Book Review: Longmire Unearths Skeletons and Murder in "Dry Bones"

The least populated county in the least populated state...

The last time I checked in with the fine folks of Aksaroka County was my review of Craig Johnson’s tenth novel “Any Other Name”.  

The fictional Wyoming county is the backdrop for one of today’s finest detective series. “Longmire” might be best known to my readers as a Netflix original series (which had its start on the A&E Network). 

But the bestselling book series is a rich universe unto itself. 

I follow and interact with a number of mystery/thriller aficionados (and aspiring writers) on social media, but I don’t see enough attention given to Johnson’s series. 

Maybe it’s because the author eschews visceral thrills and modern trappings to craft his mystery series, creating a timeless quality to the stories. A Longmire novel — with a few minor tweaks — could feel at home anytime from the 1960s to today.

“Dry Bones” is the eleventh full-length novel in the series. 

The story starts off with “one of the greatest paleontological discoveries in modern times” as well as snapping turtles in a pond nipping at the body of rancher Danny Lone Elk.

In the hands of another author, this peculiar combination might not work, but Johnson deftly weaves these “tall tale” elements into an intriguing narrative. 

“Dry Bones” is centered around the discovery of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton ever found. 

The T-rex is affectionately referred to as Jen (named for the woman who discovered the skeleton’s two-fingered talon). The find appears to be a potential financial windfall for the High Plains Dinosaur Museum.

The only problem is that the dinosaur bones are on the property of the aforementioned Danny Lone Elk. Officials from the state government and the Federal Bureau of Investigation descend on Absaroka County as a result of the dino bones. 

What ensues could be dubbed “Raiders of the Lost Dinosaur” as the assembled forces jockey for position. 

In the eye of the storm is Sheriff Walt Longmire, the venerable western lawman at the heart of Johnson’s novels. 

A Longmire novel is told from Walt’s first person point of view. The conversational tone adds a cozy feeling of familiarity to the mysteries. 

Along for the ride is a supporting cast that includes recurring characters like Longmire’s undersheriff Victoria “Vic” Moretti, outdoor adventurer Omar Rhoades, former sheriff Lucian Connally, Walt’s daughter Cady, and longtime friend Henry Standing Bear. 

While each novel works as a standalone, there are various subplots that carry over from book to book. In many cases, these points deal with Walt’s life beyond the world of law enforcement. 

Those of you who watched the TV series have a general familiarity with the key players in the Longmire universe, but — as is the case with filmed adaptations — the series strays from the novels. 

For example, in the novels, Cady Longmire lives in Philadelphia with her husband Michael Moretti (Vic’s brother) and their five-month-old daughter Lola (the third Longmire novel “Kindness Goes Unpunished” takes place in Philly and ranks as one of my favorites in the series — it was great to see Walt and Henry Standing Bear mosey outside of their western confines). 

Mother and daughter are flying to Wyoming for a visit during the early passages of “Dry Bones.” What looks like a routine visit turns into a situation that is anything but routine. 

I won’t go into spoilers, but the subplot further develops the relationship between Walt and Cady. One of the things I like about Johnson’s mysteries is that the stories pack an emotional punch. 

This passage illustrates Walt’s emotional turmoil during these sequences: 

“I kept thinking about much easier this would have all been if my wife were still here, and how I would’ve gladly traded places with her if only she could be here to console Cady and care for the baby. Martha was like that — she didn’t have to say anything but would simply lay her hand on you and suddenly things were all right.” 

It is this aspect that makes a Longmire novel so compelling. Some authors might be tempted to create a tough western lawman who is merely a vessel for solving a mystery. But Johnson isn’t afraid to add in psychological heft and a sense of native spirituality to the character. 

I’ve mentioned in my other blog posts (including my review of the previous novel “Any Other Name”) that Bridget and I have had the opportunity to interact with Craig Johnson (and have him sign some books) on three occasions at one of Omaha’s best independent bookstores, The Bookworm. 

If you get a chance to attend an in-person event with Johnson, I’d highly recommend it. He typically does a reading at his events, and the tales come to life as the author’s distinctive baritone voice belts out a passage from his latest tome. 

On the whole, I had a good time reading “Dry Bones.” 

Writing this review makes me wish I had had my blog when I started reading the series in 2012. I really enjoy documenting my progress with these reviews, and look forward to bringing you my thoughts on the next entry in the Longmire series! 

