Craig Johnson was BACK for The Brothers McKay!
- Jun 2
- 3 min read
Photo collage of the shop's sign (top-left), an event lanyard (top-right), and the Longmire books (bottom) | Photo Credit: Sherry I. and Sarah I.
We were thrilled to have Author Craig Johnson return to our area on his book tour for The Brothers McKay, as he talked about Walt Longmire's latest case. But before we continue on with what happened last night, here is a little more information on the author, himself!
"Craig Johnson is the recipient of the Western Writers of America Spur Award for fiction and the Mountain & Plains Independent Booksellers Association's Reading the West Book Award for fiction. His novella Spirit of Steamboat was the first One Book Wyoming selection. He lives in Ucross, Wyoming, population twenty-six." (From the Publisher, 2025)
Picture of Mr. Johnson signing orders with Deb Beamer, owner of the shop. | Photo Credit: Barb F.
The doors opened around 6:30 pm and the lobby was already filled with readers eager to either pick-up their pre-ordered books or buy a copy from our mobile bookshop, which was put together by our great volunteers. For more on what The Brothers McKay is all about, here is the back blurb from the book:
When Pepper McKay, one of the most hated men in Absaroka County, is found murdered on his ranch in Crazy Woman Canyon, suspects aren’t in short supply. But Sheriff Walt Longmire’s attention is on those who had gathered for a family meeting that evening, McKay’s very different sons: a smooth-talking charmer, a cosmopolitan journalist, a reclusive monk, and a half-Native ranch hand who keeps the place running. Each had a motive. Each claims he’s innocent.
As Walt investigates what happened that night at the O-Kay Lodge, he’s pulled into a tangle of old grudges and long-buried secrets. Then the case takes a sharp turn: a second body surfaces, and a wildfire tears through the canyon, trapping Walt and forcing him into a fight for his life as both the killer and the elements close in.
The twenty-second novel in the Longmire series, The Brothers McKay is a murder mystery and a survival thriller that tests the sheriff’s hard-won sense of justice—all while paying sly homage to Dostoevsky’s classic.
Mr. Johnson signing a reader's book just before he starts his talk. | Photo Credit: Barb F.
Some of our readers began to form the usual signing line, once they had their books in hand, while others quietly moved toward the rows of chairs waiting for his talk to begin. We started the program a few minutes after 7:00 pm, with an interesting tale of an email Mr. Johnson received from England. From the story of him receiving Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov for Christmas one year, to the fun he has in conducting the research for his novels, Mr. Johnson's talks never disappoint.
Afterwards, it was time for our reader's favorite part, a short reading from the new novel, before he announced the "Question and Answer" segment of the night; which included a few clues about his upcoming Longmire Mystery and a background story on the collection of shorts being released in the fall!
Mr. Johnson reading a portion of his book, The Brothers McKay. | Photo Credit: Sarah I.
Faster than any of us wanted the evening to end, our event was coming to a close and it was back to signing more books as we ensured everyone had the chance to chat with Mr. Johnson and get their copies personalized.
Mr. Johnson talking with our readers about his recent release. | Photo Credit: Barb F.
The event concluded with many smiles on our readers' faces as we waved "farewell" to Mr. Johnson and wished him "happy trails" for the rest of his tour!
(If you were not able to attend this event, we do have a limited number of signed stock on hand at our shop. Please call us at 717 - 795 - 7470 to see what we have available.)
Photo collage of our attending readers (top), Mr. Johnson speaking (bottom-left), and Mr. Johnson signing books (bottom-right). | Photo Credit: Sherry I. and Sarah I.
Once again, we would like to thank all of our readers, staff, volunteers, and Mr. Johnson himself, for making this event possible. Without even one of these components, we would not have been able to put this together. See you all next time!
A special thanks also goes out to Barb Fellencer for taking the photos of this event, and for both Sherry Ickes's and Sarah Ickes's images as well.
It was great to read about Craig Johnson returning for The Brothers McKay because good mystery stories always pull readers back into their worlds. I remember staying up late to finish a novel while also thinking I need someone to do my assignment because several deadlines were approaching at once. That busy period showed me how important time management can be. A great book and good planning can both make stressful days feel better.