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Caught Dead in Wyoming Books in Order

Part ofPatricia McLinn Books in Order

See 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

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15 books

1

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.

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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.

7

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.

8

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.

9

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.

10

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.

11

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.

12

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.

13

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.

14

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.

15

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

  1. Book cover for "Sign Off"

    Sign Off

    by Patricia McLinn

    2012Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Left Hanging"

    Left Hanging

    by Patricia McLinn

    2013Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Shoot First"

    Shoot First

    by Patricia McLinn

    2014Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Last Ditch"

    Last Ditch

    by Patricia McLinn

    2016Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Look Live"

    Look Live

    by Patricia McLinn

    2016Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Back Story"

    Back Story

    by Patricia McLinn

    2017Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Cold Open"

    Cold Open

    by Patricia McLinn

    2018Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Hot Roll"

    Hot Roll

    by Patricia McLinn

    2019Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Reaction Shot"

    Reaction Shot

    by Patricia McLinn

    2020Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Body Brace"

    Body Brace

    by Patricia McLinn

    2021Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Cross Talk"

    Cross Talk

    by Patricia McLinn

    2022Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Air Ready"

    Air Ready

    by Patricia McLinn

    2023Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "Holiday Bullets"

    Holiday Bullets

    by Patricia McLinn

    2023Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "Cue Up"

    Cue Up

    by Patricia McLinn

    2024Caught Dead in Wyoming, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "Head Room"

    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.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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