imagery:

“He rammed his way past her, but to give her credit, even with a bloodied nose, she clung to his pant leg as he dragged her along with him… I made the four strides between us just as the pants slipped from his narrow hips. He darted into the living room, bounced off the room divider, and hurtled through the doorway. I watched helplessly as he skimmed off the porch and was gone like a sidewinder.”

There’s a few points when I wondered if Walt was really considering what he was doing (or that Johnson was being consistent with character) but I was happy enough to follow along with the action and not get too caught in the details. At points, Walt actually caused more harm than the normal the old-timey sheriff, causing both personal and property damange. I suspect the tv series is showing influence, giving the reader/viewer the emotional satisfaction of rough justice. Likewise, there’s a traumatic event that really serves no purpose except to provide an easy justification for vengeance. I found this time I appreciated Vic providing a more analytical viewpoint to Walt’s kind-heartedness.

Overall, I’d say despite a few shortcomings, this book is proof that the series is still worth my time. There is something to be said for a feel-good story where bad guys will lose, good guys will triumph and redemption is possible. show less

No. 9 in the Walt Longmire series, this one begins and ends with a funeral, and Walt learns that the high school is retiring both his number and Henry Standing Bear's as well at the annual rival football game. Will he go to the ceremony? Will he live long enough to decide? There is a psuedo-Mormon group ensconced in a remote corner of Absaroka County near the old Teapot Dome oil fields, and it looks like what they're up to may have little to do with prayer. When a clueless teenaged boy shows up looking for his mother, who he says has been cast out of the Apostolic Church of the Lamb of God, suspicions start to pile up. About the same time a man claiming to be Orrin Porter Rockwell shows up armed to the teeth. He's old, he looks the part show more and he has the history down pat, but he's not 200 years old, so who is he really, and what's he up to? Things get hot and dangerous, the Sheriff's department takes some nasty hits, Walt takes some reckless chances, and his relationship with Vic gets really interesting. show less

First Line: I stared at the black-and-orange corsage on Barbara Thomas's lapel so that I wouldn't have to look at anything else.


What should have been a rather carefree high school homecoming season in Absaroka County turns into a search for a missing person as Sheriff Walt Longmire attempts to reunite a homeless boy and his mother. Clues aren't easy to come by, but if anyone's going to find them, it will be Walt, his ornery deputy Vic Moretti, and lifelong friend, Henry Standing Bear because none of them know the meaning of the word quit-- and because all of them truly care about their fellow human beings. What comes as a bit of a shock during their search is the fact that an interstate polygamy group has moved into their county, and show more this group is carrying lots of fire power and a big grudge.

Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series reminds me of a Navajo rug: both books and rug are joys to contemplate, but if you're looking for all the individual components that make them things to treasure, you find that the threads are so closely woven together that they're difficult to pick apart. If you do manage to pick a few out and you begin to list them, the person you're trying to convince may listen for a bit and then look at you as if a few too many of your own threads have come loose. In A Serpent's Tooth, some of Johnson's threads are polygamy (if you think that's a tale just for Utah and Arizona, think again), "My Friend Flicka," an escape artist who thinks he's a Mormon law man from the 1800s, a slow car chase, a black-and-orange corsage, and lost boys. Together, they (and all those other threads) add up to a subtly nuanced tale of the modern West that shows the Old West never died.

Craig Johnson can explore our world without using stereotypes or clichés. His intricately layered plots, note-perfect dialogue, and entrancing characters shine spotlights deep into our minds. How much greater could love be if it combined romantic love with a "band of brothers" mindset? We can explore this in A Serpent's Tooth. We can hoist Walt Longmire up on a tall pedestal because this man understands that the good fights have to be fought, regardless what their cost may be to him. If he turned his back on them, he would not be able to live with himself. And every truly good man deserves a friend who is his equal-- perhaps even his better-- and Walt has this in the Cheyenne Nation, AKA Henry Standing Bear. The Cheyenne Nation will add humor to Walt's life, he'll talk sense to him when others can't or won't, and he'll never, ever turn his back on the Sheriff of Absaroka County. They are more than friends-- more than family-- to each other.

