DEAD SHOT

 

LUKE JENSEN, BOUNTY HUNTER 2
DEAD SHOT
By William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone
Pinnacle Books, July 2013

Luke Jensen brings a body to Rio Rojo. After all, it’s his job, and he’s going to get paid. But before he can collect the bounty for killing a killer, two notorious criminals hit the Rio Rojo bank. Now Luke can’t get paid unless he catches professional bandit Gunner Kelly and his Apache sidekick Dog Eater. Unfortunately, a would-be man hunter is after the money-toting outlaws too, and young Hobie McCullough is mostly a menace to himself. With a green kid to protect, renegade Mexican soldiers, and a beautiful runaway bride crossing Luke’s trail, the blood hunt takes one deadly detour after another…until Luke ends up smack dab in a nest-of-vipers outlaw hideout. There, he discovers the true identity of Gunner Kelly, what kind of ungodly terror he has planned, and just how dangerous being a bounty hunter can be…

Even though this book reads like a number of different incidents that see Luke Jensen fighting for his life, each of the story threads is held together by the hunt for Gunner Kelly and Dog Eater. The need to sort out each crisis Luke finds himself in quickly so he can continue to track the outlaws, glues everything together well. Each segment has its own strong storyline and is filled with memorable characters, some of which will turn up later to cause even more deadly problems for Luke.

Luke is a determined man. A man who won’t let anything get in the way of his goal. He’d happy ride around the troubles he comes upon so he can just get on with his task of taking down Kelly and the Apache. But Hobie doesn’t let him as he feels it’s his duty to help people in distress and Luke has no choice but to help.

The lengthiest part of this book is the story of the runaway bride. Why is a band of gunmen trying to kill her? Luke is not sure that is what they are trying to do and is soon proved right. This section of the book features as dramatic stagecoach ride before Luke, Hobie, the bride-to-be and other stagecoach passengers find themselves trapped in a dead-end canyon which provides an exciting how are they going to get out of that situation. In fact, the book contains a lot of cliff-hanger endings to chapters and scenes that ensure the reader will keep turning the pages. 

Action sequences come regularly and the fights are fairly brutal at times. Characters are nicely fleshed out making you care about their future or want to see them get their just rewards. Pacing is excellent too. Even though some of the story threads were resolved as I expected, there were also some surprises that caught me off-guard. 

Hopefully it won’t be as long before I read book three, Bloody Sunday, as it was between reading the first book and this one. 

THESE MEN CHOSE HELL

FORT MISERY

THESE MEN CHOSE HELL

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle, July 2025

Welcome to Fort Misery – where the lowliest dregs of the U.S. Army defend the driest patch of lawless desert against the most sadistic killers in the Wild, Wild West. Sometimes it takes a bad man with a gun to stop another bad man with a gun . . . 

They’re not what you’d call “the good guys.” They’re a mangy pack of despicable deserters, thieves, mutineers, and worse. But as condemned soldiers in an overstretched army, they were given a choice: death by hanging or serving out their time in a hell on earth.

These men chose hell.

Located at the farthest edge of the Yuma Desert, Fort Grierson is a magnet for trouble. Vicious attacks by marauding Apaches and gunslinging outlaws are practically a daily occurrence – and the men holding down the fort are hardly any better. Hence the nickname Fort Misery. When a group of professors show up at the fort in search of lost treasure, a series of gruesome murders begins. The men of Fort Misery will have to find the culprit before they all meet a terrible end . . .

This second book in the Fort Misery series has been a long time coming. Book one came out in February 2023 and I enjoyed reading it.

Captain Kellerman has a number of problems to deal with this time around, not least keeping his soldiers in line, one of whom believes he is Jesus, and dealing with the daily issues of running a fort. His new challenges include the threat of Apache attack. A group of archologists who are digging up his parade ground with President Grant’s permission. Have they unleashed evil spirits? Certainly, the weather has taken a turn for the worse and people are dying since their arrival. Then there’s the gunslingers camped out in the desert. What are they after? Can Kellerman trust them when he enlists their help to fight off the Apache? There’s also the beautiful girl who’s arrived with the professors who seems to be as attracted to him as much as he is to her. And then the murders begin. All the story threads ensure there is never a dull moment in this book.

