Welcome to another post where I pair books and films or series with similar themes or content! This week I’m bending my own rules a bit and featuring a TV series instead of a movie. This series and book share in common a small town setting, mystery plot, and professional law enforcement officials as main characters: False Pretense and Longmire.
Longmire (2012-2017)
Longmire is a modern western, of sorts, that focuses on a small Wyoming town and Walt Longmire, the sheriff. It is actually based on a book series, too! It shares in common with the book False Pretense local lore — that of Native American culture and traditions — and a political-centric plot that often solves murders, disappearances, and other crimes. It has a strong lead cast with some quirky and courageous characters.
I have not watched all of the later seasons of Longmire after it moved from network TV to Netflix, but it’s on my want-to-watch list!
False Pretense by Heather Day Gilbert (A Murder in the Mountains #4)
False Pretense is a page-turning mystery that’s the last in a book series set in a small town in Virginia. Though it doesn’t have a western theme, it does have a similar “feel” with a thriller of a storyline and a likable protagonist involved with local law enforcement and politics (her husband is the mayor). Its plot has a slight supernatural/fantastical element which cleverly gives a local legend traction in the story, another aspect that links it to Longmire.
Are you a fan of mysteries or modern westerns? Do you have book, movie, or TV recommendations similar to these? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
The Green Mockingbird 