Series · mystery
Walt Longmire
The Walt Longmire series by Craig Johnson has 30 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Cold Dish (2004). The next book, Have Courage: Longmire Stories, is due 3 November 2026.
- Books
- 24 novels + 6 novellas
- First published
- 2004
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: The Cold Dish (2004) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Cold Dish
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Cold Dish - Book 2:
Death Without Company
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death Without Company - Book 3:
Kindness Goes Unpunished
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Kindness Goes Unpunished - Book 4:
Another Man's Moccasins
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Another Man's Moccasins - Book 5:
The Dark Horse
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Dark Horse - Book 6:
Junkyard Dogs
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Junkyard Dogs - Book 7:
Hell Is Empty
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hell Is Empty - Book 8:
As the Crow Flies
Alternative text for cover: Cover of As the Crow Flies - Book 9:
Divorce Horse
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Divorce Horse - Book 10:
Christmas in Absaroka County
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Christmas in Absaroka County - Book 11:
A Serpent's Tooth
Alternative text for cover: Cover of A Serpent's Tooth - Book 12:
Messenger
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Messenger - Book 13:
Spirit of Steamboat
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Spirit of Steamboat - Book 14:
Any Other Name
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Any Other Name - Book 15:
Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories - Book 16:
Dry Bones
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dry Bones - Book 17:
An Obvious Fact
Alternative text for cover: Cover of An Obvious Fact - Book 18:
The Highwayman
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Highwayman - Book 19:
The Western Star
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Western Star - Book 20:
Depth of Winter
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Depth of Winter - Book 21:
Land of Wolves
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Land of Wolves - Book 22:
Next to Last Stand
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Next to Last Stand - Book 23:
Daughter of the Morning Star
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Daughter of the Morning Star - Book 24:
Hell and Back
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hell and Back - Book 25:
The Longmire Defense
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Longmire Defense - Book 26:
Tooth and Claw
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Tooth and Claw - Book 27:
First Frost
Alternative text for cover: Cover of First Frost - Book 28:
Return to Sender
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Return to Sender - Book 29:
The Brothers McKay
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Brothers McKay - Book 30:
Have Courage: Longmire Stories
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Have Courage: Longmire Stories
About the Walt Longmire series
Walt Longmire is the longtime sheriff of fictional Absaroka County, Wyoming — a wry, weathered widower closer to retirement than he'd like to admit, working a sprawling, sparsely populated jurisdiction that borders the Cheyenne reservation. Craig Johnson builds each novel around a specific case (a murder, a missing person, a decades-old grudge resurfacing) but the real draw is Walt himself: a lawman who reads Steinbeck and quotes literature between fistfights, navigates Wyoming's brutal winters and moral gray areas with dry humor, and leans on a tight circle — deputy Victoria "Vic" Moretti, best friend Henry Standing Bear, and daughter Cady — who carry as much of the emotional weight as the mysteries do.
The series is prized for its sense of place: the high plains and mountains of north-central Wyoming are rendered with the same care as the plotting, and Johnson doesn't shy away from the region's real tensions around Native land, poverty and law enforcement jurisdiction on and off the reservation. It's a slower-burn, character-driven alternative to big-city procedurals — closer in spirit to C. J. Box's Joe Pickett novels — and its adaptation as the long-running Netflix/A&E series Longmire (2012-2017) introduced the character to a much wider audience while staying reasonably faithful to the books' tone.
How to read this series
Publication order, starting with The Cold Dish. Walt's relationships — with Vic, Henry Standing Bear, his daughter Cady, and a slowly-revealed backstory involving his late wife — build across the series, so reading in sequence matters. The novellas (Divorce Horse, Christmas in Absaroka County, Messenger, Spirit of Steamboat, The Highwayman, First Frost) and the two short-story collections (Wait for Signs, Have Courage) are optional side reading best enjoyed once you know the cast; they aren't required to follow the main novel-to-novel plot. Note that the Longmire TV series diverges from the books partway through, so watchers shouldn't assume the show's plots match the novels.
Frequently asked questions
How many books are in the Walt Longmire series?
There are 22 main novels as of The Brothers McKay (May 2026), plus six novellas and two short-story collections (Wait for Signs and Have Courage, November 2026).
What order should I read the Walt Longmire books in?
Publication order, starting with The Cold Dish. Walt's family history and relationships with Vic and Henry Standing Bear develop steadily across the series.
Is the Walt Longmire series finished?
No, it's ongoing. Craig Johnson has published new Longmire material almost every year since 2004; the newest book is the story collection Have Courage: Longmire Stories, due November 3, 2026.
Is the Longmire TV series the same as the books?
It's based on the same characters and starts from similar premises, but the Netflix/A&E series Longmire (2012-2017) diverges from the novels' plots substantially after the first couple of seasons.
Do I need to read the Longmire novellas and short story collections?
No. They're enjoyable extras that fill in side stories and earlier points in Walt's career, but the numbered novels carry the main plot and can be read without them.
Reading order last verified .