Junkyard Dogs | Craig Johnson

Junkyard Dogs: A Longmire Mystery

Extended Synopsis

In Junkyard Dogs, the sixth compelling volume of Craig Johnson's bestselling mystery series, Sheriff Walt Longmire finds himself caught in the crosshairs of a modern-day range war taking place in Durant, Wyoming. The local landscape is shifting under a volatile new economy, epitomized by the developers of a multimillion-dollar luxury ranchette neighborhood who are determined to eliminate the eyesore next door: a sprawling auto scrapyard belonging to the notorious Stewart clan. When the escalating culture clash between old-school frontier grit and high-dollar corporate interests boils over into homicide, Durant transforms into a high-plains pressure cooker.

Faced with a neighborhood dispute turned lethal, Longmire must parse through family secrets, local prejudices, and economic greeds to uncover the truth. Aided by his lifelong companion Henry Standing Bear, alongside deputies Victoria Moretti and Santiago Saizarbitoria, Walt navigates a community divided by wealth and tradition. Making his way through a maze of derelict automobiles and eccentric personalities, the sheriff balances his signature dry wit and profound compassion to tackle the darker instincts of human nature before the regional feud claims more lives.

Reader Targeting

• Devoted readers tracking the overarching chronological character paths and evolving team dynamics in the Walt Longmire series.
• Enthusiasts of contemporary crime fiction that focuses on socioeconomic shifts, regional land conflicts, and eccentric family dynamics in the American West.
• Fans of character-driven procedurals looking for a perfect blend of high-stakes tension, small-town humor, and regional authenticity.

Accolades & Awards

• A prominent, critically acclaimed installment in the multi-million copy New York Times bestselling contemporary frontier series.
• Provides foundational narrative lore and character development utilized in the hit television adaptation.

Author Biography

Craig Johnson is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of the Walt Longmire mystery series. His western literature has captured multiple prestigious distinctions, including the Western Writers of America Spur Award, the Will Rogers Medallion, and France's Prix du Roman Noir. Johnson lives in the rural community of Ucross, Wyoming, a town with a population of twenty-five residents, where the vast and rugged local environment serves as a continuous source of inspiration for his work.

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