I love this series! Johnson can't go wrong within this world he's created. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Another excellent installment in the Longmire series. I really like the topic of the mystery in this book. Also, what is Walt going to tell Cady?

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire series is arguably one of the best mystery series being published today. From the realistic setting to the edge-0f-the-seat plots, Next to Last Stand does not disappoint.

Surprisingly, I watched all the Longmire episodes on tv but have never read one of the books until now!
Next to Last Stand by Craig Johnson grabbed me from the beginning, love the characters and will definitely be reading these from the start of the series - thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to discover a new favorite :)

Walt and Vic are called to a veterans retirement home where curmudgeonly old veterans reported a death and a missing expensive painting. Johnsons books are always entertaining and full of great one-liners. I'm always looking forward to the next!

Sheriff Walt Longmire is still taking it kind of slow after his ordeal in Mexico (book #14 in the series) but as long as he's still sheriff, he's got some work to do. Walt pays visits periodically to the folks over at the Wyoming Home for Soldiers & Sailors, so he's familiar with resident Charley Lee Stillwater. When Carlie passes away, Walt is surprised to discover that Charlie leaves behind a piece of original artwork that is somehow familiar, and a shoebox containing three million dollars.

The painting, Walt discovers, was a study for a larger painting ... <em>Custer's Last Fight</em>. The original was copied and distributed (by the millions) by a major beer producer. The original painting however, was destroyed in a fire at the 7th Cavalry Headquarters in Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1946. A place where Charlie Lee Stillwater happened to be stationed at the time. Is it possible that the painting was not destroyed, after all? Could Charlie have been hanging on to it for 70+ years without letting on? Could it be worth the kind of money Charlie had in his shoebox? And most importantly, Would a painting like this be something worth killing for?

Walt's investigation takes him on a journey through the art world and connects with the Russian mob. Meanwhile, he reflects on how much longer he wants to stay in the job, while his speed-obsessed deputy, Victoria Moretti, requisitions a new truck.

The Longmire books are like comfort food for readers. Walt's a comfortable, easy-going character who also happens to be tough as nails when he needs to be. He's very good at what he does (stop bad guys and solve mysteries) and he's very direct with no nonsense. To counter Walt's slow, measured demeanor we get his deputy, Victoria 'Vic' Moretti - a former Philadelphia detective who's always in high gear. This book gives a little extra attention to Ruby - the dispatcher and apparent office manager who keeps everything in order for the sheriff and deputies.

This book isn't as intense with action as some of the previous Longmire books have been, and the addition of the Russians ... in Wyoming, interested in a piece of Western American art ... feels like a bit of a stretch, but Craig Johnson is a very good writer and this is still more entertaining than most fiction published in today's market.

Looking for a good book? <em>Next to Last Stand</em> by Craig Johnson is the 16th book in the Walt Longmire series. It's a quick read and a little light on substance, but it's entertaining and appears to be a bridge for some upcoming changes in store for the Absaroka County Sheriff's Department.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, thought Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Another fine addition to the Longmire series, this book brings a bit of art history to the forefront, as well as some more Native American history. I would highly recommend this book to all fans of Longmire, as well as to those who would like a bit of art mixed into their western mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
An excellent addition to the Longmire series. Always well written with well developed plots, these books amaze that they can continue to be interesting and different. Recommend highly.

Next to Last Stand: A Walt Longmire Novel
By Craig Johnson
Viking
October 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

History is written by the winners. That’s never more apparent than in Absaroka County, Wyoming, where Native Americans have more than a little objection to their portrayal not just in books but in movies, television, and artwork. One of the most well-known has been Custer’s Last Stand, a painting destroyed in 1946 but has lived on in Anheuser-Busch ads. Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire has seen his share of warfare and the murky morality of it, most recently after a devastating rescue in Mexico. While attempting to be less protective with his attorney daughter Cady, Walt makes a visit to the Veterans’ Home of Wyoming, the last resting place for many America’s warriors. One of Cady’s favorite people there has died, and Walt has been called to the home to wind up the affairs of the Korean War Veteran Charley Lee Stillwater. It seems that the last Buffalo Soldier has a few last secrets that he was taking to his grave, at least of a million of them in a boot box full of cash. Along with an unexpected collection of artifacts and war memorabilia is a partial painting of General Custer, the very Last Stand that has long been believed to have gone up in flames in a Fort Bliss fire.

