The Sheriff of Wyoming’s Absaroka County Walt Longmire is uncharacteristically working undercover as a favor for his late wife’s cousin, postal inspector Mike Thurman. Mike is concerned after another mail deliverer went missing, and he doesn’t believe that Blair McGowan would have just walked away from her job. He doesn’t trust Sweetwater County’s investigator either, but there’s not a lot that can be done considering that Blair seems to have gone missing on what is the longest mail route in the country. Three-hundred and seven miles is a lot of ground to cover, but Walt agrees to do what he can, agreeing to pretend to be a replacement mail carrier and hiding his law enforcement credentials. Along with his massive German shepherd–Saint Bernard mix unimaginatively named Dog, Walt heads to Sweetwater County and of course immediately gets into the kind of trouble that the justice-minded sheriff always seems to encounter.

Despite his own considerable size, idiots always underestimate the aging sheriff who has little difficulty disarming and incapacitating the culprits. One of the first of these would be Blair’s ex-boyfriend, who was selling her belongings and ultimately sells Walt the truck she used to travail the 307-mile mail route. Along the way Walt encounters a literal cult residing in the desert, not to mention the supposed missing woman who warns him away. While Walt knows that something is not right in Sweetwater, he takes the time to return home and attend an event for the governor and The Greatest Legal Mind of Our Time, Walt’s daughter Cady. She is up for the position of Attorney General, but the governor strongly hints that Walt’s position as sheriff could undermine her appointment. Walt has his own supporters and counsel though, those who understand Walt’s determination and the genuine good morality that makes him such an excellent sheriff. In addition to the (forcibly) retired sheriff Lucian, Walt has his best friend Henry Standing Bear and undersheriff Victoria “The Terror” Moretti, Walt’s fiancée.

The highlight of this series continues to be the interactions between Walt, Henry, and Vic, and the witty and affectionate banter between them is always excellent. While the appearances of Henry and Vic are all only sporadic throughout this novel, they have enough history together that so much is conveyed in these brief scenes. Walt’s quiet confidence and strength make his confrontations with inept and unprepared criminals extraordinarily entertaining, especially considering how baffled they are to be unarmed by the military veteran. Readers will be as fascinated as the author by the lore of the massively long mail route, something that demonstrates the dedication and need for these admirable mail carriers. Walt’s wit and own dedication to upholding the law make this another winning entry in the long-running series that explores the many cultures and traditions within the sparsely populated but vast Wyoming lands.

It's always a treat to spend some time with Walt and his compatriots, but I have to admit -- this one was lacking when it came to the involvement of the rest of the gang, and I missed them terribly. Walt is, of course, an excellent character and more than capable of carrying a novel on his own, as evidenced in this newest installment, but as a fangirl of both Vic Moretti and Henry Standing Bear, I found myself really missing both of them and their dynamics with Walt. (They were there, as was Cady, but not for nearly long enough.) Personal preferences aside, though, Johnson has provided another solid adventure for the sheriff of Absaroka County, and it was a good trip.

I have experienced Longmire stories in print, audio, and of course television and have loved them all! However, I enjoyed this title, Return to Sender, more than others. Why? I loved the words and descriptions Mr Johnson used to paint the picture of the beautiful Wyoming landscape. He was able to transport me so I felt I was riding along with Walt and he was talking just to me. Because the story is focused on Walt and his lone investigation into a missing postal worker along the longest postal route (300 miles) in the country, I felt that I was able to get to know the "real" Walt. His humor, concern, and directness kept me along for the ride, and I felt like I was right with him in the sand dunes and confronting the cult. I have always enjoyed the repartee between Walt and Henry Standing Bear but Walt does the humor all on his own in this one.

Johnson brings a bit of Native American mysticism, along with the issue of cults and of course family relations, into a suspenseful tale in a beautiful part of the United States. I loved this book and have already recommended it to family and patrons!

3.75 stars

Sheriff Walt Longmire is back. He must be in his 70s by now, but is still dispensing his own brand of stubborn justice. Retirement crosses his mind occasionally, but he's not quite ready.