The author switches regularly between various characters, although he mainly sticks with the officers within the army. The violence is vicious at times, especially the descriptions of the murders. The author also surprised me with one of the characters he killed off and at how soon he did so. Tensions are described well, particularly whilst waiting for the Apache to launch their assaults on the fort. There is also a fair amount of humour thrown in, mostly in conversation, that lightens the tone of the tale now-and-again. 

For a good portion of the book, the author keeps the identity of the mysterious killer a secret but even when known I found myself waiting with bated breath for the next murder – how would it be done and who would be the victim? 

Everything builds to a dramatic finale that brought a close to all the storylines satisfactory, and in some case not as I thought they would. Like in the first book, the final paragraphs of this story seem to be setting up more problems for the soldiers of Fort Misery to deal with, and I for one am looking forward to reading about them whenever the third book appears. 

American readers can get a copy here 

British readers can get a copy here

A GOOD DAY FOR A MASSACRE

 

SLASH AND PECOS
Book 2 of 6
A GOOD DAY FOR A MASSACRE
By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone
Pinnacle Books, July 2020

Life on the straight and narrow is easier said than done for a pair of crooks like Jimmy “Slash” Braddock and Melvin “Pecos Kid” Baker. But these reprobates are doing their damnedest to make an honest go of it. They’ve managed to safely deliver a church organ to a mountain parish when their sometime employer – Chief U.S. Marshal Luther T. “Bleed-‘m-So” Bledsoe – recruits them for a job only fools would take.

Marshal Bledsoe wants them to pick up a shipment of gold in the mining town in the Sawatch Mountains. Here’s the catch: Slash and Pecos’s wagon is just a decoy. When a ruthless gang ambushes the real gold shipment, it’s up to Slash and Pecos to go after the trigger-happy bandits. And they won’t be alone. A lady Pinkerton, Hattie Friendly – who is anything but – survived the ambush and is hellbent on getting the gold back. Even if she has to team up with a pair of ornery old cutthroats like Slash and Pecos….

The author has come up with a very engaging pair of lead characters in Slash and Pecos. They’re tough, they bicker and can get into all kinds of trouble without trying. Their outlaw days are over and they’ve been granted an amnesty, trouble is not many people know about this. Teaming them up with Hattie makes for some lively exchanges of dialogue which often had me laughing out loud.

The story is fast paced and action packed. The body count is high. As well as knives, pistols and rifles, Gatling guns are used to devasting effect. Slash and Pecos get thrown in jail too by a lawman who doesn’t know they are free men now. As well as Hattie, there are other strong roles for female characters. Slash is looking to pop-the-question to one of them….if he can conquer his nerves. Trouble is he might just have a love rival.

Having only read two of the books in this series, Slash and Pecos have already made a strong impact on me and have become two of my favourite characters to come from the Johnstone’s. 

American readers can get a copy here.

UK readers can get a copy here.

FRONTIER AMERICA

 

PREACHER & MACCALLISTER 1:
FRONTIER AMERICA
By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone
Pinnacle Books, August 2019

As the father of a young Crow tribesman, Preacher would like nothing more than to see the long-time natives and newly arrived settlers live together in peace. Then the killing starts . . . 

As a family man and frontiersman, Jamie Ian MacCallister is more than happy to help the officers at Fort Kearny negotiate a peace treaty with the Crow nation. Until it all goes to hell . . . 

This is not the American dream they were looking for. This is a nightmare. A brutal, blood-drenched frontier war that two heroic men must fight and win – or one struggling nation will never come together. For liberty and justice for all . . . 

Book one in a series that features both Preacher and Jamie Ian MacCallister, that is billed as them being together for the first time, yet as the story progresses, we are told that they already know each other and there is mention of how they met. Is there a book that tells this story? Perhaps there is in one of their own series, but I wouldn’t know as I’ve not read any of the Preacher books, or the Eagles series which starred MacCallister. I believe some of the Preacher books tell of how he met his son’s mother, rescued the woman who would become his son’s wife, and of where a revenge hungry enemy that has sworn to kill Preacher came from. This foe turning up in this book to create all kinds of deadly problems that Preacher will have to deal with whilst struggling to keep the peace between the Crow and the US Army.

