• The Cold Dish

  • A Walt Longmire Mystery
  • By: Craig Johnson
  • Narrated by: George Guidall
  • Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (16,761 ratings)

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The Cold Dish  By  cover art

The Cold Dish

By: Craig Johnson
Narrated by: George Guidall
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Publisher's summary

Introducing Wyoming's Sheriff Walt Longmire in this riveting novel from the New York Times best-selling author of Dry Bones, the first in the Longmire series, the basis for the hit Netflix original series Longmire.

Fans of Ace Atkins, Nevada Barr, and Robert B. Parker will love this outstanding first novel, in which New York Times best-selling author Craig Johnson introduces Sheriff Walt Longmire of Wyoming's Absaroka County. Johnson draws on his deep attachment to the American West to produce a literary mystery of stunning authenticity, full of memorable characters. After 25 years as sheriff of Absaroka County, Walt Longmire's hopes of finishing out his tenure in peace are dashed when Cody Pritchard is found dead near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Two years earlier, Cody has been one of four high school boys given suspended sentences for raping a local Cheyenne girl. Somebody, it would seem, is seeking vengeance, and Longmire might be the only thing standing between the three remaining boys and a Sharps .45-70 rifle.

With lifelong friend Henry Standing Bear, Deputy Victoria Moretti, and a cast of characters both tragic and humorous enough to fill in the vast emptiness of the high plains, Walt Longmire attempts to see that revenge, a dish best served cold, is never served at all.

Listen to all of Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire mysteries.
©2004 Craig Johnson (P)2006 Recorded Books LLC

Critic reviews

"A strong sense of place, a credible plot, and deft dialogue lift Johnson's good-humored debut novel." (Publishers Weekly)
"Johnson, who lives in Ucross, Wyoming, knows the Western landscape well, and creates stunning and violent scenes of the Rocky Mountains." (Bookmarks)
"We in the West have a major new talent on our hands." (The Denver Post)

Featured Article: The Best Western Audiobooks for Your Inner Outlaw


The now classic Western genre has shaped modern literature, film, and other forms of entertainment. Whether your story is taking you to space or to the wide-open plains of Utah, it’s likely pulling on the tropes and themes of a traditional Western. Our favorite audiobooks don’t just encompass old classics though—we’ve gathered a full breadth of work so that all fans of the genre can find everything from family-friendly listens to gritty adventure tales.

What listeners say about The Cold Dish

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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    11,205
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    3,996
  • 3 Stars
    1,091
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Performance
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
    977
  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Worth the trip to Wyoming

Any additional comments?

An excellent series done is an excellent manner.

I highly recommend this book. I was very happy to see a book performed by George Guidall again! His voice isn't quite what i expect Walt to sound like but he is certainly one of the top 5 book performers of all time.

She story is wonderful, the characters are strong and interesting. the dialog is very real and the descriptive prose make yiou feel like you are right there out west!

This one is a must listen!

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Horrible could not stand the language

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

By the author not using bad language. I enjoy the TV series. Thought how great the books would be. Boy was I wrong, I could not get further than 15 minutes. Before stopping the book. And erasing it from my device.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Dee Henderson book.

Would you be willing to try another one of George Guidall’s performances?

Not at this time.

What character would you cut from The Cold Dish?

Don't know, I never got enough into the book, to know the characters.

Any additional comments?

Wish the books were rated. I could save a lot of money that way.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful surprise

I read some reviews that labeled this book as a western genre. Since I am not a western genre reader, but with all the positive review this book received, I was willing to give it a try. Great sense of humor from the main character and his best friend. The narrator of the book made the book even more enjoyable.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic

If you could sum up The Cold Dish in three words, what would they be?

Love every character

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Cold Dish?

The scene in the blizzard on the mountain. Literally brought tears to my eyes.

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I feel like he makes the book come alive. Its a great story, and every character has depth. I think I would enjoy reading the book, but I simply love listening to it. The man's voice is perfect for the role.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes and yes. I laughed out lout several times, and welled up with tears at least once. The main characters are grizzled heroes, titans among men, and yet they all have their flaws. I found myself looking forward to every aspect of the story, even the budding romance scenes.

