Widowed only a year, Longmire is a man in psychic repair that buries his pain behind a brave face and dry wit. Struggling since his wife's death and at the urging of his daughter, Cady, Longmire knows that the time has come to turn his life around. With the help of Vic, a female deputy new to the department, he becomes reinvigorated about his job and committed to running for re-election. When Branch, an ambitious, young deputy decides to run against him for sheriff, Longmire feels betrayed but remains steadfast in his dedication to the community. Longmire often turns to close friend and confidant Henry Standing Bear for support as he sets out to rebuild both his personal and professional life, one step at a time.
When an exotic dancer shows up dead on Longmire's territory, Longmire and his team quickly recognize that the victim is from out of town. As the investigation continues, it becomes evident that her Amish-like roots play a major role in the murder. Meanwhile, Cady develops an unexpected relationship that could stir up controversy in their small town.
When the Stewart family barn goes down in flames with the owner and his beloved, award-winning horses inside, Longmire believes this is more than a planned suicide. Through his unconventional and old-fashioned approach, Longmire soon realizes that things are not what they seem and the Stewart family's long-buried secrets are the key to solving the investigation.
When a lone fisherman, hooks the bodies of two murdered men, including a teen from the Cheyenne Reservation, Longmire is once again reminded that his beloved West isn't the way it used to be. This investigation takes the Sheriff's department into a world where the Mexican drug cartel is local, marijuana is grown, and everyone wants a piece of the pie. It's Longmire's responsibility to put the pieces of this puzzle together, and he turns to Henry Standing Bear for help.
After a Cheyenne foster child goes missing, Walt and the team investigate the boy's birth family on the Rez. The stakes are raised when two more Cheyenne foster boys disappear and an unregistered sex offender is reported missing. The children in the group home insist that the boys were taken by a "dog soldier," a legendary Cheyenne warrior who can change shape from man to dog. Walt knows that the kidnapper was not a spirit, but a man who he must find before the unthinkable happens.
A body is found in the woods mauled by a bear and Walt suspects that the bear was baited to attack. He and the team must track down both the bear and the person who used it as a murder weapon. When they discover that the victim was a murderer released early from prison due to overcrowding, it leads to a long list of suspects. Meanwhile, Walt must deal with Branch's uncle Lucian, a former sheriff who is brought into custody after firing a shotgun in his retirement home and who can't resist inserting himself into the investigation.
When a wealthy beer distributor is found beaten within an inch of his life, Walt is puzzled over why the attacker stole a seemingly worthless painting. The main suspect is a bronc rider whom the victim recently dropped from sponsorship, but the discovery of an affair and a secret about the painting lead the team to realize that there are many possible motives for this brutal crime. Vic's husband is home for a rare visit and she struggles with his jealousy of her relationship with Walt. Branch's father learns something about Walt that could be damaging to his campaign.
Walt investigates the murder of a gas station owner who tried to help an unstable and barefoot young woman who claimed to be in danger. He asks Henry to use his tracking skills to find her and the trail leads to an abandoned baby, a heavily guarded drilling site in another county, and evidence of a dangerous cult. The team races to find the young woman, unsure if she is a suspect or a victim, while digging deeper into the cult's mysteries. Henry's previous tracking experiences also reveal insights into Walt's past.
When the president of the Tribal Council is found dead in his car on county land, it s clear to Walt that the body has been moved from the original crime scene--but why? He discovers that the victim had a gambling problem and delves into the seedy world of an underground poker game run out of a tattoo parlor. After tribal politics come into play, the suspect list grows tenfold. Meanwhile, Walt deals with feelings of betrayal when he uncovers Cady and Branch s affair.
Walt investigates the murder of a teenager who was one of four boys acquitted of raping a developmentally disabled Cheyenne girl. When another boy is killed, all signs point to the crime being an act of revenge by the girl s brother. But Walt is not convinced by the circumstantial evidence and must find the real killer before someone else ends up dead. And the arrival of a detective from Denver forces Walt to finally confront the reality of his wife s death.
