Wait for Signs

Not a fan of short stories. Don't usually read literature of the American West...BUT Craig Johnson has a gift. These stories and his writing are magical! I can't pick a favorite although “Messenger” ranks way up there.

★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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We've got a collection of twelve stories here – 1 new story and 11 previously published, with a nice introduction by Lou Diamond Phillips. As Johnson describes the collection, “some are mysteries, some have mysterious elements, and others are no mystery at all, just glimpses into Walt's life.”

That's pretty much all you need to know – if you're a fan of the series, you'll find plenty to appreciate. If you're new to the world of Walt Longmire, I'd try the novels first.

There are a couple of stories that deal with Walt's ongoing grief over his wife, Martha, one of which I found pretty moving. There's some decent action, a good deal of Walt being really clever. All the regulars make an appearance (however brief in some cases): Sancho, Lucian, Lonnie Little Bird, Cady, Vic (less of her than you'd expect), and lots of Henry. There's not a loser in the bunch – yeah, there's a couple that could be better, but even they were enjoyable. “Messenger” is quite possibly the funniest thing that Johnson has written to date – and that's saying something. Ridiculous – yet with a little bit of good action.

Perfect for those who need a quick fix of Absaroka County, Wyoming's Sheriff.

Was not looking forward to short stories nearly as much as a full-length novel, but I was very pleasantly surprised...
It was nice to have a bunch of random days in the life of Walt filled in. While short, the mosaic of Absaroka - and its sheriff - is a little clearer than it was a few days ago...