Daughter of the Morning Star by Craig Johnson

A new novel in the beloved New York Times bestselling Longmire series. When Lolo Long's niece Jaya begins receiving death threats, Tribal Police Chief Long calls on Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire along with Henry Standing Bear as lethal backup. Jaya "Longshot" Long is the phenom of the Lame Deer Lady Stars High School basketball team and is following in the steps of her older sister, who disappeared a year previously, a victim of the scourge of missing Native Woman in Indian Country. Lolo hopes that having Longmire involved might draw some public attention to the girl's plight, but with this maneuver she also inadvertently places the good sheriff in a one-on-one with the deadliest adversary he has ever faced in both this world and the next.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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“Everybody thinks the dead of the night is the scary time, but it's not. The time of danger for the living is the time of change, from day into night or night into day, when the world isn't sure what it is or what it wants to be.”

DAUGHTER OF THE MORNING STAR

Next to Last Stand

“I'm sorry, but I don't believe in the things you believe in, Henry.”

He nodded. “I know that, but I respect your belief in humanity, if for only one reason.”

“What's that?”

“It makes you very resolute.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Sometimes.”

Funny how your attitude about spirituality could change when the chips were down.

DAUGHTER OF THE MORNING STAR

Daughter of the Morning Star

I look forward to my yearly jaunt through Absaroka County. It's always nice to Walt, Henry, Vic, and whoever else might show up in one of Craig's books.

With this one, he uses his considerable platform to call attention to missing indigenous women problem in North America, and he manages to weave a delightful basketball story into it. All this with the standard banter between Walt and Henry and the usual hijinx from Dog.

This is definitely one of the better books of the series. The mysticism of the book is not overpowering, but it's enough to make you wonder about reality and get some creeping shivers up the spine. The police work, the beating the trail for leads, is on display, and while the mystery doesn't take a ton of brain power to unravel, that's not the point of this book.

Daughter of the Morning Star definitely sets up the next book as being more of a direct sequel, making this feel like the first of a two-parter, but I'll get the next book the day it releases. I haven't missed one, yet.