These books make me laugh, they remind me of what I love about the West, and I enjoy trying to figure out whodunit, but Craig Johnson's talent brings a lump to my throat. This writer can write about life's truly ugly face, but he never forgets its soul.

If you've never read one of Craig Johnson's books, you need to correct this glaring oversight. If you're watching the television series "Longmire" on A&E and think you don't need to read the books, think again. What you're watching is the bare bones from the books. In fact the bones are so bare you probably can't even get DNA from 'em. Start with A Serpent's Tooth. Bet you anything once you've finished reading this book that you'll be looking for all the others. Since 2004 whenever anyone's asked me for a recommendation, Craig Johnson always springs to mind first. Always. show less

I'm fond of Craig Johnson's Longmire series. It's fun and funny and offers up a good mystery with interesting characters that feel as if they have life in them. I'm even fond of the A and E TV series, Longmire - unlike many series or movies made from books, this one actually bears a close relationship to the books and is respectful of Mr. Johnson's lovely characters.

A Serpent's Tooth is the ninth in the series. There's a very low barrier to entry in these books, so you can start anywhere along the line, but you'll probably find yourself wanting to go back to read the others, as well. Mr. Johnson tells a great story, although I don't think that A Serpent's Tooth is the best entry in the series. For one thing, there's a bit less mystery show more than usual and that's kind of disappointing. The story of a Mormon lost boy is good and the underlying subject matter interesting, but Mr. Johnson slides past the actual life within the compounds he is describing veering instead into a home-grown terrorism plot that just didn't capture my interest. When all is said and done, a so-so Longmire novel is better than most novels in the genre so I enjoyed it, but not as much as I'd have liked. show less

At the beginning of this book, I thought I might be listening to the Elves and the Shoemaker. Walt Longmire thinks something is fishy when he overhears a woman talking about the angels who complete tasks she leaves for them on a list. When Walt and his deputy, Vic Moretti, check out the woman's home, they discover that the angel is really a teenage boy, a runaway from a polygamous Mormon sect. The boy is looking for his missing mother, and the details he shares with Walt and his officers cause them to worry about her well-being. Their search for the missing woman brings them into conflict with the sect and its leader, who are doing some mysterious drilling around the clock.

I liked but didn't love this series entry. There was too much show more violence and there were too many weapons in this one. Yes, Walt is a big man, but there are lots of big men in this world. Walt's wit is one of his most endearing traits, and I enjoy the books much better when he's outwitting the bad guys rather than out-shooting them. And I really don't like where his relationship with Vic seems to be heading. Walt's daughter, Cady, is married to Vic's brother, so Vic is her sister-in-law. Cady's unborn child will be Walt's grandchild and Vic's niece or nephew. If Walt marries Vic, his son-in-law will become his brother-in-law, his daughter will become his sister-in-law, Vic's sister-in-law will become her step-daughter, and Walt will be uncle to his own grandchild. Next thing you know, he'll be his own grandpa! show less

Note: While this is Book 9 in the series, it works well as a stand alone. There are some vague references to events that happened in the previous book, but I don’t feel that it detracted or distracted from this story.

In Absaroka County, Wyoming, Sheriff Longmire and his deputies are caught up in the mystery of a homeless Mormon ‘lost boy’ and his missing mother. The boy, Cord, has a mysterious protector, an elderly man who claims the name of a long-dead Mormon founder. Meanwhile, Longmire and his deputies keep having run-ins with the local heads of the polygamy religious group. There’s weapons a plenty and not a few people shielding themselves with religion as they make their power plays.

In this modern day western, Walt Longmire show more has his work cut out for him. An elderly single lady truly believes that she has a guardian angel that fixes all her broken house hold appliances while she is out running chores or socializing. What Walt and his deputy Vic Moretti find is a young man who quickly scampers away, inadvertently leaving his pants behind. Of course, a pantsless boy on foot isn’t that hard to track down and before long, Walt is trying to get info out of young Cord Lynear. What Walt steps into is beyond his expectations.

