Craig Johnson is the New York Times bestselling author of the Longmire mystery series. The books follow Sheriff Walt Longmire of Wyoming’s Absaroka County and are the basis for the Netflix original series Longmire. Johnson’s newest book, The Longmire Defense, is the 19th in the series. Check it out with no holds on Libby with your library card during September as an ebook or digital audiobook.
The Longmire books are mysteries with a Western flavor. Johnson lives in a small town in Wyoming and is a rancher as well as an author. He wanted to write about a character readers could connect with and count on. A solid, decent person doing his part. In a 2023 interview with Famous Writing Routines, Johnson described Walt Longmire’s character:
“Walt Longmire is in no way perfect, but I gave him a doggedness and a humor and intelligence that hopefully make him good company along with the iconoclastic aspects of another genre, the Western. Walt’s what I call decent, he’s not perfect, but he cares about people and does his best. I think, especially in troubling times, people tend to be attracted to that kind of character – it’s reassuring.”
Johnson in Topeka fall 2023
Meet Johnson in person at the library Oct 9, 7pm. KPR host Kaye McIntyre will interview Johnson, then the author will take questions from the audience. Bring a copy of your favorite Longmire book for an autograph, or purchase a copy of the newest Longmire book at the event for signing. Register to save your seat.
Miranda Ericsson
Miranda is your Readers Librarian. She loves to talk about books and help readers discover new stories. Miranda hosts author visits, facilitates the TALK Book Discussion Group, co-leads the Racial Justice Book Group, and serves as a member of the library's Top City Reads Together team.