Part of Walt Longmire, book 20
First published 2024
Sheriff Walt Longmire stands before a judge, answering for the deadly aftermath of his previous case. Powerful adversaries work against him as he weighs his next moves in a fight that could end his career. The courtroom tension triggers memories of summer 1964, when young Walt and Henry Standing Bear prepared for Vietnam War service. The college graduates caught waves on California beaches before reporting for duty. A violent storm struck the coast and sank a cargo vessel nearby. Walt and Henry rescued survivors, but police revealed the boat carried illegal contraband from criminal sources. The former football players hit Route 66, but their heroic actions brought dangerous consequences faster than expected. Johnson weaves between these two time periods as Walt confronts enemies in both eras. The dual timeline reveals how the sheriff's sense of justice formed during his youth and now threatens everything he has built in Absaroka County.
Genres: american-fiction, adventure, crime, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: dual-timeline, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Absaroka County, California, Route 66
Period: 1964, Vietnam War
336 pages · Hardcover · Viking