A few later books revisit earlier parts of Walt’s life, but they are better after you know the characters and the county around them. For a first read, publication order gives the relationships, rivalries, and personal history room to build naturally.

Longmire Books in Publication Order

Here are the Longmire books in order, including the two shorter fiction entries that belong in the main sequence:

  1. The Cold Dish
  2. Death Without Company
  3. Kindness Goes Unpunished
  4. Another Man’s Moccasins
  5. The Dark Horse
  6. Junkyard Dogs
  7. Hell Is Empty
  8. As the Crow Flies
  9. A Serpent’s Tooth
  10. Spirit of Steamboat
  11. Any Other Name
  12. Dry Bones
  13. The Highwayman
  14. An Obvious Fact
  15. The Western Star
  16. Depth of Winter
  17. Land of Wolves
  18. Next to Last Stand
  19. Daughter of the Morning Star
  20. The Longmire Defense
  21. First Frost
  22. Return to Sender

Optional companion: Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories is a short-story collection rather than a required part of the main plot. Read it after Any Other Name for a natural break between novels, or save it for after the main series.

Where New Readers Should Start

Begin with The Cold Dish, then continue down the list.

The individual books have their own mysteries, but the ongoing relationships matter. Walt’s history, his professional life, the people around him, and the tensions within the county gain meaning over several books. Starting late or jumping to an earlier-set prequel skips much of what makes those later entries land.

First Frost takes place earlier in Walt’s career, and The Western Star also looks back to an earlier period. Neither works as a starting point. Both were published after readers had spent years with Walt and the recurring cast, and that publication placement matters.

Readers who want to sample the series before committing can start with these first three books:

  1. The Cold Dish introduces the setting, characters, and tone.
  2. Death Without Company expands the community around Walt.
  3. Kindness Goes Unpunished widens the series beyond the opening case and county routine.

That opening run gives a clear sense of the series’ mystery style and its attention to place, conversation, and long-running character connections.

Book-by-Book Guide

This spoiler-free guide shows where each book fits and why publication order is the smoothest route through the series.

# Book Type Why Read It Here
1 The Cold Dish Novel The essential starting point. It establishes Walt Longmire, Absaroka County, and the series’ contemporary Western mystery style.
2 Death Without Company Novel Builds on the first book by bringing more of the local community into view.
3 Kindness Goes Unpunished Novel Broadens the setting while carrying forward relationships introduced in the opening books.
4 Another Man’s Moccasins Novel Adds important context to Walt’s past and deepens the series’ interest in memory, place, and identity.
5 The Dark Horse Novel Centers a mystery in rural life, animals, land, and community tension.
6 Junkyard Dogs Novel Moves the recurring cast forward while delivering another complete investigation.
7 Hell Is Empty Novel A more intense early-series entry that carries greater weight after the first six books.
8 As the Crow Flies Novel Returns to the county’s social fabric and familiar supporting characters.
9 A Serpent’s Tooth Novel Continues the developing cast dynamics from the earlier books.
10 Spirit of Steamboat Shorter fiction Set in an earlier era, but best read here rather than used as an introduction.
11 Any Other Name Novel Continues the present-day series and provides a comfortable place to pause for Wait for Signs.
12 Dry Bones Novel Uses the Western setting and local history in a brisk mystery.
13 The Highwayman Shorter fiction A shorter entry that fits neatly between the surrounding novels.
14 An Obvious Fact Novel Returns to the longer-novel format and continues the main series forward.
15 The Western Star Novel Looks back at an earlier period in Walt’s career, but has more impact after the preceding books.
16 Depth of Winter Novel Changes the pace and widens the scope of the series. Read the earlier novels first.
17 Land of Wolves Novel Brings the series back toward its Wyoming-centered setting after the broader reach of the previous book.
18 Next to Last Stand Novel Blends a contemporary mystery with the series’ interest in Western history and legend.
19 Daughter of the Morning Star Novel Continues Walt’s personal and professional world in the later run of the series.
20 The Longmire Defense Novel Carries more resonance for readers who know the earlier books and characters.
21 First Frost Novel An early-career Walt story published late in the series. Read it here, not first.
22 Return to Sender Novel Follows First Frost in the publication sequence.

Where Does Wait for Signs Fit?

Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories is optional. The collection offers shorter visits with Walt and the supporting cast, with a different pace from the novels.

Read it after Any Other Name if you want a break from the main sequence without jumping too far ahead. Readers who prefer to stay with full-length mysteries can save it until after Return to Sender.

Reading or Listening to Longmire

The series works in print, ebook, or audio. Choose the format that makes it easiest to keep moving through the books in order.

Print and ebooks suit readers who enjoy lingering over the setting and dialogue. The books spend time on wide-open country, small-town conversations, weather, local history, and the details around an investigation. Reading at your own pace makes it easy to pause over those details or flip back when a familiar name returns.

Audiobooks suit commutes, walks, and other listening time. The mysteries keep a clear narrative thread, and the recurring cast makes it easier to settle back into the series after a short break. The shorter entries, Spirit of Steamboat and The Highwayman, also work well between longer books.

Library ebooks, print editions, Kindle editions, and audiobooks can all work well for this series. The important part is keeping the publication sequence intact.

Where the TV Show Fits

The screen adaptation to know is the television series Longmire. It draws on the novels’ characters, setting, and general world, but it is not a one-book-per-season adaptation.

The show rearranges material, changes or combines story elements, and develops characters on a different timetable. Watching it will not replace the book order.

Readers who watched the show first should still begin with The Cold Dish. The books share the foundation of the series, but they are not a replay of the episodes. Readers who have not seen the show can start with the novels without missing anything.

There is no movie to place in the Longmire reading order.

Best Starting Point

Start with Book 1, The Cold Dish.

It is the right entry for readers coming from the TV series, readers looking for a modern Western mystery, and readers picking up the series for the first time. It introduces Walt’s world without expecting any prior knowledge.

Skip First Frost as a starting point, even though it is set earlier in Walt’s career. Skip The Western Star, Spirit of Steamboat, and The Highwayman as well. They work best once the series has already established Walt, the county, and the people who keep returning to his life.

FAQ

Do you need to read the Longmire books in order?

Yes. Each novel has its own central case, but the character relationships and longer personal arcs build from one book to the next. Publication order is the strongest reading order for new readers.

What is the first Longmire book?

The Cold Dish is the first Walt Longmire Mystery and the best place to start.

Is First Frost the first Longmire book chronologically?

First Frost is set earlier in Walt Longmire’s career, but it was published much later. Read it after The Longmire Defense, near the end of the series.

Are Spirit of Steamboat and The Highwayman required?

They are shorter entries rather than standard full-length novels. Readers who want the complete Longmire sequence should include them in their publication-order spots, while readers focused on the main novels can treat them as optional extras.

Is the TV show the same as the books?

No. The television series adapts the world and elements of the novels, but it changes the order and treatment of story material. Start with The Cold Dish even if you have watched the show.

When should you read Wait for Signs?

Read the optional short-story collection after Any Other Name, or save it until after you finish the main novels.