Return to Sender Book Quiz
About This Quiz
This 20-question companion quiz covers the full arc of Return to Sender, the 21st Longmire novel by Craig Johnson. Questions are drawn from the entire book: plot sequence, character motivation, theme and symbol, and synthesis. Use the book overview, questions and answers, or ending explained pages for deeper study.
Quiz Questions
Part 1: Plot and Sequence (8 questions)
1. What is the epigraph at the start of the novel, and who wrote it?
(Short answer)
2. Who recruits Walt Longmire to go undercover as a contract mail carrier?
A. Tess Anderson
B. Mike Thurman
C. Sheriff Grossnickle
D. Benny Schweppe
3. What vehicle does Walt purchase at the Rock Springs used car lot?
A. A 1968 International Travelall
B. A postal Jeep DJ
C. A 1967 Ford pickup
D. A 1970 Chevy Impala
4. What does Tess Anderson find under a fluorescent green rock during the mail route?
A. A handful of cash
B. A note reading "Save Me" in red lipstick
C. A cell phone
D. A map of the Red Desert
5. Who is the leader of the Order of the Red Gate cult?
A. Brother Zevin
B. Freebee
C. Zeno Carruthers
D. Lowell Ommen
6. What relationship does Blair McGowan reveal to Walt about Zeno Carruthers?
(Short answer)
7. According to the revised autopsy, what was the true cause of Blair McGowan's death?
A. Rattlesnake venom
B. Dehydration from exposure
C. A combination of dehydration and a postmortem snakebite
D. Strangulation
8. At the end of the epilogue, what does Walt do with his flip phone?
(Short answer)
Part 2: Character Motivation (5 questions)
9. When Walt first finds Blair chained to a tree, why does she refuse to be rescued?
A. She thinks Walt is a cult member
B. She believes she can escape alone
C. She knows the cult is dangerous and fears for her granddaughter's safety
D. She wants to kill Carruthers first
10. What is Governor Lang’s offer to Walt, and why does Walt not immediately accept?
(Short answer)
11. Why does Tess Anderson admit to checking Walt’s credentials and knowing he is not a real mail carrier?
A. She was protecting the postal service from fraud
B. She was suspicious and wanted to ensure Blair's case was handled properly
C. She had a crush on Walt
D. She was working with the cult
12. What is the primary motivation for Zeno Carruthers to operate the Order of the Red Gate?
A. Belief in alien communication
B. Desire to commit mass suicide
C. Collecting $4.5 million through affinity fraud to fund his cancer treatment
D. Revenge against the postal service
13. Why does Mike Thurman ask Walt to investigate Blair’s disappearance rather than leave it to local law enforcement?
A. He distrusts the Sweetwater County Sheriff
B. He believes Walt's undercover skills are uniquely suited
C. He is a family member of Walt's late wife and wants a trusted investigator
D. All of the above
Part 3: Theme and Symbol (4 questions)
14. The Herodotus epigraph, “neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers,” functions as a symbol of what?
A. The postal service’s official motto
B. Duty, perseverance, and the ideal of perfect delivery
C. The inevitability of death
D. The power of nature
15. What does the fluorescent green rock most clearly represent throughout the story?
A. A marker for buried treasure
B. A secret communication signal between Blair and the cult
C. A radioactive warning
D. A boundary stone for the Red Desert
16. The Cheyenne Rifle of the Dead—an antique Sharps rifle—symbolizes what for Walt?
A. His preference for old weapons
B. His connection to Cheyenne heritage and willingness to sacrifice
C. The violence of the American West
D. His distrust of modern technology
17. The title Return to Sender carries which thematic meaning?
A. Returned mail is the central plot device
B. People and events are sent back to where they started, often without closure
C. Both A and B
D. The cult’s belief in reincarnation
Part 4: Synthesis (3 questions)
18. How does Walt’s undercover identity as a mail carrier allow him to investigate more freely than he could as sheriff?
(Short answer)
19. Compare the outcomes of Blair McGowan’s disappearance and Ruth One Heart’s disappearance. What does the epilogue suggest about the nature of closure?
(Short answer)
20. In what ways does Walt embody the theme of sacrifice during the rescue of Blair and Penelope?
(Short answer)
Answer Key
1. Short answer: The epigraph is a quote from Herodotus: “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.”
Explanation: It sets the theme of duty and perseverance for the novel, though it is not the official postal service motto.
2. Correct answer: B. Mike Thurman
Explanation: Mike Thurman, a postal inspector and Walt’s late wife’s cousin, asks Walt to go undercover to find missing mail carrier Blair McGowan.
3. Correct answer: A. A 1968 International Travelall
Explanation: Walt buys Blair’s vintage Travelall from the used car lot; it was originally used for mail delivery.
4. Correct answer: B. A note reading "Save Me" in red lipstick
Explanation: Tess finds the note under the green rock, which changes the case from a voluntary disappearance to possible kidnapping.
5. Correct answer: C. Zeno Carruthers
Explanation: Carruthers is the cult leader who believes in alien contact and operates the Order of the Red Gate.
6. Short answer: Blair reveals that Zeno Carruthers is her father.
Explanation: This personal connection explains why she is so entangled with the cult and why she refuses to leave at first.
7. Correct answer: C. Dehydration and a postmortem snakebite
Explanation: The revised autopsy shows she died of dehydration; the rattlesnake bite occurred after death, and manacle marks prove she was chained.
8. Short answer: Walt tosses his flip phone into a dumpster.
Explanation: He chooses to disconnect from the political pressure and the closed case on Ruth One Heart, driving north with a smile.
9. Correct answer: C. She knows the cult is dangerous and fears for her granddaughter’s safety
Explanation: Blair believes the cult will harm Penelope (the "Child of Prophecy") if she escapes, so she stays to protect her.
10. Short answer: Governor Lang offers to appoint Cady as attorney general if Walt retires after his current term. Walt refuses to decide without consulting Cady.
Explanation: Walt values family over political deals and refuses to be pressured.
11. Correct answer: B. She was suspicious and wanted to ensure Blair's case was handled properly
Explanation: Tess checked Walt's credentials with Denver and later admitted she knew he wasn't a real mail carrier.
12. Correct answer: C. Collecting $4.5 million through affinity fraud to fund his cancer treatment
Explanation: Carruthers, dying of lung cancer, uses the cult to steal money from followers; Blair plans to return the money after his death.
13. Correct answer: D. All of the above
Explanation: Mike distrusts local law enforcement, values Walt's skills, and has a personal family connection.
14. Correct answer: B. Duty, perseverance, and the ideal of perfect delivery
Explanation: The epigraph foreshadows the challenges faced by mail carriers (and Walt) and the theme of duty.
15. Correct answer: B. A secret communication signal between Blair and the cult
Explanation: Blair used green rocks to leave notes for cult members; Tess finds one with the "Save Me" note.
16. Correct answer: B. His connection to Cheyenne heritage and willingness to sacrifice
Explanation: Walt uses the rifle to buy time while Blair escapes; the "Dead Man's Pattern" beadwork underscores his readiness to face danger.
17. Correct answer: C. Both A and B
Explanation: The literal returned mail drives the plot, and the theme of people returning to origins or being sent back without resolution pervades the story.
18. Short answer: As a mail carrier, Walt can access remote routes, observe residents without raising suspicion, and operate outside the jurisdictional boundaries of his sheriff’s office.
Explanation: This cover allows him to talk to suspects like Benny and cult members without alerting them to his law enforcement role.
19. Short answer: Blair's body is found and her fate confirmed, while Ruth One Heart's plane is discovered intact but she remains missing. The epilogue suggests that some disappearances never achieve closure, challenging the idea that all cases can be solved.
Explanation: Walt continues to disagree with the FBI's decision to close Ruth’s case, reflecting the novel's meditation on unresolved loss.
20. Short answer: Walt risks his life by confronting armed cult members alone, uses the Cheyenne Rifle of the Dead to buy time for Blair and Penelope, and later sacrifices his own career prospects and phone to continue searching for Ruth One Heart.
Explanation: His actions consistently put the safety of others above his own wellbeing, embodying the theme of sacrifice.