The Highwayman by Craig Johnson

Craig Johnson often includes American Indian legends in his writing but in The Highwayman, the spirit of a deceased Wyoming highway patrolman, Arapaho Bobby Womack is front and center in his plot.  Womack died thirty five years earlier while on patrol of the Wind River Canyon, a scenic but dangerous stretch of highway on Wyoming S.R. 789 where tunnels have been carved out of the mountains to somewhat flatten and straighten the highway.  Legend has it that Trooper Womack drove his cruiser in front of a runaway semi-tractor trailer to prevent a crash and died as a result.  Since that time, Trooper Mike Harlow now retired and newbie Trooper Rosey Wayman have patrolled the area.  Lately, Rosey has been hearing distress calls on her cruiser’s radio almost nightly giving the ‘officer needs assistance’ call from an unknown source thought to be Bobby Womack’s spirit.  Rosey is at her wits end and calls on her friend Aborosa County Sheriff, Walt Longmire and his pal Henry Standing Bear to solve the mystery.

Longmire and Henry interview Harlow and Rosey’s commander and find an old Indian woman that who knew Bobby Womack.  Walt and Henry join Rosey on patrol late at night when the calls typically are transmitted hoping to find a rational explanation.  Longmire thinks the whole idea of Indian spirits returning from the dead is nonsense and tries valiantly to rationally explain the supposed supernatural escapades of Bobby Womack.  Sheriff Longmire discovers the distress calls are not supernatural or connected to Womack but in the end some events remain a mystery even to the skeptical Longmire.

The Highwayman is a great addition to the Longmire series.  The tenacity of Walt Longmire and the loyalty of Henry Standing Bear come shining through as they brave the unknown to help out a friend.