Belatedly, I've caught up to where a fellow book reviewer recommended I be a few years ago: Craig Johnson's Longmire books are absolutely must-read, go back and work your way through the whole series while waiting for the next one to be published, kind of stuff. I love the setting, the characters, and the stories.

Dry Bones itself starts with two deaths: one of a Tyrannosaurus Rex millions of years ago, and one of an elderly Cheyenne man in the past week. Sheriff Walt Longmire finds his investigation into Danny Lone Elk's death (accident? misadventure? murder?) complicated by the appearance of the new acting Deputy Attorney General in town. A politician looking to make a big splash, Skip Trost has the local dinosaur museum in his sights. They're currently excavating the bones of the T-Rex, discovered by fluke on Danny Lone Elk's land. But who has a claim to the multi-million-dollar old bones?

Although this is only the second Longmire novel I've read, I already love Johnson's writing. He's built a rich world of fascinating characters in an unusual setting for a crime series. The mystery itself is very good, but the real treasure is the Wyoming setting: the people, the issues, and the landscapes.

Johnson has a particularly great knack for dialogue, and revealing character through speech. This isn't the expository info-dumpe or fill-the-spaces-between-action dialogue of lesser authors, but snappy, authentic speech that gives readers insights into the speaker via what they say - or don't say - and how they say it. Speech that intrigues the reader, draws us in, and delivers on multiple levels.

I don't want to give too much away about the storyline itself, as there are some important events in the ongoing character arcs of Longmire, his colleagues and loved ones, and the recurring characters who feature throughout the series. So no spoilers there. But I will say that Dry Bones could be enjoyed as a standalone novel by fans news to the series, while at the same time delivering added interest for long-time followers. It's an interesting self-contained story that blends mystery with some unique touches, while at the same time being part of a broader story running throughout the books.

I also enjoy how Johnson enriches our understanding of both modern-day Wyoming, and the history of the state. He does this in unobtrusive ways that don't slow down the story, instead adding layers of interest. Overall, this is a great read that has cemented Johnson among my must-read authors.