Walt Longmire Books in Order: Craig Johnson Novels & Stories

If you’re trying to read the Walt Longmire books in order, the good news is that Craig Johnson’s mystery series is pretty straightforward. Most readers should follow publication order, starting with The Cold Dish, because Walt, Henry, Vic, Cady, and the rest of Absaroka County change over time.

This guide covers the full Longmire reading path, including the main novels, novellas, short stories, story collections, and the TV adaptation. It also works as a Craig Johnson books in order guide, since Johnson’s bibliography is centered almost entirely on Walt Longmire and the fictional world of Absaroka County, Wyoming.

Jump to:

Walt Longmire Books in Publication Order
Walt Longmire Novellas and Short Story Collections
Do You Need to Read the Longmire Books in Order?
Longmire TV Show Adaptation
Who is Craig Johnson?
Walt Longmire Books FAQ

Walt Longmire Books in Publication Order

The main Walt Longmire novels follow Sheriff Walt Longmire as he investigates crimes in and around Absaroka County, Wyoming. Each book has its own mystery, but the relationships, backstory, and emotional fallout build across the series. That’s why publication order is the best reading order for most people.

The list below covers the full-length Longmire novels. I’ve kept the novellas and short-story collections in their own section after this, so the main novel list is easier to scan.

Walt Longmire Novellas and Short Story Collections

Craig Johnson has also written Longmire novellas and short stories. Some fill in pieces of Walt’s past, while others are holiday stories or smaller cases set between the main novels. They’re not always required, but they’re worth reading if you want the fuller Craig Johnson books in order experience.

Wait for Signs is especially useful because it collects twelve Longmire stories in one place. Have Courage is another story collection, this time built around holiday-inspired cases and smaller Absaroka County moments.

Divorce Horse (2012) (Short Story)
Christmas in Absaroka County (2012) (Short Story Collection)
Messenger (2013) (Short Story)
The Spirit of Steamboat (2013) (Novella)
Wait for Signs (2014) (Short Story Collection)
The Highwayman (2016) (Novella)
Tooth and Claw (2024) (Novella)
Have Courage (2026) (Short Story Collection)

Do You Need to Read the Longmire Books in Order?

You don’t have to read every Longmire book in order, but I’d still recommend it. Each novel has a mystery that wraps up by the end, so you won’t be completely lost if you jump around. The bigger reason to read in order is Walt himself.

Walt’s friendships, grief, family life, injuries, and loyalties carry forward. So do his relationships with Henry Standing Bear, Victoria Moretti, Cady Longmire, and the people of Absaroka County. The books hit harder when you’ve seen those relationships grow over time.

The novellas and short stories are more flexible. Read the main novels in publication order first, then add the shorter works whenever you want more time with Walt and the supporting cast.

Longmire TV Show Adaptation

The Walt Longmire books inspired Longmire, the TV crime drama starring Robert Taylor as Walt Longmire, Lou Diamond Phillips as Henry Standing Bear, and Katee Sackhoff as Victoria Moretti.

The show first aired on A&E in 2012, where it became the network’s highest-rated original drama debut. A&E canceled it after three seasons, but Netflix picked it up and continued the story for three more seasons before the series ended in 2017.

The show keeps the core setup from the books, but it makes plenty of changes. The biggest difference is scale. The TV version gives Absaroka County far more murders and ongoing drama than the books, which are quieter and more character-driven by comparison.

Who is Craig Johnson?

Craig Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Walt Longmire mystery novels. He lives in Ucross, Wyoming, and his books draw heavily on the landscape, humor, weather, and Western character of the region.

Johnson’s Longmire books blend mystery, Western fiction, dry humor, and a strong sense of place. Walt is a sheriff, but the series is just as interested in friendship, loyalty, aging, grief, and the complicated history of the American West.

Johnson has received several major honors for his work, including the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Owen Wister Award, the Will Rogers Medallion, and the Mountain & Plains Independent Booksellers Association’s Reading the West Book Award for fiction.

Walt Longmire Books FAQ

What is the first Walt Longmire book?

The first Walt Longmire book is The Cold Dish. That’s the best place to start because it introduces Walt, Absaroka County, Henry Standing Bear, Victoria Moretti, and the tone of Craig Johnson’s mystery series.

Are Craig Johnson books and Longmire books the same thing?

For most readers, yes. Craig Johnson is best known for the Walt Longmire series, and his major fiction bibliography is built around Longmire novels, novellas, and short stories. So if you’re looking for Craig Johnson books in order, you’re usually looking for the Longmire reading order.

What Craig Johnson book should I read first?

Start with The Cold Dish. It’s the first Walt Longmire novel, and it gives you the cleanest introduction to Craig Johnson’s world, characters, and Wyoming setting.

Are the Longmire novellas required reading?

No, the Longmire novellas aren’t required before the main novels. They add more context and extra stories, but you can read the full-length novels first and come back to the shorter books later.

Is the Longmire TV show the same as the books?

No. The TV show uses the same main character and setting, but it changes relationships, pacing, and plot details. The books are usually quieter and more focused on Walt’s inner life, while the show leans harder into ongoing drama.

Looking for similar books in order?

If you want more mystery authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Mystery Books in Order index.