Is The Brothers McKay Worth Reading?
Ada’s Score
The 22nd Longmire installment piles a murder, a second body, and a wildfire onto Walt's plate. Johnson's strengths remain his Wyoming landscape and the laconic warmth between recurring characters, both still functioning here. But twenty-two books in, the series leans on reader loyalty: the mystery's complications feel additive rather than designed, and newcomers will be lost in accumulated backstory. Solid for the faithful, impenetrable and slack for everyone else.
“Johnson's Wyoming and his characters' dry warmth still work, but book 22 stacks complications additively and locks newcomers out of the backstory.”
Ada Brief
AI reading intelligence“Johnson's Wyoming and his characters' dry warmth still work, but book 22 stacks complications additively and locks newcomers out of the backstory.”
Ada’s reservations
Twenty-two books in, the plot's complications are additive, not designed—a wildfire piled on for motion. Newcomers drown in backstory; only the loyal get rewarded. Reputation holds for the faithful alone.
Ada’s score reflects both strengths and reservations.
Book Details
- Publisher
- Viking
- Published
- May 26, 2026
- Pages
- 368
- Language
- English
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Ada’s Score Breakdown
3.7
This breakdown reflects how Ada weighs the book’s strengths and flaws, not aggregated reader data.
Common Questions About The Brothers McKay
- Is The Brothers McKay worth reading?
- Johnson's Wyoming and his characters' dry warmth still work, but book 22 stacks complications additively and locks newcomers out of the backstory. Ada rates it 3.7 out of 5.
- What are the main weaknesses of The Brothers McKay?
- Twenty-two books in, the plot's complications are additive, not designed—a wildfire piled on for motion. Newcomers drown in backstory; only the loyal get rewarded. Reputation holds for the faithful alone.
- How many pages is The Brothers McKay?
- The Brothers McKay is 368 pages long — around 7–8 hours at an average reading pace.
