Narrated by George Guidall
Recorded Books
Released May 26, 2026
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing
The latest in the Walt Longmire series of mysteries set in Wyoming takes good advantage of Walt’s education as an English major as Walt and his team attempt to solve the murder of Pepper McKay, the universally disliked patriarch of a huge ranch family. As it riffs on Dostoevsky’s classic, The Brothers Karamazov, it deals with issues of faith, family, and fortune. It doesn’t hurt the underlying explanations that Walt is aided in the investigation, albeit reluctantly, by the Russian ex-spy who was his arch-enemy in the prior book in the series. Their relationship and trust develop over the course of this book, providing an opportunity for Johnson’s trademark good humor.
The book is a terrific addition to the Longmire series, with excellent characterization, solid literary background, tension that escalates as the plot plays out, and gorgeous writing about the setting. I enjoyed all aspects of this book, but was particularly drawn in as a massive forest fire takes an increasingly prominent role in the complicated plot. I have always loved the tenderness with which Walt interacts with his canine companion, Dog, and in this book we get to see Walt make a new animal connection that has important plot consequences. This time, his non-human relationship is with Borax, a huge mule. I fell in love with Borax as I deepened my appreciation for the well-developed character of Walt Longmire.
The plot comes together just at the end in a satisfying manner after many red herrings. I did not anticipate the killer nor their motive, but they were convincing given the variety of psychological, philosophical and religious extremes explored by Johnson in the book. I listened to the audiobook narrated by my all-time favorite reader, George Guidall. He has been the voice of Longmire (as well as other Western-set authors such as Tony Hillerman), and no one does that genre better! As Longmire has aged over the years, Guidall has as well. This is reflected in his voicing of the book and adds to Longmire’s authenticity. Guidall’s pacing is perfectly timed, providing a more drawn out interpretation when Walt is reflecting and a more intense one during the likewise intense forest fire scenes. He voices Max, the Russian, with a heavy accent which somehow makes the character more relatable even as he is difficult to understand. If you like audiobooks, this is one to experience in that format.
In the end, some hints are picked up from a peppering of them earlier in the book as a teaser for the next one in series. I can’t wait for that one to come out!
Read Julie Cambell’s review of the print book.