Book Review: The Cold Dish (Walt Longmire, #1) by Craig Johnson
Ah, the joys of Forced Book Reads! There’s an undeniable thrill when a group of friends dives into each other’s selections, and this time it was Chris’s turn to share his pick: The Cold Dish. I was intrigued—murder mysteries set against the backdrop of the rugged Wyoming landscape? Count me in! And while I did enjoy the book as a whole, it seemed to challenge my patience just a tad more than I anticipated, leading to some unexpected nitpicking.
At its core, The Cold Dish introduces us to Sheriff Walt Longmire, a character steeped in complexity and small-town charm. The plot revolves around a chilling murder, linked to a past crime that has left ripples in Absaroka County. Johnson paints a vivid picture: the harsh beauty of Wyoming, the camaraderie among its quirky inhabitants, and the weight of history, particularly touching upon Native American themes.
However, as engaging as the characters were—especially the banter between Walt and his friend Henry—my inner detective began to chaff against the pacing. About halfway through, I had a gut feeling about the “whodunnit,” comfortably settled at 49%. Here’s where the tension started to fray: I found myself waiting for Walt, with all his intuitive experience, to catch up to my deduction at a rather sluggish 93%. While I appreciate a slow-burn mystery, I sometimes felt like I was stuck behind a tractor on a convoluted back road instead of speeding toward the heart of the matter.
Johnson’s writing style certainly has its quirks. The narrative often felt like it was meandering, taking detours that told me more about a particular tree’s history than propelled the plot. While these scenic diversions might have been rich in color and detail, they often stalled the momentum for me. It was like being given directions to a party only to be led down endless rabbit holes—each backstory felt rewarding but heavy on filler.
Moreover, some of Johnson’s narrative choices left me momentarily confused—a character would pop up, and I’d find myself searching for context, only to realize it was part of his deliberate obfuscation. The humor helped mitigate some of this confusion, especially in Walt’s sardonic wit; those moments were gems that rescued me from my nitpickers.
In terms of characters, the ensemble is refreshingly vibrant; they each feel like real people with backstories swirling around them like the Wyoming winds. However, I had to raise an eyebrow at some of the similar-sounding names—like Cody and Cady—which felt a bit too on-the-nose for a book teeming with literary references. I love Easter eggs in literature, but here, they jostled with my focus instead of enhancing it.
Ultimately, The Cold Dish isn’t just about solving a mystery—it’s about the exploration of community, loss, and the ghosts of the past. Despite my critiques, I found myself enjoying Walt and Henry’s dynamic enough to consider diving into the next book in the series.
This book feels like it’s carving out a niche, and I suspect that for those who appreciate character-driven stories interlaced with humor and slow twists, this could be a delightful read. If you’re willing to take a scenic route with some bumps along the way, this book certainly has a lot to offer. Now I can’t wait to see what Chris picks for our next Forced Book Read!
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