• The Cold Dish

  • A Walt Longmire Mystery
  • By: Craig Johnson
  • Narrated by: George Guidall
  • Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (16,798 ratings)

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.
The Cold Dish  By  cover art

The Cold Dish

By: Craig Johnson
Narrated by: George Guidall
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.99

Buy for $19.99

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Introducing Wyoming's Sheriff Walt Longmire in this riveting novel from the New York Times best-selling author of Dry Bones, the first in the Longmire series, the basis for the hit Netflix original series Longmire.

Fans of Ace Atkins, Nevada Barr, and Robert B. Parker will love this outstanding first novel, in which New York Times best-selling author Craig Johnson introduces Sheriff Walt Longmire of Wyoming's Absaroka County. Johnson draws on his deep attachment to the American West to produce a literary mystery of stunning authenticity, full of memorable characters. After 25 years as sheriff of Absaroka County, Walt Longmire's hopes of finishing out his tenure in peace are dashed when Cody Pritchard is found dead near the Northern Cheyenne Reservation. Two years earlier, Cody has been one of four high school boys given suspended sentences for raping a local Cheyenne girl. Somebody, it would seem, is seeking vengeance, and Longmire might be the only thing standing between the three remaining boys and a Sharps .45-70 rifle.

With lifelong friend Henry Standing Bear, Deputy Victoria Moretti, and a cast of characters both tragic and humorous enough to fill in the vast emptiness of the high plains, Walt Longmire attempts to see that revenge, a dish best served cold, is never served at all.

Listen to all of Craig Johnson's Walt Longmire mysteries.
©2004 Craig Johnson (P)2006 Recorded Books LLC

Critic reviews

"A strong sense of place, a credible plot, and deft dialogue lift Johnson's good-humored debut novel." (Publishers Weekly)
"Johnson, who lives in Ucross, Wyoming, knows the Western landscape well, and creates stunning and violent scenes of the Rocky Mountains." (Bookmarks)
"We in the West have a major new talent on our hands." (The Denver Post)

Featured Article: The Best Western Audiobooks for Your Inner Outlaw


The now classic Western genre has shaped modern literature, film, and other forms of entertainment. Whether your story is taking you to space or to the wide-open plains of Utah, it’s likely pulling on the tropes and themes of a traditional Western. Our favorite audiobooks don’t just encompass old classics though—we’ve gathered a full breadth of work so that all fans of the genre can find everything from family-friendly listens to gritty adventure tales.

What listeners say about The Cold Dish

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    11,233
  • 4 Stars
    4,000
  • 3 Stars
    1,095
  • 2 Stars
    271
  • 1 Stars
    199
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    11,447
  • 4 Stars
    2,406
  • 3 Stars
    560
  • 2 Stars
    153
  • 1 Stars
    121
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9,804
  • 4 Stars
    3,472
  • 3 Stars
    981
  • 2 Stars
    229
  • 1 Stars
    160

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Couldn't be better

Loved everything about it. Never dull, very honest, interesting and realistic characters. Can't wait for the next.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Modern Western

This was a great story.i loved Louis L'Amour when I was a kid, and I appreciate Craig Johnson's modern take on the genre.

The story has stronger language and more adult content than others of his than I have read. It was enjoyable and well-written though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome

Wonderful combination of a great story, warm, complex and well-developed characters and real suspense. If the rest of the series measures up to this initial book, I have many hours of enjoyable commuting to go!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • TA
  • 02-13-12

The Walt Longmire series

I have read the first 5 books and am now on book 6 of the series and have loved them all. Wonderful characters with whom anyone can identify with. George Guidall, one of my favorite narrators, really brings Walt Longmire to life. Thank you Audible for providing such a great series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great, couldn't turn it off!

Where does The Cold Dish rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

top 5 out of 150 plus

What did you like best about this story?

The dry humor between the character

What does George Guidall bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Timing, inflection, his voice has the age of the character Walt

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Always feel like you're right there with Walt

Honestly, I can't get enough of this series. Amazing characters, stories and writing so good you can visualize each scene and always feel like you're right there at Walt Longmire's side.

There's no better place to go to get a wonderful mix of drama, mystery, & crime set in a Western and Native American theme. A very unusual mix that works so amazingly well because the stories are fresh, the characters are deep and quite interesting and it's always engaging.

The Cold Dish is yet another wonderful Walt Longmire book that won't disappoint and the audiobook reader is outstanding! Like I said, I can't get enough!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Masterpiece

This is the greatest detective novel written since Sherlock Holmes! The thrill of the investigation, the authors way of capturing your attention as if your riding shotgun with the Sheriff is just amazing. You'll love every second of this book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

A Must Listen

.... For folks who have picked up and episode of the series ( which don't do the stories justice IMHO) or read one of the books.

The complex characters in the series are introduced and defined in this seminal work. The plot is involved and gripping. And finally, a much deserved hat tip to George Guidall. His performing talents are considerable and his interpretation of each character is flawless. His rendition alone makes the book worth listening to!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

poignant story

For lovers of things Western
of love stories
of gentle good people
and broken hearts

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story overall.

Somehow I manage to not start in order with this series. No discredit to this book. The characters are engaging and the reader is fantastic. There is a slower part to this book that took me a few times to work through. However the storyline is good and worth listening if you like the others in this series. The slow part to me might just have been me. Others may find it all relatively speedy. I really enjoy the main character and this author and reader are fascinating to see how they walk you through his thoughts.

I don’t regret the time to listen at all and look forward to catching more of this series.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!