As The Crow Flies
By Craig Johnson
Penguin Books

Reviewed by Keith Jones

“As The Crow Flies” is a fine entry in the Longmire series. It is a bit different as there is little of the presence of Deputy Vic Moretti, but it is made up for with an abundance of Henry Standing Bear. In this book, you get to see some of the best of the friendship of Henry and Walt.

As the book opens, Sheriff Walt Longmire and his best friend Henry Standing Bear are helping plan the wedding of Walt’s daughter Cady. While scouting a venue on the Reservation for the wedding, Walt and Henry witness a woman fall from a cliff. Whether it was an accident, suicide or foul play will drive the narrative of the book.

This book introduces a fascinating new character, Lolo Long, the newly hired chief of police on the Cheyenne Reservation. Lolo is a war veteran and a serious hard case. She will be forced to swallow her pride and accept her inexperience to get the help she needs in investigating the case and dealing with the FBI. That help comes in the form of Sheriff Walt Longmire, a man she initially seems to disdain, but by the end of the book the chemistry and sexual tension between Lolo and Walt grows to nearly rival that which exists between Walt and Vic.

“As The Crow Flies” has abundant plot twists and delivers on the promise that every Longmire book makes to its fans as they begin reading. If you have not read the other Longmire books, you can plunge in at this point, but I would advise going back and starting at the beginning as you will certainly want to read them all.