NO TEARS IN HELL

 

THE LEGEND OF JOHNNY COLT 2
NO TEARS IN HELL
By James Reasoner
DS Productions, June 2026

The path to justice winds through the Gateway to Hell. Fourteen soldiers are dead, the shipment of rifles they were guarding is gone, and those responsible are hiding behind whiskey, cards, and dirty money. 

Johnny Colt arrives in Harker City, where nobody asks too many questions – unless they’re prepared to pay for the answer. He is supposed to track down the killers and uncover the truth, but first, he needs to make them believe he is one of them.

Every man he meets seems meaner than the last, and a knife might be hiding behind every pretty smile in town. Texas Ranger Johnny Colt must risk everything under an outlaw’s name. On the border, the truth often comes out with a gunshot. 

Johnny Colt has a reputation of being a gunfighter and an outlaw. His uncle, Captain Esau Parker, employs Colt as a Texas Ranger. Johnny’s rep meaning he’s an ideal candidate for operating undercover. 

Once in Harker City, Johnny makes the acquaintance of Catherine “Copper” O’Malley, a stunning young woman who owns a saloon. It isn’t long before Johnny begins to wonder if she’s involved with the outlaw’s he’s determined to bring down. Soon, Johnny is invited to join the small army of bandits and his initiation into the gang makes for one helluva memorable part of the book.  

After that life gets much more complicated and dangerous for Johnny. Each new character he meets seems to offer a threat. Even though Johnny has his suspects there’s still the reasons for the soldier’s slaughter to uncover. 

James Reasoner has long been one of my favourite western authors and here he comes up with another fast-paced and gripping read in No Tears in Hell. Johnny is a likeable protagonist. There are many other great characters in this tale too; Blackwood, El Cherubin, Copper, and Serafina are just a few of them. The story builds extremely well and includes elements of mystery that kept me turning the pages. There’s plenty of action before we get to the final showdowns that tie everything up neatly. I was also left hoping Johnny will meet one of the survivors in a future book.

No Tears in Hell is a book that I believe all western fans will enjoy reading, so it gets a big recommendation from me. 

American readers can get a copy here.

British readers can get a copy here.