Walt Longmire Books in Order
The Walt Longmire series follows the laconic sheriff of Absaroka County, Wyoming, as he investigates crimes in the shadow of the Bighorn Mountains. Set near the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation, these mysteries blend Western atmosphere with complex investigations and a cast of memorable characters.
Sheriff Longmire is a Vietnam veteran approaching retirement who would rather be fishing than dealing with murder. His longtime friend Henry Standing Bear, a Cheyenne bar owner, and his sharp-tongued deputy Vic Moretti help him navigate cases that often uncover dark secrets buried in Wyoming's past. The books explore themes of justice, redemption, and the collision between old ways and modern life.
Craig Johnson writes with bone-dry humor and an obvious love for the Wyoming landscape. The series has earned multiple Spur Awards and became the basis for the Longmire television series on A&E and Netflix. With over 20 novels, the series continues to attract readers who appreciate mystery with a Western setting and a hero who solves crimes with patience, empathy, and the occasional well-timed punch.
Reading Guide
Walt Longmire Books Reading Order: Complete Guide to Craig Johnson's Mystery Series
Last updated: January 2025
Craig Johnson has been writing about Sheriff Walt Longmire since 2004. Twenty-one novels later, the series keeps gaining readers, partly thanks to the Netflix TV adaptation. If you're wondering where to start or how to fit in the novellas and short stories, this guide has you covered.
Quick Answer: Start Here
For first-time readers: Start with The Cold Dish (Book 1). This series builds relationships over time, and you'll want to see them develop from the beginning.
The seasonal structure: Johnson writes each novel to take place in a different season. Four books roughly equal one year in Walt's life. January in Wyoming looks nothing like July, and Johnson uses that to shape each story.
Why order matters: Unlike some mystery series, Longmire books reward sequential reading. Character arcs, especially the slow-burn relationship between Walt and Vic, develop across multiple books.
Why Read in Order?
This isn't a series where you can skip around freely. Here's why:
- Vic and Walt's relationship evolves gradually across the entire series. Jump ahead and you'll miss the tension.
- Henry's backstory unfolds piece by piece. Later books reference earlier events.
- Cady's story arc has major developments that would spoil earlier books.
- Deaths and departures happen. Starting late means meeting characters after they're gone.
That said, each book solves its own case. You won't be confused about the central mystery if you pick one up out of order. You'll just miss the emotional weight behind certain scenes.
Complete Walt Longmire Reading Order
Main Novels - Publication Order (Recommended)
1. The Cold Dish (2004) - The one that started it all
2. Death Without Company (2006)
3. Kindness Goes Unpunished (2007) - Takes Walt to Philadelphia
4. Another Man's Moccasins (2008) - Spur Award winner
5. The Dark Horse (2009) - Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
6. Junkyard Dogs (2010)
7. Hell Is Empty (2011) - Walt alone in the Bighorn Mountains
8. As the Crow Flies (2012)
9. A Serpent's Tooth (2013)
10. Any Other Name (2014)
11. Dry Bones (2015)
12. An Obvious Fact (2016) - Sturgis Motorcycle Rally setting
13. The Western Star (2017) - Flashback structure
14. Depth of Winter (2018) - Walt goes to Mexico
15. Land of Wolves (2019)
16. Next to Last Stand (2020)
17. Daughter of the Morning Star (2021)
18. Hell and Back (2022)
19. The Longmire Defense (2023)
20. First Frost (2024)
21. Return to Sender (2025) - Cult in the Red Desert
Short Stories and Novellas
Craig Johnson also writes shorter works that fill gaps between novels. These are optional but add depth to the characters:
- Divorce Horse (2012) - Read after Hell Is Empty
- Christmas in Absaroka County (2012) - Holiday short stories, read after As the Crow Flies
- Messenger (2013) - Read after As the Crow Flies
- The Spirit of Steamboat (2013) - Novella, read after A Serpent's Tooth. Selected as Wyoming's One Book Wyoming pick.
- Wait for Signs (2014) - Collection of 12 short stories, read after Any Other Name
- The Highwayman (2016) - Novella featuring a Wyoming legend, read after Dry Bones
- Tooth and Claw (2024) - Prequel set in 1970s Alaska. Young Walt and Henry work for an oil company when a polar bear attack and blizzard trap them.
