Wait for Signs | Craig Johnson

Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories

Extended Synopsis

Ten years ago, author Craig Johnson penned his very first short story, the Tony Hillerman Award-winning “Old Indian Trick.” This narrative marked one of the earliest literary appearances of Sheriff Walt Longmire, who would subsequently become the center of a bestselling, award-winning novel franchise and a hit television adaptation. Following that initial release, Johnson established a beloved annual tradition, writing and sharing a brand-new short story every Christmas Eve. These specific episodes capture distinct moments in Walt’s life that do not appear within the primary novels, filling crucial narrative gaps for dedicated fans of the series.

Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories compiles these celebrated pieces—alongside an additional story published for the first time in the Viking edition—into a single standalone volume. The anthology offers varying glimpses into Walt’s rich personal history and procedural career. The included stories range from the high-stakes tension of “Ministerial Aide,” where the lawman is mistakenly perceived as a deity, to the situational comedy of “Messenger,” which unfolds almost entirely inside the confines of a Porta-Potty. This compilation serves as both an essential addition for veteran collectors and a welcoming entry point for readers new to the landscape of Absaroka County, Wyoming.

Reader Targeting

• Dedicated followers of the Longmire franchise seeking to collect rare, non-novel short stories that expand the series canon.
• New readers looking for a concise, episodic introduction to Craig Johnson's regional Western mystery writing.
• Enthusiasts of crime fiction anthologies, holiday short stories, and contemporary frontier procedurals.

Accolades & Awards

• Features the Tony Hillerman Award-winning short story, “Old Indian Trick.”
• A compilation from a New York Times bestselling author whose work inspired a long-running television drama series.

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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