Next to Last Stand is the latest book (#16) in the Walt Longmire series.     The series  follows the same characters and the same location, Absaroka County in Wyoming, and each one has a murder mystery which Sheriff Longmire and his staff investigate.    The stories all have a “folksy” tone with light dialogue.   Integrated into every story is local color, Indigenous culture, ranching and herding life, and eccentric characters.

In this novel, Craig Johnson focuses on a piece of artwork following Custer’s Last Stand at Little Bighorn (1876).     A lost painted canvas depicts Custer’s fight is rumored to be hidden by an older man in a Veteran’s Home.    A shoebox full of cash and some clues start the process of searching and this in turn attracts art dealers and scoundrels.    Walt and Henry Standing Bear continue the investigation and then a murder connected to the mystery complicates and intensifies the case.

Historical information is integrated into the narrative, enriching the story, but this is not one of the better Longmire stories.      The plot feels fragmented and the dialogue is a bit cliched.    It is a pleasant tale, but not a memorable one.    Other books in the series are more engaging.

Recommended, but there are better Longmire stories  – 4.0 out of 5.0 stars4.0

An audiobook excerpt, read by George Guidall: