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Quick answer: If you loved Walt Longmire, read C.J. Box's Open Season, then Paul Doiron's The Poacher's Son, then Nevada Barr's Track of the Cat, and Ann Cleeves's Raven Black and Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. All are modern western mysteries.
Craig Johnson's Longmire novels follow a Wyoming sheriff. These picks share the western setting and the dry wit.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Season | C.J. Box | Adult | wilderness mysteries |
| The Poacher's Son | Paul Doiron | Adult | Mike Bowditch book one |
| Track of the Cat | Nevada Barr | Adult | national park mysteries |
| Raven Black | Ann Cleeves | Adult | readers who like remote settings |
| Lonesome Dove | Larry McMurtry | Adult | readers who love epics |
| True Grit | Charles Portis | Adult | great narrators |
| The Eagle Catcher | Margaret Coel | Adult | Arapaho country |
| The Shaman Sings | James D. Doss | Adult | Ute Mountain mystery |
| A Trouble of Fools | Linda Barnes | Adult | Boston private eye |
| Sworn to Silence | Linda Castillo | Adult | small-town thrillers |
| Killing Floor | Lee Child | Adult | readers who like action |
| Still Life | Louise Penny | Adult | readers who like cozy villages |
| Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter | Tom Franklin | Adult | readers who like small-town crime |
| The Black Echo | Michael Connelly | Adult | readers who like procedurals |
| In the Heat of the Night | John Ball | Adult | readers who like the classic |
1. Open Season by C.J. Box
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett finds a body in his garage. Outdoorsy and tense.
Best for: wilderness mysteries.
2. The Poacher's Son by Paul Doiron
A young Maine game warden investigates when his father is accused of murder. Atmospheric and tense.
Best for: Mike Bowditch book one.
3. Track of the Cat by Nevada Barr
Park ranger Anna Pigeon investigates a death in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. A fine mix of outdoors and crime.
Best for: national park mysteries.
4. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
Inspector Jimmy Perez investigates a death in the Shetland Islands. The first of the Shetland series.
Best for: readers who like remote settings.
5. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Two retired Texas Rangers drive cattle north to Montana in a sweeping, humane western. Pulitzer Prize winner.
Best for: readers who love epics.
6. True Grit by Charles Portis
A fourteen-year-old girl hires a U.S. marshal to hunt her father's killer. Dry, witty and beloved.
Best for: great narrators.
7. The Eagle Catcher by Margaret Coel
A priest and a lawyer investigate a murder on the Wind River reservation. Steady and rich.
Best for: Arapaho country.
8. The Shaman Sings by James D. Doss
Charlie Moon investigates in Colorado. Quirky and warm.
Best for: Ute Mountain mystery.
9. A Trouble of Fools by Linda Barnes
Carlotta Carlyle, a former police officer turned PI, takes on a case. Funny and tough.
Best for: Boston private eye.
10. Sworn to Silence by Linda Castillo
A former Amish woman who became a police chief investigates a murder in Ohio. Tense and thoughtful.
Best for: small-town thrillers.
11. Killing Floor by Lee Child
Jack Reacher arrives in a Georgia town and is arrested for murder. The first Reacher novel and a model of the fast thriller.
Best for: readers who like action.
12. Still Life by Louise Penny
Chief Inspector Armand Gamache investigates a death in the village of Three Pines. Gentle and warm, with a series of village mysteries.
Best for: readers who like cozy villages.
13. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
A boy disappears in Mississippi, and a man is accused. Thoughtful and tense.
Best for: readers who like small-town crime.
14. The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
Harry Bosch investigates a body in a drainpipe. The first Bosch novel and a strong police procedural.
Best for: readers who like procedurals.
15. In the Heat of the Night by John Ball
A Black detective from Pasadena is trapped in a Southern town. A classic of race and crime.
Best for: readers who like the classic.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Walt Longmire: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Walt Longmire. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most.
How to Choose
For rural crime, read Open Season or Track of the Cat. For westerns, try Lonesome Dove. For puzzles, pick Raven Black.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote Longmire?
Craig Johnson.
Is there a TV series?
Yes, Longmire ran from 2012.
Where do I start?
With The Cold Dish.
Which book here is best for readers who like the classic?
Try In the Heat of the Night by John Ball, which suits readers looking for readers who like the classic.
Which book here is best for readers who like procedurals?
Try The Black Echo by Michael Connelly, which suits readers looking for readers who like procedurals.
Which book here is best for readers who like small-town crime?
Try Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin, which suits readers looking for readers who like small-town crime.
Which book here is best for readers who like cozy villages?
Try Still Life by Louise Penny, which suits readers looking for readers who like cozy villages.