I am a person who always loves signs: pennies on the
street, birds in the sky, and now, a wonderful collection
of
twelve short stories called WAIT FOR SIGNS just in time
for
the upcoming twelve days of Christmas season! Even
better,
they are twelve stories featuring one of my most favourite
characters, Walt Longmire - the sharply observant and
perspicaciously canny Sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming.
In the Acknowledgements section, New York Times
bestselling
author Craig Johnson tells how this collections of
delightful short stories came into being: some of the
short
stories that Johnson had previously shared with his fans
through his newsletter and others were tidbits of tales
that
were not full books in themselves but helped to fill in
gaps
between other previously written books. All good!
All the stories have a bit of the droll tongue in cheek
humour that will bring a smile to your face and all can be
thoroughly enjoyed whether this is the first time you are
fortunate to enjoy a Longmire book or whether you have
read
a fair pile of them or seen the TV series LONGMIRE. There
is humour in the titles (Thankstaking), nestled in the
story, sometimes poignantly and sometimes with a nice "got
ya" moment. My personal favourites are "Old Indian Trick"
and "High Holidays". To tell you more would only be as
cruel as tearing of the wrapping on each of the wonderful
stories whose endings, like ribbons on a package, just
perfectly give that final tough -- the "ah ha" moment!
Having read many of Johnson's books in the series, I
admire
and love Walt Longmire as a character and his penchant for
arcane bits of knowledge. Whether drunk or sober, on or
off
duty, Walt retains his sense of decency, humbleness, his
loyalty to those he loves, his job as protector and to
those in need, even if not expressed the way people want
him
to be. His friendship with Henry Standing Bear is
legendary.
Both are quick witted and sharp observers, and open to
listening and learning from each other. I also appreciate
Johnson's masterful skill in effectively portraying Native
Americans and their concerns in a very authentic manner
that
I wish other authors could emulate. Johnson's books are
all
set in the vastness and beauty of Wyoming and deal with
issues of conflict, crime, family and the heart. While
western in tone, they hold stong appeal for anyone who
just
likes a good story.
If you are looking for that special book gift to give to
someone special or for yourself, WAIT FOR SIGNS is the
perfect treat for the season! Many of the stories have a
Christmas theme, yet there are other that do no, so it can
be read and treasured at any time of the year. Similar to
the short novella, SPIRIT OF STEAMBOAT, written by Johnson
last year, these stories can be re-read over again as a
favourite every year. Once I started reading, I just
could
not stop until the satisfying and funny conclusion of the
last story in WAIT FOR SIGNS entitled "Petunia, Bandit
Queen
of the Bighorns!" If you are not already a fan of Craig
Johnson before you read WAIT FOR SIGNS, you will be even
before finishing all twelve stories. So, WAIT FOR SIGNS
and enjoy!
Twelve Longmire short stories available for the first
time in a single volume—featuring an introduction by Lou
Diamond Phillips of A&E’s Longmire
Ten years ago, Craig Johnson wrote his first short story,
the Hillerman Award–winning “Old Indian Trick.” This was one
of the earliest appearances of the sheriff who would go on
to star in Johnson’s bestselling, award-winning novels and
the A&E hit series Longmire. Each Christmas Eve
thereafter, fans rejoiced when Johnson sent out a new short
story featuring an episode in Walt’s life that doesn’t
appear in the novels; over the years, many have asked why
they can’t buy the stories in book form.
Wait for Signs collects those beloved stories—and one
entirely new story, “Petunia, Bandit Queen of the
Bighorns”—for the very first time in a single volume,
regular trade hardcover. With glimpses of Walt’s past from
the incident in “Ministerial Aide,” when the sheriff is
mistaken for a deity, to the hilarious “Messenger,” where
the majority of the action takes place in a Port-A-Potty,
Wait for Signs is a necessary addition to any Longmire
fan’s shelf and a wonderful way to introduce new readers to
the fictional world of Absaroka County, Wyoming.