Ticket 2 Ride

I grew a bit uneasy when the acknowledgment discusses how the book I’m about to sink my teeth into, has its origins in Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. Uneasy, but certainly curious. Thankfully, The Brothers McKay (2026, Viking) did not approach a thousand pages like the Russian novel, since my outer reading boundary tops out at 500 pages when my eyes roll back in my head.

Pepper McKay is found dead in a stream. Preliminary evidence points to a hard object meeting his hard head. Everyone hated Pepper: four sons, two employees, many neighbors and several women he tried to sleep with. Walt has no lack of suspects, but finding the truth sure ain’t easy. To complicates his life, Walt also has a missing person, several converging wildfires, and a Russian prisoner who is more of a headache than obvious threat. A typical week in Absaroka County.

Besides the witty conversation of Sheriff Longmire, Johnson excels at providing us with some interesting facts and insights, that only the Sheriff can deliver. One moment he’s telling a possible suspect the linage and historical significance of the Saint Bernard; the next he’s asking questions of the medical examiner about how autoerotica asphyxiation might be the cause of a victim’s death; or we are schooled in the painful death of an intense fire.

Craig Johnson is a fine writer and the Walt Longmire series is a successful and acclaimed group of mysteries. One thing about Johnson’s writing style that challenges me is how he shifts from one character to another quickly, without much reference to who’s talking. His segues are hairpin turns, often leaving me in the Wyoming dust without a compass. I find my way back, but it’s downright embarrassing. Pay attention, my inner voice yells!

There’s no denying Johnson’s ability to spin an intriguing and entertaining Longmire tale. The Brothers McKay was a bit of a letdown for me, plodding at times, too little of Henry and Lucien to liven up the story, and only the usual with Vic. I never really understood much of The Brothers Karamazov theme, I guess my failing for not reading the book in college.

Earlier, I mentioned the plodding nature of the book, that doesn’t apply to the last fourth of the book, which more than holds your interest. I won’t give it away, but the suspense and threat-level is off the charts. Johnson has a tendency to introduce subplots that float around in the ether until needed. I will say that the wildfires made a raging entrance later in the book.

Then it happened, darkness suddenly swirling like twin drain holes in a skyward sink, pulling the smoke and boring through it with two turboprop engines having a combined 4,600 horse-power. The pointed yellow-and-red nose piercing the darkness as the whirling, serrated black gave way to a mechanized phoenix carrying six metric tons of water.

One thing I’ve always loved about the Longmire character is how he communes with nature, spiritual elements, and animals. Johnson’s writing about Walt and the mule is some of his best writing, in fact, the last seventy or so pages may comprise his best writing ever.

My advice is to bring patience, and focus to this book. If you enjoy the early sections of this book more than I did – great! You’ll love the last part.