From my previous paragraph you might think Preacher has the larger role to play in this book, but it’s actually MacCallister that takes centre stage. The two main characters don’t meet until just over halfway into the story. 

The author regularly switches between his characters, and it soon becomes apparent that both Preacher and MacCallister will eventually come together on opposing sides. On the Crow side we have the coolheaded leader who doesn’t want war, but will fight if he has to. There are also younger braves who’d like nothing better than to take on the soldiers. The American troopers are led by a glory hunting Lieutenant who sees the Crow as inferior and expects them to do as he wants. It’s his arrogance that will be the cause of violence between the two sides when he discovers that there is a white woman living among the Crow and he decides she needs rescuing. The woman in question is Preacher’s son’s wife, Butterfly. 

There are plenty of exciting, tense scenes and exhilarating, brutal fights throughout the fast-moving story. Two of the most memorable clashes being between the hate filled Sergeant O’Conner and the giant Crow warrior Big Thunder. Even when everything seems to have been resolved there is one more savage battle waiting as renegades lead by Preacher’s long-time enemy attack the unsuspecting Crow. 

I found Frontier America to be a very enjoyable tale that left me eager to read the next book in the series and check out both Preacher and MacCallister’s own series.  

American readers can get a copy here
British readers can get a copy here

THE WICKED AND THE DEAD

THE WICKED AND THE DEAD

William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, April 2024

As hardworking families and ambitious dreamers set down roots across the American West, others swooped down to prey upon them. After the smoke cleared, those who lived by the gun found themselves facing justice – and vengeance . . . 

It was supposed to be a simple robbery. A fortune in gold for the taking. What Hack Long and his outlaws hadn’t figured on was the Texas Rangers pouncing on them. Desperate to escape, Long led his men south of the Rio Grande where they ran afoul of Mexican Rurales and were imprisoned.

Unwilling to die behind the bars of the hellish prison where life is worth less than a peso, Long’s band of desperadoes break out of jail and split up to escape. Now, Two-Horses, Luke Fischer, Gabriel Santana, Billy Lightning, and Long are scrabbling along a desolate landscape, heading for Texas to reclaim their ill-gotten gains, hunted by dogged lawmen, merciless Comanche, and a violent gang of bandits who also want the stolen gold.

The story of Hack Long and his outlaw gang starts with them in the Mexican prison plotting their escape. I don’t know why, but I found this part of the tale to be a bit on the slow side, but never-fear, as soon as they are free, the story really picked up and I found the book difficult to put down.

The chapters are short, some being only a couple of pages long. The author often switches between the various members of the Long gang and the different groups of people hunting them. Most of the chapters involve a killing or two as each gang members meets danger on the trail to Texas. Having sixty-four chapters the book therefore contains a high death toll.

The author also fleshes out his main characters, and Billy Lightning’s backstory as to how he got his name was both scary and amusing at the same time. All the characters held my attention and I soon wanted to know what would happen to them, be they good, bad, or somewhere in between. 

As they near the town of Barlow, where the gold was hidden, Long begins to wonder if they’ll be able to find their loot again as it becomes apparent the town has grown whilst he and his gang were locked up in Mexico. This is where the author has a neat twist waiting which will really challenge the gang.

Other than the slightly sluggish start, I found The Wicked and the Dead to be a very entertaining read that’s filled with tough violent action. It’s also great to see the Johnstone’s put out another non-series western as this book just has to be a stand-alone title, doesn’t it? 

American readers can get a copy here.

UK readers can get a copy here.

KILLERS NEVER SLEEP

BUCK TRAMMEL

Book 6 of 6

KILLERS NEVER SLEEP

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, January 2024

Ben Washington and his gang of murdering prairie rats have been terrorizing Wyoming Territory for quite a spell: rustling cattle, robbing stagecoaches and railroads, and slaughtering settlers. When Sheriff Buck Trammel of Laramie learns that Washington and his killers have been terrorizing an innocent family, he and his deputy ride out and bring Washington in the hard way – at the barrel of a gun.