>> If you enjoyed my review of “Dry Bones” by Craig Johnson, follow me on X/Twitter: @TheJonCrunch 

Related blog posts on author Craig Johnson and “Longmire”: 

> Book Review: “Any Other Name” by Craig Johnson 

> Unboxing Longmire 

> Three Under-The-Radar Series Worth Bingeing 

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Three Under-The-Radar Series Worth Bingeing

If your Facebook and Twitter feeds are like mine, then you have people talking about TV shows they are watching as “stay at home” orders and “quarantine” guidelines are in play across the globe.

While there are a number of popular series that seem to have captured the attention of homebound individuals (“Tiger King” anyone?) there are a number of shows that aren’t part of the current zeitgeist that are worth checking out.   

Here are three “under-the-radar” series I’d recommend watching. 

ABSTRACT: THE ART OF DESIGN  

In an endless sea of junk food television, it’s nice to challenge yourself every once in a while with something that expands your mind. 

“Abstract: The Art of Design” takes a look into some of the most interesting minds influencing the world of design. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of design — graphic design, product design, architectural design, apparel design, etc. 

The series was created by former WIRED editor-in-chief Scott Dadich. 

The overall vibe of the series owes a debt of gratitude to documentary filmmaker Gary Hustwit’s design trilogy of films from the early 2000s (“Helvetica,” “Objectified,” and “Urbanized”). 

Whether it was intentional or not, “Abstract: The Art of Design” seems to draw considerable inspiration from Hustwit’s films. 

My favorite episodes are “Paula Scher: Graphic Design” (Season 1) and “Jonathan Hoefler: Typeface Design” (Season 2). I handle graphic design duties in our business, and find it inspiring to hear other design professionals talk about their craft. 

Both Scher and Hoefler are based in New York City and were featured in the 2007 documentary “Helvetica” (which focused on the history of the ubiquitous typeface).  

“Typography is painting with words,” Scher says at the beginning of the episode that focuses on her graphic design career. In a world where type is often treated like white noise, it is nice to see the thought process that goes into selecting and designing fonts. 

There are currently two seasons of “Abstract: The Art of Design” available on Netflix. The episodes can be watched in any order. 

If you don’t have Netflix, the first season of the series is currently available to stream for free on the Netflix YouTube channel. 

While some of the episodes might seem esoteric and wordy, it is nice to have a show that chronicles the intricacies involved in the creative process, and the intellectual complexities therein. 

POLDARK 

Bridget and I enjoy watching highbrow British dramas. The dramatic series produced by PBS Masterpiece each year (with British networks like the BBC and ITV) epitomize that sort of entertainment. Year after year, series like “Downton Abbey” have increased the overall appeal of PBS’s content library. 

One of our favorite PBS Masterpiece drama series has been “Poldark” (which aired from 2015-2019). When Bridget and I watched the first episode on the PBS app in 2015, we were instantly intrigued. 

It is based on fiction novels by author Winston Graham, which were also the basis for a PBS series of the same name in the 1970s (the actor who played Ross Poldark in that show appears in a bit part in the updated version). 

“Poldark” is an 18th century period drama set in Great Britain between 1781 and 1803. It follows the exploits of Captain Ross Poldark (Aidan Turner) after he returns home to Cornwall from fighting in the American War of Independence. 

Throughout the show’s five seasons, Capt. Poldark has to deal with familial drama wrapped around economic and political intrigue of the era. Love, betrayal, revenge, and honor are common themes in the series. 

Actress Eleanor Tomlinson is terrific as Ross’s wife Demelza. Her airy presence is a nice counterpoint to the brooding Ross. 

In addition, the show’s storylines benefit from having conniving businessman George Warleggen (Jack Farthing) working to foil Poldark’s plans.  

While the narrative can be melodramatic at times, the overall effect is an incredibly binge-worthy drama. The sweeping vistas are lovely (there are A LOT of wide shots featuring Ross Poldark riding a horse along the cliffs of Cornwall). The musical score by composer Anne Dudley is lovely and helps to set the show’s tone. 

It is a series that is definitely worth your time. Available to stream in the United States on Amazon Prime Video or on the PBS app (via PBS Passport).   

LONGMIRE

“Longmire” is the series that proved to be the catalyst that eventually led us to becoming cord cutters. 

I remember seeing TV spots for the series (prior to the first season’s debut on the A&E network) and thinking, “that looks right up my alley.” 

A few days later, I happened to be at The Bookworm (an independent bookstore in Omaha, NE) and saw author Craig Johnson’s series of Walt Longmire Mysteries on a display table. 

I fondly remember that day. My mom and I had gone downtown to the Omaha Summer Arts Festival. The temps were steamy that day. As a result, we didn’t stay at the art show as long as we had planned, and made a trip to the air-conditioned comfort of The Bookworm. 