Walt is still reeling for the psychological and physical toll he experienced during his daughter’s rescue, and it has him again reevaluating his career and just where he fits into this violent world. Thankfully, his undersheriff Victoria Moretti isn’t shy about her demands that prod him back into living his life, although her “encouragements” may be filled with profanities and lurid suggestions. Walt’s best friend Henry Standing Bear is his usual wry self, commenting on the White Man’s continual exploitation and disregard for nature and its people. As Walt and his friends delve into the lofty art world they are frequently underestimated and disregarded, an attitude that has more than once led to criminals’ defeats.

Throughout the 16 novels and many novellas, readers have seen the many highs and lows of Walt’s long law enforcement career. Family has always been a priority for the stoic lawman though, which is why he is so torn by his overwhelming protectiveness towards his daughter while still respecting her independence. The exploration of Native American issues has always played a central role in the series, with the sharpest observations made by the cynical and forcefully blunt Henry Standing Bear. The artwork that has become so associated with a beer branch also depicts a very Western viewpoint, and its legacy has been passed down through to the present. The dark and uncertain tone threaded throughout the novel is lightened by the humor aggressively wielded by Vic, a balance Walt desperately needs in his life now more than ever. While new readers can easily slide into the lives of these extraordinary enforcers of the law, loyal fans will be rewarded as these beloved characters overcome tragedy and move on in their lives.

A new Longmire mystery is always a good thing, and Next to Last Stand is a solid entry in the long running series, although not quite the usual. While there is a murder to solve, an art heist is really the focus of the story and we learn a lot of history about Custer's last stand, especially from the Native American standpoint, which I found especially informative and eye opening. The story is somewhat slow moving until the end but it always held my attention and was an easy read throughout. I hope Walt and the gang have many more mystery's to solve.

The 15th book in the Longmire series will provide an entertaining read for fans. Now the Absaroka County sheriff is called to look at what an elderly man in the Wyoming Home for Soldiers and Sailors has left behind. Among all the clutter are art books and a piece of a piece of art along with a box containing $1 million in hundred-dollar bills. The story revolves around a real piece of artwork “Custer’s Last Stand” that was destroyed in a 1946 Fort Bliss fire. I had not read any of the previous books, but characters were introduced so well, I had no confusion. And if my father were still alive, I’d be putting a copy of this book in his hands. He would have loved this book and demanded the rest of the series.

In Walt Longmire, Craig Johnson takes the readers into the Absaroka County, Wyoming community of characters we have grown to love and visit regularly...or at least every time we get a new title to this long running series. This is journey #16 and if you have not read the first 15, I feel sorry for you.

Next to Last Stand, like every Longmire story, finds Walt and his deputies investigating several crimes that will eventually weave together to become a much larger crime with far reaching consequences. This journey starts with the suspicious death of a man in a veteran's home and quickly morphs into a major art theft case, except no one the art had been stolen. As Walt questions whether he is truly getting too old for this job, we will see him recognize that his history and experience bring more to the job than his aging body take away from the chase.

I'm always sorry to finish a Longmire book. Why? Because Craig Johnson takes far too long to write the next one.

Next to Last Stand follows Land of Wolves as the sixteenth in Craig Johnson's outstanding series starring veteran sheriff Walt Longmire who lives and works in Absaroka, Wyoming. Longmire's oldest friend, Henry Standing Bear always has his back, while his feisty undersheriff Victoria Moretti keeps him on his toes.

This episode is all about art history, in particular the fate of the painting of Custer's Last Fight, believed destroyed in a 1946 fire at the 7th Cavalry Headquarters in Fort Bliss, Texas.

'The borscht thickens' up to a wonderful grand finale veterans' wheelchair chase after the killer. Don't miss Next to Last Stand!

The latest Sheriff Walt Longmire entry is as entertaining as ever. Those of us who are fans have followed Walt through all kinds of adventures, including an ill-advised mishmash of a showdown with a Mexican drug cartel several books back. The sheriff is still recovering from that one, physically and psychologically.

