Reflecting the past in the present
First Frost: A Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson (Viking, 2024)
Reviewed by Michael Taylor
“You’re too big to surf.” This single phrase captures a recurring theme throughout First Frost, Craig Johnson’s latest novel in his successful Walt Longmire series. Not only does it hold significance throughout the book, it also refers to broader concepts.
Johnson’s popular series features Walt Longmire, long-time sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming. He and his many friends and colleagues confront creative crimes and conspiracies, deal with personal and professional drama and stress, and demonstrate for the reader that life can –and often does– imitate fiction, and vice versa. The series is also the basis for a television show, Longmire, which ran for six seasons from 2012 to 2017.
Craig Johnson is more than just an author. He is a former police officer, educator, cowboy, and longshoreman, all of which contribute to his ability to write plausible novels containing likeable and realistic characters. His prose is easy-going, yet his plots are deep, twisted, and complex, leaving the reader wanting more at every turn of the page. Johnson’s writing leans heavily – and directly – on his personal experiences, like relatively new author Jack Carr. Other successful authors without the same level of related background rely primarily on research for the success of their work, such as Steve Berry, Lee Child, and James Rollins. Though both styles are equally impressive and boast wide readership, authors like Johnson who write with real-life experience on their resume seem to add layers of authenticity, credibility, and relatability for the reader.
First Frost is Johnson’s 20th novel in the Longmire Mystery series. It follows the protagonist in two different times. In the present, Walt is dealing with the legal repercussions of a series of events covered in The Longmire Defense (The Longmire Mysteries #19). In the previous book, an investigation reveals uncomfortable evidence and inconvenient facts that point to Walt’s grandfather possibly being involved in a murder. The now-expanded case includes a past he wants to avoid, taints the reputation of the Longmire name, and threatens those fighting to hold on to political power, bringing up questions of justice and mercy. The current book includes a series of memories that comprise the past, in which Walt relives major events of his past that Johnson uses to add depth to his character development of both Walt and his lifelong friend, Henry Standing Bear."
Let us turn back to the “You’re too big to surf” comment that the author sprinkles throughout First Frost and tie in other concepts he uses. In the past shown through the flashbacks woven into the book’s plot, Walt is repeatedly confronted by those who consider him “too young” to know how the world works, thus forcing him to develop the character he will later rely on as a law enforcement professional. Growing up in the sparse landscape of Wyoming and going to college at the University of Southern California do not adequately equip him with the tools others expect from those going out into the world, yet he demonstrates an unusual maturity and uncanny sense of right and wrong as he faces complex and dangerous situations.
In the present, many insinuate that Walt is too old to still serve as the elected Sheriff of Absaroka County, implying that he should retire. This leads to speculation as to his potential replacements, but on a deeper level, it speaks to his age and resistance to change in the modern era, as symbolized by his lack of an office computer or personal cellphone. In a sense, both time periods serve as opposing sides of the same coin: the past represents the idea that he is “too young” to understand and the present reflects that he is “too old” to excel. In this way, Johnson uses the phrase “You’re too big to surf” as a means of drawing out criticism Walt faces at different points in his life.
Regardless of these masterful tie-ins, First Frost is also bogged down by two major flaws. First, the novels are set in the present day. The protagonist, Walt Longmire, was a Marine who served in Vietnam, making him at least in his mid-70s, if not older. While this issue does not require the reader to suspend all belief, the actions and activities Walt undertakes in every book stretch even the most elastic imagination, given his age, large frame, and being not a little overweight.
Second, in every book, the reader encounters the same old Walt Longmire: a man of few words, a stoic nature, a well-read intellectual mind, a very mature strategist, and an experienced lawman. In First Frost, however, we meet a young Walt, fresh out of college and on a cross-country drive to Parris Island in South Carolina. When he and Henry Standing Bear encounter all manner of new situations – hostile locals, Japanese goons, mystical entities, and unexplained events – we see a young Walt who is the same as the old Walt. We do not see a young, naïve, and impetuous Walt reflective of another era, something most readers would expect, given the decades between the two timeframes.
Readers tend to enjoy long-running series that include relatively predictable characters. First, they offer relatable characters and dialogue that bring to life the complexities of human existence. Second, they accurately reflect various aspects of culture and society that readers witness daily. Finally, in the Longmire books, rather than another metropolitan-based story, a rural focus showcases life for most people.
Despite the issues First Frost presents, it remains an entertaining read with just the right amount of detail, humor, and intrigue to keep the series moving forward. Both past and present are compelling and flow at a pace organic to their purpose, and they reflect Johnson’s mastery as a storyteller. For those familiar with Craig Johnson and Walt Longmire, First Frost is a good connector for the series, as it adds depth to major characters and sets the stage for the next novel. For those unfamiliar, get familiar – you will not be disappointed. You are not “too big to surf.”
Michael Taylor is a retired Marine who works on projects as an independent historian, researcher, and scholar. He lives in North Carolina with his artist wife where both enjoy their nearby daughters and the surrounding variety of flora and fauna.
