On the face of it, the book didn't seem like my kind of mystery. Sherrif in Wyoming? Sounded a bit like a Tony Hillerman book. Tony Hillerman's books ..Show More »are good, don't get me wrong, but this book is really special. The characters are human and very real, not stereotypes, the plot unfolds naturally, the dialog is right on. Nice, dry humor (just my style). And there is a real, plausible mystery at the heart of the story. George Guidall, the narrator, reads everything with just the right touch of irony. I can't recommend this book enough.

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Mr. G lends a really pleasant audible to a voice that is already funny, tough, poignant and, well, Wyoming. Buy the book. Buy the audible. Better stil..Show More »l, buy the first one, "Cold Dish," and hopefully by the time you finish it, the audible for "Death Without Company" will be available. Then the pump will be primed for this third installment. All three books by Craig Johnson have wonderful characters and a sense of place that is real. "Kindness Goes Unpunished" is literally set in Philadelphia, but the heart of the book is still in Wyoming-- which makes us love Absaroka County even more. Enjoy!

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All of Craig Johnson's books can stand alone, but they really are best listened to in sequence, all of a piece, as three volumes of one story. While ..Show More »I am annoyed that this book took so long to show up in audible.com, I couldn't stop listening to it. The mystery is inconsequential to me; I just like hanging out with Sheriff Walt and Henry Standing Bear. I enjoy the mystery, but I'd keep right on listening if they started a cooking show or discussed particle physics. George Guidall is that good with his reading and acting skills. He must do all of them, as no one else could voice these characters properly. I don't want to wait another year for the next installment of life on the plains and the usual at the Busy Bee. These aren't books, they're a life. May Longmire have a long and multi-volume career. And Dog needs more lines in the next one. He got shunted aside this time. He deserves better than hanging out with Ruby all the time.

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Johnson has done it again. I love these characters and these people. I want to know them and live in their town. He has the ability to write 5 book..Show More »s in a series each of which is entirely different from the others. The Cold Dish was my choice for best listen a couple of years ago, and Another Man's Moccasins was my choice in 2008. This one is in the running for the best for this year. He is a fine writer with a literate protagonist. He develops the story in a way that allows the reader to become part of the story. It is so nice to find a book that reads so beautifully.

The interaction with the title Dark Horse is amazing, and of course as usual, the title has several meanings. I'll not go into that because a couple of them are key to the story. I would have like to see more of Vic and Henry, but they were clearly an important part of the story even if they were only on the periphery most of the time. There were some very interesting secondary characters introduced this time. A young boy and his mother, an old cowboy, and a surprising FBI agent are all well developed and integral to the plot.

Read this book. Better yet, listen to this book. George Guidall has become Walt Longmire for me. I hear his voice when I read the books with my eyes.

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I'm not a technical expert but it's true that Craig Johnson's books are closer to Tony Hillerman's stories than they are a procedural manual. His cha..Show More »racters are rich and colorful. They get into situations that are laugh-out-loud funny and others that are touching. The story takes a lot of twists and turns that kept me wondering "now what?"
Johnson's books are character driven and I can't wait to hear what happens in the next book.
Of course, George Guidall gives another perfect performance as narrator. It's a great listen

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I waited and waited for this book to hit Audible.com and then absolutely devoured it. About mid way through I was already mourning the fact that Geor..Show More »ge/Walt (I think they're one person) and I were soon to part company again. I've decided to go back to the first book and start over. Walt is an amazing character but I really missed Vic and the Cheyenne Nation in this one :) Great series!!!!

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Walt Longmire is one of the most wonderful book characters ever. I'd love to have him as a neighbor and friend. George Guidall has done such an amazin..Show More »g job of giving voice to the big, gentle man. I don't know if this is my favorite book in the series - I like them all. If you have not listened to any of them, start at the beginning and go through them in order. They're each a chapter of Walt's big life.

If you ever need something to listen to in the car that will appeal to both men and women, this is the series. Everyone loves Walt. And really, George Guidall could read a phone book and I'd listen.

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