There is a bit of a dual plot during this caper: Walt is investigating the possibly suspicious death of an old veteran at the local veteran's nursing home. Turns out the man was a self-educated expert on Western art, and possibly had a priceless old painting he was hiding. Oh -- and he had a cool million dollars tucked away in his closet, too.

The other element is more elusive. Walt is no spring chicken, at least mid-70's if you figure out the cultural references and when he was in Vietnam. He is physically scarred, and having some mental lapses -- he occasionally just tunes out for a few minutes causing great consternation to his undersheriff and parttime love interest Vic and his friends and associates. He has somehow fallen out of contact with his daughter and can't seem to find his way back. And, he is just plain tired.

One of the interesting characterizations in the book is Walt's interaction with a younger, newer breed of sheriff who reminds him of his younger self. When Walt looks at himself through the younger man's eyes, he sees a dinosaur, the last of a vanishing breed. Walt's longtime dispatcher and office manager is making noises about retirement and that takes him aback.

One of the best (and most improbable) parts of the book is a group of four old veterans in wheelchairs, buddies of the dead man, who provide a lot of color and who step in during a hilarious and unlikely rescue operation.

The books with Walt's friend Henry Standing Bear involved are always better, in my opinion, and he is around during this one. I still don't get Vic -- why is she even in Wyoming? She is as annoying as ever during this one. But time spent with Walt and crew is enjoyable and entertaining. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Walt Longmire and the gang are back in NEXT TO LAST STAND, as they do what they normally do, help people, live life and solve unexpected matters of life and death. In this case, the recent death of a well-known local military vet sets off a series of surprises about his background, knowledge and the existence of a possibly destroyed piece of Americana. For lovers of this series, this is a visit with old friends, always a joy and a pleasure. The mystery is not terribly deep but the setting and characters continue to charm. While this could stand alone as a novel, it works best as part of the series. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

From the publisher: One of the most viewed paintings in American history, Custer's Last Fight, copied and distributed by Anheuser-Busch at a rate of over two million copies a year, was destroyed in a fire at the 7th Cavalry Headquarters in Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1946. Or was it? When Charley Lee Stillwater dies of an apparent heart attack at the Wyoming Home for Soldiers & Sailors, Walt Longmire is called in to try and make sense of a piece of a painting and a Florsheim shoebox containing a million dollars, sending the good sheriff on the trail of a dangerous art heist.

Next to Last Stand is the latest in Craig Johnson's terrific Walt Longmire series, and it's a nice change up from the past few stories, which all dealt with some really heavy topics and subject matter. I read somewhere that Johnson wanted to give Walt a reprieve of sorts and Next to Last Stand does that, without taking anything away from the challenges and risks that Walt and his crew face.

Next to Last Stand kicks off with the death of a Charley Lee Stillwater, a veteran who had been living at the Wyoming Soldiers' and Sailors' Home. In the process of going through his things, $1,000,000 and what looks to be an old painting are discovered. This intrigues Walt, who begins the process of trying to discover where the money came from and the authenticity of the painting. This leads Walt to the story of Custer's Last Fight, a famous painting that was destroyed in a fire but prints of which are in bars all across America. Things go from there, fairly quickly at times.

One of the highlights of the Longmire series, for me, is the characters. Next to Last Stand involves many of the usual group: Sheriff Walt Longmire, of course, a little older, a little more beat up, and still recovering from a near death experience; Vic Moretti, the undersheriff, foul-mouthed, sassy, and a take-no-prisoners attitude; Henry Standing Bear, a Cheyenne and Walt's best friend, a steady influence; and Ruby, Walt's dispatcher and de facto organizer. Throw in a "Count" who has a shady past but a lot of knowledge about art; his assistant; his ex-KGB bodyguard; and some colorful vets at the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home, and you've got the makings of a classic Walt Longmire mystery.

