Depth of Winter

In this 14th installment of the "Longmire" series (after The Western Stars), the Absaroka County sheriff is in Mexico searching for his daughter Cady, who was kidnapped by the ruthless head of a drug cartel. The men are not strangers; their history has been bloody and violent, including the murder of Longmire's son-in-law and serious injury to Longmire's undersheriff. Longmire must save his daughter before she's auctioned off to the highest bidder among his many enemies. Without backing from the American or Mexican governments, he's on his own, relying on assistance from people he meets on his journey. These include a physician, a mute young man, a blind legless mystic, and a beautiful woman with nerves of steel. Johnson's descriptions of the desert landscape, the burning heat of the sun, and the celebratory Mexican festivals are vivid and complement the unfolding plot as Longmire penetrates the cartel's headquarters.