He leaves Absaroka County to do a favor for his late wife's cousin, who's a Colorado postal official. He has asked Walt to look into the disappearance of a female letter carrier in the wilds of Wyoming on a desolate route. No one has seen or heard from her since although they found her vehicle.

Walt sets out to see what he can uncover and things gets screwy from the start. Somehow, the missing person got involved in a fringe alien abduction tv show years ago. And part of her current postal route takes in an area where a religious cult is allegedly in place, or are they just garden variety scammers taking advantage of lonely elderly people?

This adventure is vintage Longmire, sometimes hilarious, sometimes philosophical, sometimes casually brutal, but always entertaining despite the absence of Walt's usual comrades. There are various unfinished plot threads that may be followed up in the next books. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Craig Jonson's Return to Sender has captured that feel of the Old West. Set in remote Southern Wyoming, not far from the notorious Butch Cassidy gang hideaways, Walt Longmire faces the challenges of the landscape and of human nature. Walt has to decide between survival and honor, and between protecting the innocent or punishing the guilty. Henry doesn't feature in this tale as prominently as I would like, but the story is more of a quest for Walt than an adventure for the two men. The aspect I liked the most was the toughness demonstrated by the other characters, particularly Blair McGowan, who is a genuine spitfire. The landscape description is so vivid, it acts as another character all on it's own. If you like Longmire, this is worth the read.

Walt Longmire is asked to investigate the disappearance of postal worker, Blair McGowan. Not knowing where to begin, Walt goes undercover and takes over Blair's postal route of over 300 miles. Walt and Dog stumble across characters of questionable morals, and Walt finds he must rescue more people than just Blair. With his fast-paced action, intriguing characters and sharp wit, the author again has the reader eager to find how Sheriff Longmire will come out in one piece. I will be recommending this book.
Thanks to Viking Publishing, Craig Johnson and NetGalley for this ARC.

How can one review a book that is a perfect addition to the series? It could be a stand alone but why deprive yourself of enjoying all its predecessors? Well worth the time to read.

Craig Johnson delivers another winner with Return to Sender. When Sheriff Longmire goes undercover to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a mail carrier on Wyoming's longest mail route, things quickly get suspenseful. The cast of eccentric and believable characters, along with plenty of twists and surprises, make this one hard to put down. Just as good as the rest in the series — intriguing, exciting, and full of heart. Can't wait to see what Longmire faces next!

Thank you to NetGalley, Craig Johnson, and Viking Publishing for allowing me to read a free ebook in exchange for my honest review.

This series just keeps getting better! I loved everything about this book. The characters were complex and interesting. The situations were engaging and thought provoking. The descriptions of the scenery and action were so graphic and beautiful I felt like I was watching a movie inside my head. The situations that arise in the course of the book bring the reader to consider the moral issues of responsibility for one's fellow human. The combination of moral food for thought and the beautiful prose made this more than just an action novel, hence my five star review. LOVED IT!

Return to Sender by Craig Johnson is another well written story set in the Red Desert of Wyoming. When a rural postal worker disappears while on her long route in pretty much the middle of nowhere, Walt Longmire is asked to investigate. As he finds ties to the missing woman and a cult residing in the desert he is off for another adventure. As usual, the characters and location play a big par t in making this series so enjoyable.

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

Walt and Dog have an adventure! Lots going on, chaos at every juncture, more fascinating history lessons from Walt, Walt's extended support group continues to grow, and Walt is pressured to retire. All of that and Walt goes undercover (with varying degrees of success), encounters evil cult leaders, works to save a group of octogenarian cult members, and has more conversations with spirits from his past. Such a good time!

I was given an ARC copy of this book in return for a review.

Another great read in the Longmire series. This time Walt is hunting for a missing postal worker. A missing person, an other worldly cult, lots of intrigue in this one. Pick up your copy May 2025.

Walt Longmire is a character I never get tired of. Now Walt is undercover (not very successfully) looking into a missing postal woman. This book has everything you could want...mail deliveries in the desert and a few run ins with a mysterious cult. Will Walt find who he is looking for, or will he run into more trouble that he bargained for.