Daughter of the Morning Star

Sheriff Walt Longmire takes on a case involving Jaya Long, a high school basketball star receiving death threats. The investigation centers on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, where Jaya's older sister disappeared a year earlier. As Longmire works with Tribal Police Chief Lolo Long to protect Jaya, he uncovers connections between Native American traditions and modern dangers. The case leads him through reservation communities and into confrontations with both human threats and supernatural forces from Cheyenne culture. The investigation becomes a study of loss, cultural preservation, and the epidemic of missing Indigenous women in the American West. Through investigating a single threatened teenager, the story connects personal tragedy to broader patterns affecting Native communities.

Readers appreciate Johnson's focus on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) through a case involving a Native American basketball star. The incorporation of Crow culture and supernatural elements adds depth to the story. Fans highlight the strong character development of Tribal Police Chief Lolo Long and her niece Jaya. Several reviewers note the book's educational value about MMIW issues while maintaining suspense. Common criticisms include a slower pace than previous Longmire books and less humor. Some readers found the supernatural elements distracting from the main plot. A few mentioned difficulty following multiple timelines. Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (8,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (3,800+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.4/5 (450+ ratings) "The supernatural elements work better here than in previous books," notes one Amazon reviewer. A Goodreads review states, "The MMIW crisis needed this spotlight, but the story meanders too much."

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🌟 Native American women are more than twice as likely to experience violence than women of other races, with more than 4 in 5 Indigenous women having experienced violence in their lifetime. 🌟 Author Craig Johnson lives on a ranch in Ucross, Wyoming, population 25, where much of his series' inspiration comes from the vast landscape and local Crow and Cheyenne communities. 🌟 The book's title refers to the Morning Star, which holds sacred significance in Cheyenne culture and is associated with their cultural hero Sweet Medicine. 🌟 The novel weaves together contemporary crime fiction with the real-life crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW) in the American West. 🌟 The character of Tribal Police Chief Lolo Long is based on actual female law enforcement officers working on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana.