“First Frost,” by Craig Johnson (Viking)
After 19 mysteries, Sheriff Walt Longmire is getting a little long in the tooth. So in “First Frost,” author Craig Johnson takes a giant step backward to Longmire’s youth, as — get this — a 1960s surfer dude. Yes, I know, he’s now too big for a surfboard, but surfing is what he and his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, are doing that summer between graduating from college and enlisting in the military.
The first hint of trouble comes when a boat capsizes, and the two surfers rescue some of the crew. Turns out the boat spilled a load of heroin tablets in waterproof packets. The cops are suspicious and tell Walt and Henry to stick around. But the next morning, the boys skip out, heading east for their dates with Uncle Sam.
Second hint: Walt takes a shortcut in Arizona, then drives into a ditch to avoid a coyote. Bad luck again. The wheel is damaged. The two hike into desolate Bone Valley for help. The eerie town is a former World War II internment camp, all but deserted except for ghosts and a tiny figure who appears in a Kabuki map.
It’s not long before the two surfers find themselves in even deeper trouble. They’re ordered to leave by Bone Valley kingpin, Judge Everson. The truck isn’t fixed, but Walt is confronted by the judge’s thugs. Their fearsome leader attacks Walt, who beats him to a pulp, which doesn’t help things. As the two draftees wait for a part for the truck, they delve into the mystery surrounding the camp and learn that something terrible happened there. Everyone is too frightened to even talk about it.
Of course, there’s even more trouble. It’s a lot for a poor cowboy to face, but what do you bet Walt Longmire is up to it?
