Caught Dead in Wyoming Books in Order
Part ofPatricia McLinn Books in OrderSee the Caught Dead in Wyoming books by Patricia McLinn in order, with short summaries, character notes, and the best place to start.
Last updated: July 4, 2026
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Caught Dead in Wyoming books in publication order
15 books
Sign Off
by Patricia McLinn
2012
After divorce and career collapse, former national TV reporter Elizabeth Danniher lands at tiny KWMT-TV in Sherman, Wyoming. Her attempt to start over collides with a deputy sheriff's suspicious disappearance.
Left Hanging
by Patricia McLinn
2013
A rodeo producer dies under the hooves of bucking bulls, and everyone wants it called an accident. Elizabeth and Mike are not convinced.
Shoot First
by Patricia McLinn
2014
When Elizabeth's elderly neighbor kills a man who may have been after valuable Western artifacts, self-defense is only the beginning. Collectors, feuds, and century-old crimes crowd the case.
Last Ditch
by Patricia McLinn
2016
A missing man in a wheelchair sends Elizabeth, Mike, and Tom into Wyoming's Big Horn Basin. Water rights, ranch politics, and old rivalries make the search far more dangerous than it first appears.
Look Live
by Patricia McLinn
2016
Elizabeth wakes up to a dead body in her bed, and the case only gets messier from there. Personal embarrassment quickly gives way to real danger and a smart Wyoming mystery.
Back Story
by Patricia McLinn
2017
Elizabeth and the people around her are forced to dig through long-buried history when the past starts threatening the present. In Sherman, old secrets rarely stay quiet.
Cold Open
by Patricia McLinn
2018
Elizabeth hopes the end of a long Wyoming winter will bring calm, a new place to live, and maybe clarity. Instead, another mystery keeps Sherman and KWMT anything but quiet.
Hot Roll
by Patricia McLinn
2019
When Jennifer's best friend dies in what looks like a fall at a national park, Elizabeth knows the story is not that simple. The investigation quickly puts one of their own in danger.
Reaction Shot
by Patricia McLinn
2020
A deadly case tied to cattle rustling and old Wyoming grudges sends Elizabeth and her circle chasing truth through ranch country. In Sherman, even old crimes can still draw blood.
Body Brace
by Patricia McLinn
2021
A historical re-creation and unsettling rumblings pull Elizabeth and her friends into another Wyoming investigation. As always, the past proves less settled than anyone hoped.
Cross Talk
by Patricia McLinn
2022
When the egotistical KWMT anchor becomes the prime suspect in a fan's death, Elizabeth Danniher steps into station chaos and a tricky case. Solving it might save, or doom, her least favorite colleague.
Air Ready
by Patricia McLinn
2023
With KWMT up for sale and Elizabeth's love life finally demanding a choice, she is already stretched thin. Then a young woman asks for help with a strange theft and an older mystery.
Holiday Bullets
by Patricia McLinn
2023
Elizabeth, Tom, and Tamantha are trying to enjoy their first Christmas as a family when a bizarre wish with Elizabeth's name on it appears at the station. Holiday cheer quickly meets mystery.
Cue Up
by Patricia McLinn
2024
Life keeps changing for Elizabeth, but murder still finds Sherman. An off-season dude ranch, buried treasure rivals, and a dead wildlife whisperer send the whole crew chasing answers.
Head Room
by Patricia McLinn
2025
Elizabeth and Tom's wedding is almost here, but Sherman cannot even make it to the ceremony without fatalities. Family celebration and murder investigation collide once again.
Caught Dead in Wyoming books in chronological order

Sign Off
by Patricia McLinn
2012Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 1
Left Hanging
by Patricia McLinn
2013Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 2
Shoot First
by Patricia McLinn
2014Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 3
Last Ditch
by Patricia McLinn
2016Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 4
Look Live
by Patricia McLinn
2016Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 5
Back Story
by Patricia McLinn
2017Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 6
Cold Open
by Patricia McLinn
2018Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 7
Hot Roll
by Patricia McLinn
2019Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 8
Reaction Shot
by Patricia McLinn
2020Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 9
Body Brace
by Patricia McLinn
2021Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 10
Cross Talk
by Patricia McLinn
2022Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 11
Air Ready
by Patricia McLinn
2023Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 12
Holiday Bullets
by Patricia McLinn
2023Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 13
Cue Up
by Patricia McLinn
2024Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 14
Head Room
by Patricia McLinn
2025Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 15
Series background & context
This series starts with a career crash and a hard landing. Elizabeth E.M. Danniher used to be a big-time television journalist. Then her marriage blows up, her powerful ex makes things worse, and she ends up at tiny KWMT-TV in Sherman, Wyoming. She is smart, bruised, funny, and not thrilled by the idea that this little station in a small western town might be the rest of her professional life.
That setup gives the books a built-in tension from page one. Elizabeth is always reporting, always observing, and always trying to decide whether Sherman is just a punishment stop or a place where she might actually belong. In Sign Off, a deputy sheriff's disappearance turns her restart into a murder case. From there, the series keeps using Elizabeth's newsroom instincts to power the mysteries.
The journalism angle is a big part of what makes these books feel different. Cases unfold through station politics, live shots, bad bosses, deadline pressure, and the awkward realities of reporting in a town where everybody knows one another. McLinn also ties the mysteries closely to place. Rodeos, ranches, irrigation ditches, historical grudges, buried family stories, and Wyoming weather all matter. These are not mysteries that could happen just anywhere.
Sherman is small. The body count is not.
Elizabeth's world grows steadily richer as the series goes on. Mike Paycik, a fellow journalist and former football player, brings ambition and friction. Thomas Burrell, a rancher with his own complications, brings a different kind of pull. Diana, Jennifer, Shadow, and the rest of the recurring cast give the books a community feel that balances the murder plots nicely. The romance thread is present, but it never takes over the mystery.
The tone lands in a sweet spot. These books have dry humor and recurring characters you want to revisit, but they also let the crimes stay serious. Elizabeth can be very funny in her internal commentary, yet she never feels glib about what she is investigating. That balance is part of the appeal.
If you like character-centered mysteries with strong settings, this series is a very good fit. It also rewards reading in order. Elizabeth's personal life, the station changes, and the friendships around her all build from book to book, so Sherman starts to feel less like a setting and more like a place you know.
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