When word spreads fast of Washington’s capture, gambler Adam Hagen begins taking wagers on the outlaw’s fate and quickly finds himself sitting atop a mountain of cash. Hearing of the large sums being bet on Washington’s fate, the LeBlanc Brothers come to town posing as cattlemen. Gorged with greed, the LeBlanc Brothers team up with Washington’s gang of cutthroats. It’s up to Buck Trammel to not only defend the town from hell bursting loose, but to also keep Ben Washington right where he belongs – at the end of a rope.

With the majority of Buck Trammel’s problems in Laramie tied up at the close of the previous book, This Man Must Die, it seems life could get easier for the lawman. That is not to be, as a new gang of outlaws or two are about to pose a serious threat to a peaceful life in Laramie. There is also nowhere near as much political wrangling in this story as there has been in the pervious books, but you don’t need that as there is more than enough trouble for Trammel to deal with in this story. 

The main plot revolves around Washington, but he is more or less a background character as he spends most of his time locked in a cell. It’s his gang, and the LeBlanc Brothers, that are going to cause the perils that Trammel will have to face. The LeBlanc Brothers being responsible for a massive death toll that sees Laramie shaken to its foundations, that will also change the life of some of the main characters in the series. Trammel also gets some news that will alter his life too.

The author really piles the pressure on to Trammel and his deputies. There’s a powerplay as the lawmen argue over how best to defend Laramie against these new threats. Adam Hagen has a part to play in both causing one of the disasters that befalls the town and in trying to stop the outlaw gang achieving their aims.

Trammel and the outlaws try to bluff and counterbluff each other, which leads to plenty of violent exchanges of gunplay. Tension mounts as Trammel has to decide whether to let Washington go and save the town or hang onto the outlaw and see Laramie destroyed and many of its citizens killed. How Trammel solves these problems provides a gripping climax to the story.

Once again, the author has written another excellent story that keeps the Buck Trammel series going from strength to strength. I can only hope there will be another one soon, but as there hasn’t been another book announced by the Johnstone’s, I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that one may appear eventually. 

BUCK TRAMMEL series

1. North of Laramie

2. Bury the Hatchet

3. The Intruders

4. The Fires of Blackstone

5. This Man Must Die

6. Killers Never Sleep

SHOOTING IRON

DEVIL’S GULCH 2

SHOOTING IRON

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, November 2023

One of the deadliest, crime-infested towns in Colorado Territory, Devil’s Gulch needed more than a sheriff. They needed a gunslinger. So, they pinned a badge on hardcase lawman John Holt. And the rest is history….

As the town’s new sheriff, John Holt achieved the impossible: He drove the devil out of Devil’s Gulch. Corrupt, cutthroat rancher Joe Mullen – who ruled the land with an iron fist – is finally behind bars, all thanks to Sheriff Holt. But the tables are turned when Mullen manages to overturn his prison wagon and make his escape – with an army of prisoners, outlaws, and lowlifes to do his bidding.

It doesn’t take long for the streets of Devil’s Gulch to run red with blood. Again. Or for John Holt to be marked for death. Again. But this time, the sheriff’s up against more than a hundred men – all of them gunning for him – and his only allies are an all-too-young deputy, an all-too-angry farmer, and a wayward wagon cook. With odds this bad, Holt is sure of only one thing: When you shoot at the devil, it’s best not to miss.

Picking up shortly after the first book ended, this story sees Holt once again battling against Joe Mullen. Mullen wants revenge, particularly against his wife who betrayed him. That desire gets stronger when Mullen finds out she is seeing another man. Mullen soon sets in motion a plan to satisfy his need for vengeance and to clear his name – and he doesn’t care who he has to kill to achieve his aims. Town politics will also have a part to play and this throws a few twists into the story. Many of the characters from the previous books have parts to play in this one, as do some great new people, such as the cook, Bob, who isn’t all he seems. 

