A Book Review: The Highwayman by Craig Johnson

Title: The Highwayman

Author: Craig Johnson

I loved reading this engaging short story by Craig Johnson. Have you read him yet? If I had to label his work, I’d call him a literary mystery writer. But that seems like such a small label for his sweeping novels. They are breathtakingly beautiful, with grand vistas and sweeping landscapes; and he’s written many, all of which I’ve read with gusto!

Why I love his writing, and why I run to the bookstore when his novels come out (forget about waiting for them to come out in paperback!), is because of how he so deftly incorporates space into all of his writings. Most of his novels take place in Wyoming, and that place becomes a character in his stories. Its presence is not just a backdrop or a gathering place for his cast of characters. Wyoming’s presence engages, interacts, and motivates many of Johnson’s characters. It talks to us, the reader, through its haunting wind, it causes distress to many through its miles of desolation, and it brings comfort to those needing to breathe and expand beyond their small and shallow lives.

In the Highwayman, most of the story takes place in a canyon in Wyoming, and this time, Johnson’s sense of place is haunting and visceral. From the frigid rushing river, to the carved out rocks on the hills, this canyon has its own voice and presence. It’s not merely a stage where the characters meet and search for answers; this canyon becomes a formidable player in Johnson’s cast of characters.

And because of this, the story is delightfully engaging. Walt Longmire (Johnson’s soft-spoken sheriff) is called to investigate why a trooper is receiving strange midnight calls from an officer that has been dead for decades. What follows is a rough and tumble story of perception, truth, heroism, blustery nights, and enduring friendship. Walt is joined by his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, as they attempt to discover the truth behind those calls. Is the trooper crazy? Or is there something other-worldly at work?

This short story packs a good ole’ fashioned Wyoming ghostly wallop! Johnson got his inspiration for this book from his own experience on this lonely highway, along with another ghost story called, “The Signal-Man,” by Charles Dickens.

Immerse yourself in Johnson’s world; the landscape of Wyoming jumps off the pages and pulls you into its slow and meandering beauty, and you will stand in awe.