Individual Book Highlights
The Cold Dish (Book 1)
Four years after a group of high school boys were convicted of raping a Cheyenne girl, someone starts killing them. Sheriff Walt Longmire investigates while dealing with his own grief over his wife's recent death from cancer. This book introduces Walt's dry humor, his friendship with Henry Standing Bear, and the complicated politics of a Wyoming county bordering a reservation. Start here. The murder mystery is good, but the real hook is the characters.
Hell Is Empty (Book 7)
Walt pursues escaped convicts into the Cloud Peak Wilderness during a blizzard. Most of the book features Walt alone in the mountains, testing himself against the elements and his own mortality. This is the most physically demanding book in the series, and Johnson's descriptions of the Wyoming wilderness are worth the read by themselves.
Depth of Winter (Book 14)
Cady is kidnapped and taken to Mexico by a cartel leader with a grudge against Walt. For the first time, Walt operates far outside his jurisdiction, using his Vietnam skills rather than his badge. The most intense book in the series. Not a cozy mystery.
Hell and Back (Book 18)
Walt finds himself in Fort Pratt, Wyoming, during World War II. Whether this is time travel, a near-death experience, or something else entirely, Johnson leaves deliberately ambiguous. The most unusual book in the series.
TV Series vs. Books
The Longmire TV series ran for six seasons (A&E 2012-2014, Netflix 2015-2017) with Robert Taylor as Walt and Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry. Here's what you should know:
What's different:
- The TV show films in New Mexico, not Wyoming. The landscape looks wrong if you've been to the real Absaroka County.
- Walt and Vic's relationship moves much slower on TV. In the books, they're further along.
- Branch Connally (TV) is based loosely on Turk Connally (books), but Branch has a much bigger role. Turk disappears after book one.
- The Ferg is older and less prominent in the books. On TV, he becomes a main character.
- The novels take place over just a few years in the early 2000s. The show spans 2012-2017.
What's the same:
- Henry Standing Bear remains Walt's best friend and moral compass in both versions.
- The Cheyenne reservation and its complicated relationship with the county feature heavily.
- Walt's reluctance toward technology (though the books emphasize that cell phones are useless in Wyoming anyway).
Should you watch first or read first?
Either works. The show captures the spirit while changing the details. Readers who watched first say the books give them more time with characters they already love. Readers who came first say the show is entertaining but simplified.
Common Questions
Can I start with the TV show and then pick up wherever it left off in the books?
Not really. The show doesn't adapt the books in order, and the character situations are different enough that you'd be confused. If you watched the show and want the books, start with The Cold Dish.
Are the short stories necessary?
No, but they're good. Wait for Signs collects most of the short pieces in one volume. The Spirit of Steamboat and The Highwayman are novellas worth reading if you want more time in Absaroka County between novels.
How's the audiobook narrator?
George Guidall narrates the series. Many fans consider his voice definitive for Walt. If you commute, the audiobooks are an excellent way to experience the series.
Is there romance?
Yes, though it develops slowly. Walt's a widower still grieving his wife in the early books. His relationship with Vic builds over many installments. Don't expect immediate payoff.
How dark does it get?
Varies by book. The Cold Dish deals with rape. Depth of Winter involves cartel violence. Hell Is Empty puts Walt in genuine survival danger. Most books are closer to traditional cozy mysteries in tone, but Johnson doesn't shy away from heavy subjects.
What's next for the series?
The Brothers McKay is scheduled for 2026. Craig Johnson shows no signs of slowing down.
Reading Tips for New Readers
Give it three books. The Cold Dish is good, but Johnson hits his stride around books 3-4. If you're lukewarm after one book, try another.
Pay attention to Henry. His quiet observations often contain the moral center of each story. He's funnier than he first appears.
Don't skip the weather. Johnson uses Wyoming's climate as a character. The difference between a summer mystery and a winter mystery matters to the plot.
The philosophy is real. Walt quotes philosophers and Native American teachings. Johnson clearly does his research. The books are smarter than typical genre fiction.
Awards and Recognition
- The Cold Dish won Le Prix du Polar Nouvel Observateur/Bibliobs
- Death Without Company won the Wyoming Historical Association's Book of the Year and France's Le Prix 813
- Another Man's Moccasins won the Western Writers of America Spur Award and Mountains & Plains Book of the Year
- The Dark Horse was a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
- The Spirit of Steamboat was Wyoming's One Book Wyoming selection
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Ready to meet Sheriff Longmire? Start with The Cold Dish and work your way through.
[The Cold Dish (Book 1) →]
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