Johnson's Longmire books always have an intriguing mystery, but part of the joy of reading these stories is the knowledge of Wyoming and the Big Horn Mountain area that comes in to play. This time, there is a focus on Gen. George Custer and the Battle of Little Big Horn. Johnson, usually through Walt and Henry, loves to share his passion for his home state (and the bordering states) with his readers. I always pick up a little knowledge, and enjoy Walt's sort of non-stereotypical characterization as an educated (particularly literature and history) man, rather than just all action-oriented.

Overall, Next to Last Stand by Craig Johnson is another enjoyable Longmire book. I always enjoy the opportunity to spend some time with Walt, Vic, Henry and the other denizens of Absaroka County Wyoming. I would recommend this both to longtime readers of the series and also to new readers, as it would be a fine read all on its own.

I received a preview copy of this book from Penguin Group publishers and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First Sentence: Years ago, on one particularly beautiful, high plains afternoon when I was a deputy with the Absaroka County Sheriff's Department, I propped my young daughter, Cady, on my hip and introduced her to Charlie Lee Stillwater.

Walt receives a call from Carol Williams, the caretaker and administrator of the Veteran's Home of Wyoming, once Fort McKinney. Charlie Lee Stillwater, the fifth of the group call the Wavers, old Veterans in souped-up electric wheelchairs, has died. Going through his effects, Carol and Walt find a box containing two items of particular note; one million dollars in cash and a painted canvas which was clearly part of a larger painting. Walt investigates the source of both, and whether the painting, thought to have been long destroyed, was stolen.

The best characters are ones who grow and change over the course of a series. So too has Johnson done that with Longmire. This book is more the Walt we love; the events of the prior two books have understandably changed him as he questions his future.

Dog is here! Those who are series readers have come to love Dog. Henry is also here. A joke that runs between him and Walt in this story makes one smile. Vic, Walt's second and girlfriend, is a character who, for some of us, has become tiring. It is nice to see Lonnie Littlebird, Chief of the Cheyenne Nation and Tribal Elder—"Um humm, yes it is so." But it's the "Wavers" who are the stars; four elderly veterans in souped-up wheelchairs who wave to passing traffic in front of the Veterans' Home of Wyoming.

Walt in evening dress and chasing bad guys through a museum is new, but so are the bad guys. No cowboy hats and boots here—"Do you ever get the feeling that there are people out there who are living lives that we know absolutely nothing about?"

The plot is interesting and filled with historical information. Unfortunately, it was almost too much information and it slows down the first half of the book. Fortunately, once past that, the pace picks up noticeably. One does wonder where the series is going. Were some of Walt's comments foreshadowing or merely a frustrating tease?

The Epilogue is wonderful and worth the price of the book in itself, except for the last sentence, which is annoying, insulting to his readers, and caused me to reduce my rating.

"Next to Last Stand" is something of a return to that which fans most love about Johnson's books. It is interesting, exciting, and filled with excellent characters. However, this is a book one might want to wait to read until the next book is released.

NEXT TO LAST STAND (PolProc-Walt Longmire-Wyoming/Montana-Contemp) – Good
Johnson, Craig – 16th in series
Viking – Sept 2020

A fine return for Walt Longmire. Art theft and forgery in Wyoming made for a super interesting plot. Well worth reading.

Walt Longmire's recovering from the trauma of the last two books, and it shows. This is a return to the less violent books of the series, and a solid outing for Longmire, Henry Standing Bear, and Vic Moretti. Series fans will enjoy it, and new readers will want to start from the beginning.

My thanks to NetGalley for making an eARC copy of this book available to me.

This was a very entertaining book, with a plot that was much less dark than the last few books in this series. Quite a bit of light humor and fun new characters are used in this book as well. We have a goodly amount of Walt, Vic, Henry, and Dog (and the witty dialog that we've come to expect from them), we have a mystery million dollars, we have a group of geriatric military retirees on their motorized wheelchairs, we have mysterious Russians, art historians, and American history in the form of Custer's Last Stand.

I'm just wondering if the title might also be referring to the conclusion of the series with the next book. Part of me wants to scream "NOOOOOOOOO!!!", but part of me is grateful for the wonderful books we've already been gifted with and the fact that even after sixteen novels the books remain strong and great fun to read, potentially allowing the series to go out on a high note. I'll be happy either way.