My mom ended up buying me the first book in the series (“The Cold Dish”) and I was instantly hooked. 

“Longmire” quickly became my favorite detective series when it debuted on A&E. It was also the highest-rated drama on the network. 

Unfortunately, A&E decided to cancel the show after its third season in 2014 (despite solid ratings). 

Netflix picked the show up and streamed three additional seasons. Upon hearing the announcement that the streaming giant had saved the series, we subscribed to Netflix (about a year before the fourth season debuted in 2015). 

It was the first time we’d signed up for a streaming service of any kind. The experience led to us cutting cable TV entirely in 2015 and watching programming via streaming on Apple TV and “over-the-air” using an attic antenna. 

“Longmire” follows the exploits of Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor), an old-school lawman fighting crime in the least populated county in Wyoming (which is the least populated state in the nation). 

Walt’s supporting cast serves as the rough-hewn mortar that holds the series together. Two of those characters are of particular importance. 

Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips) is a local bar owner, member of the Cheyenne nation, and a longtime friend who provides sage wisdom and support to Longmire. 

Victoria “Vic” Moretti (Katee Sackhoff) is his sassy deputy. Her snarky wit is a nice counterpoint to Walt’s laconic tone. 

The series is chock-full of good characters. During its run, “Longmire” had a deep bench of characters that provided texture to each episode. This is a show where the antagonists are just as interesting as the protagonists. 

I love the fact that “Longmire” effortlessly infuses classic western archetypes into a modern-day police procedural. The “old school” nature of the sleuthing is compelling, and far more realistic than the current crop of detective series (there isn’t some “super computer” that magically solves the mystery for our heroes). 

I can’t recommend “Longmire” enough.

I’d also recommend the books by Craig Johnson. I’ve had the opportunity to see the author three times at The Bookworm. 

All six seasons of “Longmire” are available to stream on Netflix. In addition, the Warner Archive Collection produces terrific Blu-Ray versions of each season as well: 

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are a lot of series out there to choose from. It seems like I’m constantly hearing about something new to watch from friends and family members. It’s a far cry from the days when I was a kid and there were only three TV networks to watch.

The three series I talked about in this post are ones that are a bit off the beaten path (the exception might be “Longmire,” which has developed a loyal following over the years). I picked them in part because I haven’t seen a lot of my connections talking about them. 

As much as I try to focus on movies, TV shows, and books that are significant in popular culture, I also try to also focus on hidden gems people haven’t yet discovered. 

“Abstract: The Art of Design,” “Poldark,” and “Longmire” are definitely worth your time.

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Book Review: “Any Other Name” By Craig Johnson

“Consequence is what we all are.” — Henry Standing Bear, "Any Other Name"

Craig Johnson is one of the best writers of detective fiction in the game today. 

Sure, that might sound like a bold statement. 

Ever since I first discovered Johnson’s Longmire mysteries at The Bookworm (in Omaha) during the summer of 2012, I’ve been hooked. 

In early 2014, Bridget let me “fill in the blanks” and order all the Longmire novels I was missing from my collection. We’d had the opportunity to meet Craig Johnson at an author event at The Bookworm (in support of his novel “A Serpent’s Tooth”).

Part of the reason I am so fond of the books is Johnson’s affable first-person narrative structure for the novels. Each book in the Longmire series is told from the protagonist’s point of view. 

Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire is one of the genre’s great protagonists. The Wyoming lawman is more than just a capable detective. Johnson has created a multi-layered man with all the flaws and foibles of a living, breathing human being. 

“Any Other Name” is the tenth novel in his Longmire series (I count “Spirit of Steamboat” — which is more of a novella — in the sequence of novels, but others might disagree). 

The story takes place in the winter — in the days between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Longmire — along with former boss Lucian Connally — is in neighboring Campbell County investigating the death of Detective Gerald Holman.

Holman, a by-the-book lawman, was married, had a daughter, and lived a seemingly contented life. As such, Lucian finds it odd that his friend committed suicide in a sketchy motel, and asks for Walt’s help looking into the death.

Longmire soon discovers that Holman was embroiled in an investigation involving three missing women. On the surface, there is little to link the three cases. 

But Walt — tenacious investigator he is — learns there is more to the story. His sleuthing takes him to a sleezy strip club in a town called Arrosa, a casino in Deadwood, and Custer State Park (a neat sequence in the novel featuring President Coolidge’s “Summer White House”). 

All of the intrigue is wrapped up in the snow, ice, and cold. Having lived my life in Nebraska, Johnson has a knack for capturing the bleakness of a high plains winter. (My favorite snow-based Longmire novel, in that regard, is “Hell is Empty.”)

There is also a recurring motif involving trains. While mile-long cargo trains serve as a plot device in “Any Other Name,” the locomotives could just as easily symbolize the divided lives on display in Johnson’s novel.

To top it all off, Longmire’s daughter Cady is in Philadelphia expecting her first child — and the distressed mother-to-be is worried Walt won’t make the plane flight she booked.

One of the signatures of a Longmire novel is witty banter between characters. Walt’s interactions with feisty deputy Victoria Moretti and long-time friend Henry Standing Bear are in full effect in “Any Other Name.” The characters in the series add depth and dimension. 

Bridget and I have had the opportunity to attend three book events with Craig Johnson at The Bookworm here in Omaha. If you get a chance to attend an event with Johnson, I highly recommend it. The experience is something akin to listening to a well-worn yarn around a cozy campfire. 

I’d also recommend you check out the “Longmire” television series on Netflix. I did blog posts on the show in 2016 and 2017 talking about the terrific blu-ray sets of the each season produced by the Warner Archive Collection. 

The series is a lot of fun because it has some variances from the novels. It is sort of like you’re watching Walt Longmire in a parallel universe where things are similar, but different. That means your experience reading the books won’t spoil the series, and vice versa (though, off the top of my head, two episodes in the series — “A Damn Shame” and “Unquiet Mind” — pull plot elements from the novels “The Dark Horse” and “Hell is Empty”).

There aren’t too many fiction series I have a burning desire to revisit multiple times. But Craig Johnson’s Longmire novels are one of those series I’d like to revisit in the future. The stories are more than mere “whodunnits” in the vast mystery landscape. 

Simply put, Johnson has brought us one of the best detective series on the market today... 

>> If you enjoyed my review of “Any Other Name” by Craig Johnson, follow me on X/Twitter: @TheJonCrunch 

Related blog posts on Craig Johnson and the “Longmire” series: 

> Book Review: Longmire Unearths Skeletons and Murder in “Dry Bones” 

> Unboxing Longmire 

> Three Under-The-Radar Shows Worth Bingeing 

> Two-Paragraph Tuesday: Longmire Arrived Today 

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Looking Back at 2017

I’m not one who gets particularly sentimental as the calendar rolls over to a new year, but I thought I’d take a look back at 2017 — a year that had a lot going on. 

As is the case with any typical year, there is some good, and some bad. There are moments of crisis handled, and moments of crisis averted. 

But there are fun moments as well. Let's look at some highlights...

The year started off as they typically do in Nebraska — cold. Cold weather means UNO Hockey season is in full swing, and since we’ve never missed a home game in the program’s history, it is kind of a big deal for us each year. 

We did discover a “game” on social media last February — "Finders Keepers" — that was sort of a crazy scavenger hunt across Omaha — where all the clues were given via Twitter (read my full blog post here). The hunt typically involved money hidden at various spots throughout the city, and hunters would race to find the loot. 

My nieces won on a number of occasions. This picture is of me, Bridget, and our nieces Lauren and Julia taking a pit stop from the race and munching on donuts (in the middle of the night) at Winchell’s in West Omaha: 

We also took some impromptu trips in 2017. We decided to drive two hours north to Sioux Falls, SD, leaving at 4 p.m. on March 7 to watch the UNO Men’s Basketball team play for a Summit League Championship (and try to earn its first berth in the NCAA tournament). The Mavs lost in the closing moments of play, but it was fun to be part of the March Madness atmosphere in the building. 

My dad ended up in the hospital in April. He’d been having severe pain in his leg. Doctors couldn’t tell if it was pain associated with a pinched nerve, or something more sinister. 

Pain killers didn’t work, and my dad’s condition worsened to the point where he was unable to walk. When the pain hit its zenith, Bridget took him to the emergency room to try and find him some relief. 

It turns out he had a couple of serious blood clots in his leg, and had to have surgery to remove the clots (followed by inpatient and then outpatient rehab). Kind of a crazy sequence of events, but at least he didn’t lose his foot or leg (which the doctor said was a real possibility due to oxygen deprivation in the limb). 

On April 14, we attended the League of Women Voters Mayoral Debate at the Omaha Press Club. Mayor Jean Stothert and Heath Mello sparred over various local issues impacting our city — and, as is the tradition with these forums at the OPC, attendees had lunch during the program. 

We welcomed our new nephew Anson on April 29. He looks like a little bug in this picture, but he has grown in the past 8 months, and is a fun little guy to spend time with. 