Any additional comments?

Great book. I don't usually write reviews, but I feel like I need to promote this one. Best credit I've used since Tales of the Otori.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

First, but not last, of this series for me

Really enjoyed this story...this is the 2nd book I have listened to narrated by George Guidall.
Never guessed the killer...I like that in a mystery!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Better than most, western or not

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

The reader is fine, just too old to be Walt. Other characterizations are very good.

Any additional comments?

Like many people, heading west is a lifelong dream. Even as a teen, I could always see myself in Wyoming. Being from Florida, the western life is about as different as one could imagine from my own. This is the only western series I've found interesting and is pretty close to how I imagined that life would be. I love the characters, the scenery descriptions and the situations. Walt is a terrific lawman; mostly by the law but also applied with common sense, firm without being rigid. Vic is a hoot and (ironically) reminds me of my husband: a hard protective shell to defend the soft heart. Henry Standing Bear is someone I'd love to have as a best friend. He's loyal, wise, brave and capably straddles the two worlds in which he lives. Lucian seems more a caricature and gets away with more than is plausible, but he is entertaining.

I do have a couple qualms with the writing. One is the seemingly politically correct handling of the Native Americans. Being 1/8 Indian myself I am equally amazed and baffled by reservation life. Mr. Johnson seems to almost revere the reservation residents and their ancestry to the point of not wanting to offend. Thus, the "bad guys" are almost always white. One can be respectful while remaining balanced.

Another is being able to follow the endings. It seems, and maybe it's just me, that the endings are told in a rush. Most of the endings tie up neatly, but I always have to go back and listen more than once.The books and the TV series are both musts for me, but they are better looked as separate entities. As with most adaptations, changes are made that don't really seem necessary and most don't take away from the effect. Robert Taylor is perfectly cast as Walt Longmire, which makes it difficult to picture him with the narrator being obviously quite a bit older. Overall I love the series and will listen to them all.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

I really tried to like it

I really tried to like this book because of all the great reviews. I even made it half way, but finally gave up. There are too many truly great books to bother finishing this one.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Aristotle Was Right

Centuries ago Aristotle discussed the concept that the whole could be greater than the sum of the parts. That's a great description of my reaction to this book.

I had read so many positive reviews of this series that I had to find out what it was all about. Many times the first book in a series is a case of the author becoming familiar with the primary characters and developing appropriate themes. I'll keep listening to this series and see if that holds true for Johnson's Walt Longmire books. That is, I suspect that they will continue to just get better and better.

The parts:

* The characters are wonderfully and appropriately lovable or despicable but with many shades of grey in all of them. I felt as if I were getting to know them as part of a community that I could live in (I do live in the Mts).

* Guidall's narration is a brilliant match to the tenor and tempo of this book. I honestly can't think of any other of my favorites doing it this well.

* The story, while interesting, sometimes meandered (a good Walt Longmire word).

The whole:

From the very beginning this book made want to sit down in front of a warm fire, my cat(s) on my lap and just sink into the story. It felt like a master storyteller was spinning a great yarn just for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fantastic!! - Not The TV Show!

What did you love best about The Cold Dish?

This great story is a perfect read, humor, a great story, vivid characters and fantastic dialog.

What about George Guidall’s performance did you like?

He's FANTASTIC, his deep voice and ability to "voice" characters without being campy is fantastic, he's as good as Scott Brick, I could listen to him read the phone book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed out loud many times, especially due to some of the hilarious dialog. But the difficult parts are painful too . . .You'll care about these characters really quickly!

Any additional comments?

Fantastic book, ready by a phenomenal voice actor, I'm buying the whole series as fast as my credits come

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Nice introduction to the series

Any additional comments?

This is my second Longmire book, (I read book 2 first by mistake and loved it!) I really enjoy the humor, wit, adventure and creativity in these stories and they always keep me guessing until the very end. Very good series. I plan to read them all. The narrator they chose for this series couldn't be more perfect. I can't imagine Longmire sounding any different. He even does well with the ladies voices too.

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