As the Crow Flies

A Walt Longmire Mystery, Book 8

By: Craig Johnson

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

Craig Johnson has won multiple awards and earned starred reviews from Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Kirkus Reviews for his New York Times best-selling Walt Longmire mysteries. Embarking on his eighth adventure in As the Crow Flies, Sheriff Longmire is searching the Cheyenne Reservation for a site to host his daughter’s wedding, when he sees a woman fall to her death. Teaming up with beautiful tribal chief Lolo Long, Walt sets out to investigate the suspicious death.

©2012 Craig Johnson (P)2012 Recorded Books, LLC

Great New Character

As the headline suggests I'm all into my girl Vic's alter ego Lolo Long. She's a Cheyenne nation Chief of Police with a bad attitude and a chip on her shoulder the size of Montana. Naturally Walt gets close to her and Lolo requests his help in learning how to do her job. Lolo's mother is a nurse with tribal health, an ex of the immortal Cheyenne Nation, Henry Standing Bear and one of the few people able to hold her own with Lolo. Katie is a major character in this story rather than a distant reference for Walt to allude to. There are a couple of really touching moments between father and daughter which had me crying like a little girl. As a kid who didn't meet her actual father until she was 15 I'm a total pushover for all emotional father/ daughter interactions. Which brings me up to Katie's diatribe to her future mother-in-law about all the major events in her life that Walt missed because he had a case.
The biggest issue I had with this Longmire story was the lack of my favorite character Vic the Holy Terror. Victoria Moretti is the hottest lady in fiction and if she ever comes to life and I am in deep trouble; I'll be totally whipped. There are a few other things in this work that feel unique to this series that might surprise some Longmire fans. As you might have already discerned I was impressed by this selection.

Walt is off the reservation

Actually, in this installment, Walt Longmire is ON the reservation - and out of his jurisdiction - as he helps the tribal Police Chief with the case of a woman he witnessed fall to her death. Not only is he out of his jurisdiction professionally, he's a little out of his depth personally as his daughter's wedding approaches and he gets emotionally torn between his past and his present, and her present and her future.

This continues to be a series of books I love listening too - good stories that are terrifically read. I actually have to make myself slow down and not listent to all of them back-to-back.....I want to savour them and make the series last.

Fast 9 hours!

Would you consider the audio edition of As the Crow Flies to be better than the print version?

I don't know, sometimes I wish I could see the printed word, but George just adds so much to the stories. Yes, I guess it's better, for me at least.

What did you like best about this story?

Action and the one liners. I'm not to the end yet and will listen to it again this week.

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favorite?

The Bear is always wonderful. Walt talked a little more in this one, but he was forced into it!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No way, I wanted to parcel it out and think about what I had just heard.

Any additional comments?

Craig can get more out of a line or two in describing a location, and it sticks in the mind. If he has told you about a place, you remember it. (Like that crummy motel a few books ago, oh man.)

I love this series.

The narration and storyline of this series is just fantastic. I love the characters, the writing, the dialog, the narrative performance is as good as it can be. I hope I can find a writer that can entertain me as well as this one. This series is a true literary gem.

Walt Longmire and George Guidall-what a pair!

I like all the Longmire books, and in particular, the way George Guidall narrates them. He voices old men, young men, tough women, more timid women-all so well you think you are listening to multiple voices, and not just his. This story takes place primarily on the Indian Reservation-and away from his office and usual cast of deputies. Of course Standing Bear takes a central role, as the two of them witness a death they investigate along with new character, Chief Lolo Long of the tribal police. I liked a preponderance of Indian lore in this tale. The characters are peppery, feisty, and rich in background. Craig Johnson writes with his usual humor, and the story moves along very quickly. He is a smart writer, and I recommend this book to any fan of Walt Longmire.

One of my favorites in the Longmire series

Longmire at his best. A great story, superbly told, with just the right touch of humor.

MORE MORE MORE PLEASE!

Where does As the Crow Flies rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I have listened to all 8 books in the series and found myself, laughing out loud, panting with exhaustion, and tearing up. At the end of this book, I was tearing up with Walt and basking in the goodwill presence of Standing Bear. I am planning on getting my brother started on the series with the first three books as a Christmas gift.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Absolutely. The story is always moving somewhere, exploring some link. The listener is meeting new people, discovering new twists in the sequence of events, and there is that mysterious truck with the elk mounted on the hood.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

He has narrated all of the stories and he is wonderful. He has the nuanced humor of Standing Bear down pat. With his narration I am in the midst of everything that happens. I could practically smell the rotten beer on Mount Rainier.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I read the series, one book right after another. And yes several of them I read in one sitting. This one took a couple of days. I do have to work.

Any additional comments?

I find Craig Johnson's characters some of the most winning characters I have ever met, and I am not just talking about Longmire and Standing Bear. It kind of reminds me of that great TV series "Northern Exposure." Every character has a story. Every story in the series has a distinct flavor and every flavor is tasty.

George Guidall is awesome!

I have carefully avoided watching any of the Walt Longmire TV shows. My Walt and my Bear are the ones that George Guidall brings to life.

Unsure what aspect I enjoy most...?

The humor, the plot, or the characters...another excellent Longmire story, and all three are there in spades!

Interesting mystery with Native American flavour

My first Walt Longmire mystery and it won’t be my last. Solid, interesting mystery with a fascinating Native American backdrop. With a warm, easy tone, even as a new reader, it is effortless to get into this book – the hours flew by without me once being frustrated with how far I was. Very few authors have this effect, I’m often hyper aware of how much is left (I get bored easily so have to sometimes force myself to finish) and this was one of the most relaxing listens I’ve ever had. I am thrilled there are so many in the series.

The reader is also absolutely perfect – an ideal merging of reader and story. His soothing accent and natural reading just wash over you, incredibly relaxing.

The Native American aspect to the story is certainly fresh and immersive, it certainly sets this series immediately apart from the usual fare. As someone who has always been interested in this culture, it adds a very pleasant flavour to the story, which I enjoyed very much.

I am delighted to find a new author and with so many books in the series, I will have a lot of reliably enjoyable stories to listen to. With a series this long, you know what you’re getting, which is a relief - it’s always uncertain when you try a new author and I’m very happy to have a solid new author to sink my teeth into.