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A paleontologist and her dog seek some shade from the unrelenting sun in the flat country surrounding the Powder River and end up sheltering under a rock overhang. As she looks off into the distance, the dog's barks and stance send her eyes to the top of the overhand, from which protrudes the huge hand bones of a tyrannosaurus rex. The new discovery is named Jen, after the paleontologist who found her, and a mad dash to claim her begins. The local museum that Jen (the paleontologist, not the dinosaur) works for has a claim based on paying the owner of the land, that landowner's Native American family has a claim, the federal government has a claim, and tempers rise along with the potential price tag of the bones.
Shortly after the find, Danny, the Native owner of the land where Jen was found, is discovered floating in his precious turtles' pond. Suddenly, it appears as though the competition for ownership may have become deadly, and Walt Longmire gets involved. Craig Johnson is right up there on my favorite mystery novelist list, and DRY BONES, his 12th Walt Longmire novel (with a short story collection in the mix) pulls a variety of threads from previous novels together. It harkens back to perhaps my favorite in the series, HELL IS EMPTY, in which Longmire formed a sort of mystical connection with the Native American world that is revisited here. In DRY BONES, Walt's love for his daughter is highlighted while his willingness to treat his undersheriff with respect and to give her space, even in the face of his love for her, is clear. There is an understanding between Longmire and Henry Standing Bear that almost doesn't require words at this point. For the reader who has been following the series, it takes only a page or two of DRY BONES before there is full immersion in Walt Longmire's world.
Nonetheless, the plot in this book, involving paleontology, politics, and spelunking, will capture the imagination of any reader of western fiction even if this is the first meeting with Longmire. If a reader jumps into the series here, s/he will undoubtedly be inspired to go back to the beginning with THE COLD DISH. Johnson's ability to transport the reader to the Wyoming location is astounding. Whether it's being thrown from a horse, caught in a flash flood, soaring above the ground in a Neiman Marcus helicopter, moving through a cave with only a lighted dust broom as a lantern – Johnson brings the experience to life. Every one of the Longmire books has provided an engaging, thrilling visit to the West with a humble, strong, and personable guide, and DRY BONES is no exception.
§ Sharon Mensing is the Head of School of Emerald Mountain School, an independent school in the mountains of Colorado, where she lives, reads, and enjoys the outdoors.
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing, June 2015
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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