Craig Johnson

If You Like Craig Johnson
Try These Authors

In 2004, author Craig Johnson burst onto the mystery publishing scene with his debut novel, The Cold Dish, featuring his laconic hero, Absaroka County Sheriff Walt Longmire. In the years following, Johnson has produced 15+ novels in the Walt Longmire series, plus a handful of “standalone” volumes that are tied into the world of Longmire and his friends. In addition to the Walt Longmire novels, a television series (entitled simply Longmire) based on those characters was also produced from 2012 to 2017 — the first three seasons on the cable network A&E, and the final three seasons for the streaming service Netflix.

Johnson’s Walt Longmire series mixes the elements of the mystery genre with the western genre. Each volume includes action, a mystery to solve, frequently a remote western setting, dry humor, and a quirky cast of supporting characters. Longmire as a character is philosophical and well-read, with a strong foundation of “right and wrong” and the knowledge that sometimes rules have to be bent to enforce the greater good. He’s a laconic loner and individualist, but trusts and relies on the assistance of his fellow law enforcement officers, including his formerly-big-city deputy Victoria “Vic” Moretti, and he regularly taps into the knowledge and assistance of his life-long friend Henry Standing Bear, who frequently gives him insight into the Native American culture he’s surrounded by.

Many of the authors listed below write works in a similar style, or with similar types of central characters or settings. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are probably closest to Johnson in style. The author names are hot-linked to their holdings in our catalog, so that you may check on the availability of their titles in print or audio formats. A few authors are included in this list that came recommended in other online sources or discussion forums, but which are not currently in the Lincoln City Libraries’ holdings — they are included for readers who wish to pursue those authors through other sources, including the InterLibrary Loan service the Lincoln City Libraries provides.

Sandi Ault
Shannon Baker (Nebraska author and the setting of her Kate Fox series is Nebraska)
Nevada Barr
Tom Bouman
Peter Bowen
C.J. Box *
Margaret Coel
Michael Connelly
Peter Dawson
Bruce DeSilva
Paul Doiron
James Doss
Earl Emerson
John Galligan
Neil Griffin
Steven Havill
Joseph Heywood
Laurie R. King
Henry Kisor
William Kent Krueger *
Jon Land
Archer Mayor
Keith McCafferty
Michael McGarrity *
Adrian McKinty *
Patrick F. McManus
Louise Penny
Terry Shames *
Zoe Sharp
Joey Sherman
Nancy Springer
Aimee Thurlo & David Thurlo
C.M. Wendleboe *
Randy Wayne White

Last updated in March 2020 sdc