It appears that the small, yet well armed, polygamy Mormon sect has had trouble in other states. Now that trouble is on Walt’s doorstep. However, finding people to talk to him about the inner workings of this sect is difficult, and dangerous. I really enjoyed watching Walt and his team unwind this mystery. The author does a good job of getting my ire up without having the injustices of this small, made-up religious sect over crowd the plot. I really felt for the women and children of the sect, even though we only meet a few of them.

Meanwhile, there has been a romance brewing between Walt and Vic for some time. We get more of that here, though I don’t want to say too much as I haven’t read Book 8 and don’t know where that left off with this romantic subplot. Things definitely heat up and by the end of the book there is a poignant surprise for both Walt and the readers. The romance adds to the characters and doesn’t detract from the plot.

Henry Standing Bear is ever a presence in these books and I am glad that he is around. Walt can definitely use the help with this case. His stolid character and dry humor are always a welcome addition to any scene. Also, he can handle himself in a fight.

Over all, this was a very enjoyable mystery. I got quite attached to Cord and his self-assigned protector, Orrin Porter (or so he says he is). Also, I like that the author takes these mysteries seriously. Not all of Walt’s deputies will make it out of this story whole and healthy. Even though I am not particularly attached to most of these side characters (i. e. Frymire and Double Tough), I still felt for them when the plot got serious.

The Narration: George Guidall has a great voice for Walt Longmire. Also, I found he did a decent job for Vic Moretti’s voice as well. His pacing was also good in this book. He also had a great adolescent voice for Cord and crotchety old man voice for Orrin Porter. show less

It is fall in Wyoming as A Serpent’s Tooth: A Walt Longmire Mystery opens and Walt Longmire, sheriff of Absaroka county, is spending at least part of the beautiful afternoon at the funeral of Dulcie Meriwether. Walt didn't know Dulcie, but he is there because Mike Thomas wanted Walt to have a conversation with his aunt Barbara Thomas. Apparently somebody has been doing work on her home and occasionally eating some of her food the last couple of weeks. The elderly woman believes it is the work of angels working on behalf of God.

Walt and Vic suspect human intervention instead of celestial guidance. Barbara leaves a list of what needs to be done and things are fixed while she is away from home. Since she is away from home right now it show more seems to be a really good idea to go over and check out her house. They find a young man working under the kitchen sink who manages to get away from Vic despite her best efforts. They soon learn that the young man is Cord Lynear and a small part of a much larger and growing problem from Wyoming to Texas and numerous places in between.

This latest in the series from author Craig Johnson is another good one. While much of has ripped from the headlines type of feel to it with the militant polygamist Mormon angle, there are enough twists and turns to make it work. So too does the continuing character development regarding the relationship between Walt and Vic. That relationship is a major storyline focus here in this novel while they go about their jobs with nearly everyone else getting very little or no attention at all.

What didn't work so well for this reader was more of a personal problem. As trumpeted across my large print copy from the library in case one didn’t already know, these books are also the basis of the Longmire series on A&E. While I never have totally accepted the casting of the TV show, it was clear while reading this that the TV characters have fully taken over the book series in my mind. While reading this book I heard the voices of the TV characters saying the lines. As a result the read seemed a little off at times to me. Clearly that is this reviewer’s personal problem and not the fault of the author.

A Serpent's Tooth: A Walt Longmire Mystery is the ninth book in the series and another good one well worth your time. Now if I could just get the TV voices out of my head...

A Serpent’s Tooth: A Walt Longmire Mystery
Craig Johnson
http://www.craigallenjohnson.com
Thorndike Press
http://www.gale.cengage.com/thorndike
May 2013
ISBN# 978-1-4104-5781-3
Large Print Hardback (also available as a regular hardback, e-book, audio book)
501 Pages
$28.79

Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System. A big time thank you especially to the staff of the Haggard Library for all they do.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2013 show less