A New York Times–bestselling collection of Longmire adventures

The hit drama Longmire is now streaming on Paramount+

Ten years ago, Craig Johnson wrote his first short story, the Hillerman Award–winning “Old Indian Trick.” This was one of the earliest appearances of the sheriff who would go on to star in Johnson’s bestselling, award-winning novels and the hit television series Longmire, now streaming on Netflix. Each Christmas Eve thereafter, fans rejoiced when Johnson sent out a new short story featuring an episode in Walt’s life that doesn’t appear in the novels; over the years, many have asked why they can’t buy the stories in book form.

Wait for Signs gives Longmire fans a chance to own these beloved stories—and one that was published for the first time in the Viking edition—in a single volume. With glimpses of Walt’s past from the incident in “Ministerial Aide,” when the sheriff is mistaken for a deity, to the hilarious “Messenger,” where the majority of the action takes place in a Porta-Potty, Wait for Signs is a necessary addition to any Longmire fan’s shelf and a wonderful way to introduce new readers to the fictional world of Absaroka County, Wyoming.

Published
October 27, 2015
Where to find this book
External links open a book search at the selected retailer. Availability may vary.
Walt Longmire Mysteries

The series

Full series details →

Out where the wind carves stories into canyon walls and justice isn't always clean-cut, one sheriff walks the line between duty and doubt. The Walt Longmire Mysteries are steeped in the raw, unforgiving beauty of Wyoming’s Absaroka County—a place where the past lingers like smoke and every silence feels like it’s holding its breath.

Read full series description

At the center stands Walt Longmire, a weary but dogged lawman navigating not just crime scenes but the emotional wreckage of grief, loyalty, and the slow erosion of trust. These mysteries aren’t driven by blood splatter and speed, but by character, landscape, and the quiet weight of responsibility. Walt is no hero in shining armor—he’s a man weathered by time and terrain, haunted by personal loss, and anchored by a stubborn sense of what’s right, even when it hurts.

With each installment, the series threads together small-town tension, sharp procedural elements, and Native American spiritual and cultural undercurrents, giving the books a layered complexity rarely found in crime fiction. The atmosphere is thick with snow, memory, and unfinished conversations. Here, every body found has a story, and every case opens a door to something deeper—often personal, always human.

The series has earned a loyal following, in part because it never rushes the journey. It respects the land, the people, and the quiet moments between revelations. Whether it’s a murder in a lonely canyon or an old secret stirring to life, these stories echo long after the final page.

For readers drawn to mysteries with emotional depth, literary craftsmanship, and the stark resonance of the modern American West, this is where the trail begins. And once you start walking it, it’s hard to turn back.

Risingshadow

Be the first reviewer

Sign in and write the first reader review.

Risingshadow

Readers Also Enjoyed