Craig Johnson
Birth nameCraig Allen Johnson
Birth dateJanuary 16, 1961 (age 65)[citation needed]
OccupationNovelist, short story writer.
LanguageEnglish
NationalityAmerican
Alma materMarshall University
GenreMystery, Crime fiction, Detective fiction, Westerns
NotableworksWalt Longmire series of novels
SpouseJudy Johnson
Websitewww.craigallenjohnson.com

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 March 2025, Johnson has written 21 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.[1] 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.[2]

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.[citation needed]

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.[3] Filmed in New Mexico,[4] Longmire debuted as A&E's number-one original-series premiere of all time with 4.1 million total viewers.[5] After the third season, A&E canceled the series and subsequently seasons four to six were made for Netflix.[6][7]

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.[8]

Personal life

Craig Johnson grew up in Huntington, West Virginia, and attended college at Marshall University.[9]

Johnson lives in Ucross, Wyoming, with his wife Judy.[10][11]

Bibliography

Walt Longmire series

TitleYearISBN 1st EditionNotes
The Cold Dish2004ISBN 9780143036425
Death Without Company2006ISBN 9780143038382
Kindness Goes Unpunished2007ISBN 9780143113133
Another Man's Moccasins2008ISBN 97801431155262009 Spur Award for Best Western Short Novel[12]
The Dark Horse2009ISBN 9780143117315
Junkyard Dogs2010ISBN 9780143119531
Hell Is Empty2011ISBN 9780143120988
Divorce Horse2012ISBN 9781101592649eBook short story
As the Crow Flies2012ISBN 9780143123293
Christmas in Absaroka County2012ISBN 9781101623718collection of four eBook short stories
Messenger2013ISBN 9780143127826eBook short story
A Serpent's Tooth2013ISBN 9780670026456
Spirit of Steamboat2013ISBN 9780143125877novella
Any Other Name2014ISBN 9780143126973
Wait for Signs2014ISBN 9780143127826collection of 12 short stories
Dry Bones2015ISBN 9780525426936
The Highwayman2016ISBN 9780735220904novella
An Obvious Fact2016ISBN 9780143109129
The Western Star2017ISBN 9780143109136
Depth of Winter2018ISBN 9780525522478
Land of Wolves2019ISBN 9780525522508
Next to Last Stand2020ISBN 9780525522539
Daughter of the Morning Star2021ISBN 9780593297254
Hell and Back2022ISBN 9780593297285
The Longmire Defense2023ISBN 9780593297315
First Frost2024ISBN 9780593830673
Tooth and Claw2024ISBN 9780593834169novella
Return to Sender2025ISBN 9780593830703

Critical studies and reviews of Johnson's work

  • Abele, Elizabeth (Fall 2023). "From Alexie's Indian Killer to Johnson's Longmire series: expanding the landscape of the American Indian detective novel". Clues: A Journal of Detection. 41 (2): 31–42.

References

  1. ^ "At Home with Craig Johnson". American Cowboy Western Lifestyle – Travel – People. Retrieved 2018-09-08.
  2. ^ Wadler, Joyce (2009-06-03). "In Wyoming, the Pieces Fall Into Place". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  3. ^ Munn, Patrick (March 2012). "A&E's New Drama Series Longmire to Premier June 3". TVWise. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  4. ^ Marifosque, Raphael (23 June 2015). "'Longmire' season 4 news: Production under way, series to pick up from events in the previous finale". Ecumenical News
  5. ^ Seidman, Robert (June 4, 2012). "Network TV Press Releases: A&E's 'Longmire' Debuted as the Network's #1 Original Series Premiere of All Time with 4.1 Million Viewers + 'The Glades'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 6, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2012.
  6. ^ "Longmire Season 4 And Its Ups And Downs. Ten Things You Should Know About Its Epic Resurrection". yareah.com. Archived from the original on 2015-08-28. Retrieved 2017-01-06.
  7. ^ Gomez, Adrian (March 23, 2016). "New Mexico-filmed 'Longmire' to begin season 5 production". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  8. ^ Palmer, Aaron (May 17, 2016). "Buffalo Chamber Releases Schedule For Longmire Days Events". Sheridan Media. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016. The series is based on the Longmire series of books, written by local author Craig Johnson. The books take place in fictitious Durant, Absoraka County, Wyoming and are based on people and places in and around Buffalo and Johnson County.
  9. ^ Casto, James E. "Book review: Sheriff Walt Longmire tackles another case". Charleston Sunday Gazette-Mail. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
  10. ^ Hergett, Rachel. "Longmire, author Craig Johnson alike in many ways". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Retrieved 2018-11-05.
  11. ^ Kustra, Bob. "Longmire Mystery Series Author Craig Johnson And 'The Western Star'". Retrieved 2018-11-05.
  12. ^ "Winners". Western Writers of America. 2012-05-12. Retrieved 2018-11-06.