I have had Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire books on my "To Read" list for several years. When the Longmire TV series debuted on A&E in June, 2012, I became captivated by the show. However, I finally read Craig Johnson's first Walt Longmire novel, The Cold Dish, which was published in 2004; and I found the book to be a much more engaging, complex and richer experience than the TV shows. In the book, Walt Longmire, a recent widower, is the sheriff of Absaroka County, WY, where he grew up. His daughter is an attorney in Philadelphia whom he tries to keep in touch with via telephone. Absaroka County includes an American Indian reservation and Walt's long-time best friend, Henry Sanding Bear, helps keep Walt from succumbing to depression, and also helps him better understand and navigate the native culture while working cases involving American Indian perpetrators and victims. Walt's favorite deputy, Vic (Victoria) previously worked as a police officer in Philadelphia and he worries that she will not stay in Absaroka County very long, although he believes she would make a great replacement for him in the future. Vic and Longmire get along very well, perhaps because Vic is not intimidated by anyone, doesn't tolerate bad behavior from anyone, and does her job very well. In addition, Longmire's predecessor, Lucian, is a very colorful, irascible man with one leg who helps out when Walt needs him. The Cold Case involves the murder of a boy who had previously been convicted of the violent rape of a young girl. He and the other perpetrators had received a "slap in the face" sentence for the brutal rape. However, now it seems that someone is dispensing their own justice on these boys. Walt needs help from Henry to find the killer before they kill more of the young rapists. The investigation leads Walt and Henry into the cold wilderness of Absaroka County where their lives are in danger from the suspects and from the weather. This story has many twists and turns of plot, which keeps the reader guessing about the outcome. It includes much brutal action that maintains suspense in addition to curiosity for the reader. It also enmeshes the reader in an American Indian culture that is foreign to most of us and adds an element of mysticism. In addition, the wonderfully diverse ensemble of interesting, quirky, and satisfying, characters in this book add to the reader's enjoyment. Based upon this book, if you like the TV version of Longmire, I believe you will like Craig Johnson's Longmire books even better. If you haven't sampled the TV show or the books, but you enjoy well-written crime/police-procedural stories set in exotic locations with interesting characters and surprising plot twists, I strongly recommend that you read this book.