May 2nd saw us attending the Omaha Metro High School 7-7-7 Film Championship at the Western Heritage Museum. My niece Julia was part of a team (from the OPS Career Center) that competed in the event (read my blog on the 7-7-7 Film Championship). This picture is of Bridget with one of the Union Pacific trains on display:

On May 18, we had a chance to see and hear author Craig Johnson at The Bookworm. Johnson is the author of the terrific Longmire series of mysteries (which are the basis for the show “Longmire” that is available on Netflix). This was our third time meeting him!

We are volunteers at our neighborhood pool. I’ve written about the 61-year-old Robin Hill Pool before, and the challenges faced in keeping the aging facility running. On May 22, my nieces Emily and Lauren worked on painting the “big pool” and the “baby pool.” It was messy work (pool paint is basically oil-based rubber), but the three of us had a lot of fun talking and laughing that day, as illustrated in this picture: 

My niece Veronica graduated from 6th grade at Jefferson Elementary on May 25th. The very next day, my niece/goddaughter Lauren graduated from Central High School. 

Then things kind of fell apart, and life threw a wrench in the engine. My brother-in-law Sean was found dead in his apartment on May 30th. He died of complications related to undiagnosed diabetes. We were stunned. He was 49 — taken way too soon. 

I lost my mom in 2013, and I can’t imagine how it feels for my nieces to lose their dad at such a young age. 

But the summer wasn’t all melancholy. At the end of June we had the opportunity to brave the rising mercury and watch a couple games at the NCAA College World Series (held each year in Omaha). 

We also had the opportunity to see the fireworks display at Memorial Park on June 30 with our nieces Julia and Veronica. (Olivia was also at the event, but was with friends.) 

I saw the movie Baby Driver at Aksarben Cinema four times (read my full review).

On July 11, our friend Kathleen Lighthart invited us to their lake house near Fremont and we had a fun day hanging out with the Lightharts and our nieces and nephews. 

That same day we dressed up like cows so we could get free food at Chick-fil-A. 

We won tickets to see the local comedy/skit show “Omaha Live!” (season premiere party) at Aksarben Cinema, and won an autographed special edition poster for the show (read my full review of the event).

At the end of July, we took our nieces (and their mom Danielle) on a five-day RV trip to see the Tour of Utah. My brother-in-law Sean was an avid cycling enthusiast, and had spent his recent working years as a press officer for professional cycling teams. The trip was an opportunity for our nieces to get to see the sorts of things he did when he was on the road, and it was a chance for them to get to meet some of the people Sean knew through his profession. 

I wrote a multi-part blog covering the entire Utah trip last summer — here are Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

I also had the chance to eat at In-N-Out Burger for the first time on that trip:

Bridget and I saw the movie “American Assassin” at Aksarben Cinema on Sept. 14. We are big fans of the late Vince Flynn — the author of the Mitch Rapp book series that the “American Assassin” movie is based upon (read my review of "American Assassin"). 

We also like to spend time with our nieces and nephews at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch each fall. I wrote a review in 2016 about Vala’s — it is a cross between a pumpkin orchard and an amusement park.

In early October, we attended the National Resume Writers Association conference in Lombard, IL. Bridget and her colleague Kimberly took the opportunity to co-present a webinar (not related to the conference) while they were together in Lombard:

Nov. 11 saw the University of Nebraska at Omaha Men’s Soccer squad win a Summit League championship. We were in attendance (with our friend Mike) at UNO’s Al F. Caniglia Field to witness history as the Mavs secured their first appearance in the NCAA tournament. 

As I alluded to at the beginning of this post, we spend a significant amount of our fall and winter months following UNO Maverick Hockey. We run a fan site called mavpuck.com, and haven’t missed a home game... ever. 

Our niece Lauren is attending St. Cloud State University in Minnesota this season — a conference rival for the Mavericks. So this season has been a bit different since she’s not sitting with us at (most) games. 

That said, Lauren has made it to a surprising number of home games, including the matchup with St. Cloud in early December. 

Suffice it to say, it was incredibly uncomfortable sitting with her while she cheered for the Huskies (we still love Lauren... for now!)

The year ended quietly. We saw “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” on Dec. 14 (read my review), watched “Die Hard” on Dec. 24 (read my musings about how it is the best Christmas movie), and watched the UNO Hockey team sweep Union College on Dec. 29 and 30. 

It will be interesting to see what 2018 has in store — we're hoping it is a fun year. 

I want to wish all of you a terrific 2018. Thank you for reading. This blog recently surpassed 14,000 page views, and the feedback I’ve received the past year has been awesome!

I'm very blessed!

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