I hope you are reading Craig Johnson’s marvelous Longmire series, particularly if you are a fan of the television series that is slowly but carefully adapting the books to the visual medium. This contemporary western mystery canon is restrained where it should be and given free rein where it needs it, character-driven by the first-person narration of its Colorado sheriff protagonist, who, in turn, is well supported by a handful of secondary characters, each of whom is indispensable. You can’t read one without going back and reading them all.

"Walt’s knowledge regarding the depth and breadth of a smartphone’s abilities may be limited, but he is a walking encyclopedia of arcane yet not necessarily useless information, his sharing of which is worth the price of admission alone."

AN OBVIOUS FACT is a full-length and proper Longmire novel (Johnson lately has been interspersing an occasional novella into the series constellation), and it gives the author and characters plenty of room to stretch out. The opening of this latest installment finds Walt and his longtime friend, Henry Standing Bear (aka The Cheyenne Nation) in Hulett, Wyoming, in the middle of the annual Sturgis Bike Week. They have been asked to assist in the investigation of a hit-and-run incident that has left a well-known biker named Bodaway “B-Way” Torres clinging to life and all but doomed to linger, if at all, in a vegetative state. Henry has ties to the event, having participated in biker competitions there before, but he finds that he also has a link to Torres, given that the injured biker’s mother is Lola, an old and all-but-legendary flame of Henry’s for whom Walt’s granddaughter is named. Lola is a piece of work, even in a town full of them, and is of little help to Walt and Henry in their investigation.

The mystery is as much of a “why” as it is a “who,” given that no one has any apparent reason for wanting to kill or even injure Torres. The key word here, of course, is “apparent,” and once Walt and Henry begin nosing around, it becomes clear that there are any number of potential reasons, both criminal and personal, for a few someones to hasten Torres’ passing from this mortal coil. Vic Moretti, Walt’s undersheriff and apparent love interest (I get confused occasionally as to what their status is, as I’m sure Walt does as well), also shows up and provides the fire and impulsiveness to counterbalance Walt’s deliberateness, which is sometimes overplayed to his detriment. The trio soon uncovers a plot that goes far beyond an injury to one biker. The storyline goes into unpredictable areas with some interesting resolutions before Walt solves the case he was brought on to solve, even while demonstrating that justice, when done, can take a number of different forms.

Johnson is generally not inclined to unfolding his plots at breakneck speed. Death-defying motorcycle stunts, explosions, car chases and gunplay notwithstanding, AN OBVIOUS FACT unfolds at a languid, if steady, pace. Intuitive readers who are familiar with the television adaptation of this fine mystery series will note Johnson’s subtle wink and nod towards the real world, wherein a certain cast member has been associated with the annual Black Hills motorcycle hijinks, and his character plays out a similar part here.

The heart of the book, though, is a good, strong mystery. And even if Johnson meanders just a bit to smell the saw weed and barn dust, every word is terrific --- from Walt’s understated dialogue to the sexual tension in virtually every word and action on Vic’s part. With regard to the former, by the way, Walt’s knowledge regarding the depth and breadth of a smartphone’s abilities may be limited, but he is a walking encyclopedia of arcane yet not necessarily useless information, his sharing of which is worth the price of admission alone. Oh, and when you read AN OBVIOUS FACT, keep an eye out for Pequod. You’ll want a Pequod before the book is over, which, alas, is all too soon. Savor, and enjoy.