Craig Allen Johnson (born January 16, 1961) is an American author who writes mystery novels. He is best known for his Sheriff Walt Longmire novel series. The books are set in northern Wyoming, where Longmire is sheriff of the fictional county of Absaroka. The series debuted in 2004 and as of May 2026, Johnson has written 22 novels, two novellas, and many short stories featuring Longmire. Some of the novels have been on The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2012, Warner Horizon adapted the main characters and the Wyoming settings of the novels for a television series. Johnson lives at a ranch where he built a residence in the small town of Ucross, Wyoming—population 25. Although he identified himself as a former New York police officer while promoting his early novels, a 2009 New York Times profile revealed this to be misleading.
Career Books As of September 2021, Johnson has authored 23 books featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire. They have been translated into 14 languages and have won numerous awards, including the Nouvel Observateur Prix du Roman Noir and the SNCF Mystery of the Year.
TV adaptations The A&E TV series Longmire, based on Johnson's novels, premiered on June 3, 2012, with cast members Robert Taylor, Katee Sackhoff, Lou Diamond Phillips, Bailey Chase, Adam Bartley, A Martinez, Zahn McClarnon, and John Bishop. Filmed in New Mexico, Longmire debuted as A&E's number-one original-series premiere of all time with 4.1 million total viewers. After the third season, A&E canceled the series and subsequently seasons four to six were made for Netflix.
Influence The success of Johnson's novels is celebrated in an annual festival, called Longmire Days, held in the small town of Buffalo, Wyoming, the real-life inspiration for the series' fictional setting. Close to 12,000 people attend the festival each year, including the author, many of the actors from the TV series, and (on occasion) the publishers and producers.
Personal life Craig Johnson grew up in Huntington, West Virginia, and attended college at Marshall University.
Johnson lives in Ucross, Wyoming, with his wife Judy.
Bibliography
Walt Longmire series Title Year 1st Edition Notes The Cold Dish 2004 Death Without Company 2006 Kindness Goes Unpunished 2007 Another Man's Moccasins 2008 2009 Spur Award for Best Western Short NovelThe Dark Horse 2009 Junkyard Dogs 2010 Hell Is Empty 2011 Divorce Horse 2012 eBook short story As the Crow Flies 2012 Christmas in Absaroka County 2012 collection of four eBook short stories Messenger 2013 eBook short story A Serpent's Tooth 2013 Spirit of Steamboat 2013 novella Any Other Name 2014 Wait for Signs 2014 collection of 12 short stories Dry Bones 2015 The Highwayman 2016 novella An Obvious Fact 2016 The Western Star 2017 Depth of Winter 2018 Land of Wolves 2019 Next to Last Stand 2020 Daughter of the Morning Star 2021 Hell and Back 2022 The Longmire Defense 2023 First Frost 2024 Tooth and Claw 2024 novella Return to Sender 2025 The Brothers McKay2026
Critical studies and reviews of Johnson's work
References
External links