The plot is gripping, and offers some excellent bursts of violent gunplay. The author also takes time to develop his main characters too, exploring their thoughts regarding the situations they find themselves in and how they can use these circumstances to further their greed for power and fortune. New relationships are formed that could cause more problems for John Holt, although not all of these team-ups are wanted by all the parties involved.

Shooting Iron offers a great combination of western action and intriguing political wrangling that easily held my attention throughout and left me eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.

American readers can get a copy here

British readers can get a copy here

THIS MAN MUST DIE

BUCK TRAMMEL 5

THIS MAN MUST DIE

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, June 2023

In the world of criminal lawbreakers in Laramie County, Lucian Clay was king. He terrorized the locals, robbed every business in the territory, and ruled the place with a merciless iron fist. Thankfully he’s behind bars now – along with a load of other prairie rats – thanks to Laramie’s new sheriff, Buck Trammel. Unfortunately, Trammel can only enforce the law while others specialize in working around it: namely lawyers. And no lawyer is more crooked or corrupt than the belly-crawling snake Clay hired to get him out. By any means possible . . . 

Their breakout plan is simple: The lawyer will wait until midnight. Then he’ll break in to the county jail to bust his client out. He’ll scale the walls, kill the guards, ambush the deputies, and release the prisoner. There’s just one catch: As soon as Clay is freed, the other convicts want out, too. Which sparks total chaos in the prison, creates a distraction for Clay – and unleashes the worst blood-soaked night of murderous mayhem Buck Trammel has ever witnessed. And will never forget. If he survives . . . 

The violent jailbreak is the opening part of this book, which leads to Trammel and two others riding in pursuit of the lawyer and Clay. Back in Laramie political wrangling takes place to have the lawman removed from his job. The lawyer, Bessler, has plans for Clay’s money, and neither of these two men trust the other. A stagecoach crew also get mixed up in this deadly chain of events ensuring there is never a dull moment in this fast-moving tale.

The author plots well, describes the action sequences in visual prose. His dialogue is believable. His characters tough and single-minded. Nothing will stop them achieving their aims. Trammel and his very small posse won’t have it all their own way either and will have to suffer greatly as they attempt to track their quarry down.

I’ve enjoyed the previous four books in this series, and this one was just as gripping as those. It’s hard to say more without including major spoilers, so I won’t, other than to add that this tale is a must read for western fans. You don’t need to have read any of the previous books to enjoy this one, for there’s enough backstory mentioned to explain what has gone before. In ways this is also a new beginning for Trammel, as sheriff of a new town. 

It’s also interesting to note that the stagecoach business is called The Frontier Overland Company and that is the title of a new series the Johnstone’s are launching later this year, presumably written by the same author of this book. So, for me, that means I have a new series to look forward to as well as another Buck Trammel book that should be out in December. 

American readers can get a copy here
British readers can get a copy here

DEVIL'S GULCH

DEVIL’S GULCH

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, May 2023

John Holt is a traveling gunslinger. He’s been liberating dirty towns west of the Mississippi of murdering outlaw trash ever since the Civil War ended. No questions asked. Payment on demand.

Holt’s latest job is in Devil’s Gulch in Colorado Territory. But wiping out bands of bank robbers is just the beginning. More disorder is brewing, and the skittish mayor has handpicked Holt as the new sheriff. Holt is what the town needs: a mercenary with a badge, a loaded Remington, and a deadeye-aim for trouble.

Devil’s Gulch has the vigilante committee. The man behind it – Joe Mullen, the largest rancher and mine owner in the valley – isn’t keen on an outsider like Holt muscling in on a good thing. Mullen already has his hand in all the crime in Devil’s Gulch. He also triggers it. He likes keeping things wild. With the barbaric Bostrom brood under his command, he’s hoping it stays that way.

Holt quickly finds himself on familiar ground: up against cutthroats on the other side of the only law that counts. Holt’s law. Devil’s Gulch is his town now. And he’s itching to clean it till it sparkles.

Devil’s Gulch is the first book in another new series from the Johnstone’s. If the following books are as good as this one, then the Johnstone’s have yet another hit series on their hands.

John Holt is tough. