Sheriff Walt Longmire's search for a missing woman, Sarah Tisdale, leads him to a Mormon polygamy group who are stockpiling weapons for the end of days. They claim to never have heard of Sarah but her fifteen year old son says otherwise. Clues are scarce as everyone has something to hide. There's more to this case than Longmire realizes and scratching away the layers to this mystery only leaves him with more questions.

A SERPENT'S TOOTH by Craig Johnson is the ninth book in the Walt Longmire Mystery series and they continue to get better with each book. Johnson combines the spirit of a great western and the suspense of police investigations with perfect balance, creating a fast paced mystery. It's the unexpected direction the investigation takes that sets this mystery above the many others that explore the dangerous territory of cults. Even with these new developments, Longmire never loses sight of his goal to find Sarah Tisdale and help her son. His dedication to his job and his values make Longmire an honorable character, but it's his insight into humanity that makes him one of the best modern detectives to in the mystery genre.

The characters are complex and richly detailed. They're the type I'd love to have a beer with. None fall into the clichés that is too common in the mystery genre. Longmire is a tough, western sheriff, but he's funny. His humor is spot on every time. Vic is an aggressive, female detective but it's a natural extension of her personality rather than a woman who is trying to prove herself in a man's world. Henry Standing Bear mixes Native American spiritualism with a dry, understated wit. Even secondary characters are well- defined and rounded. This complexity creates a richly imagined world that beautifully captures the timeless quality of the West. The setting and the characters all feel like they existed before the story began and they'll keep existing after the final page.

A SERPENT'S TOOTH by Craig Johnson is a fast-paced, twisting mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. I love this series and highly recommend it.

Book Summary

It’s homecoming in Absaroka County, but the football and festivities are interrupted when a homeless boy wanders into town. A Mormon “lost boy,” Cord Lynear is searching for his missing mother but clues are scarce. Longmire and his companions, feisty deputy Victoria Moretti and longtime friend Henry Standing Bear, embark on a high plains scavenger hunt in hopes of reuniting mother and son. The trail leads them to an interstate polygamy group that’s presiding over a stockpile of weapons and harboring a vicious vendetta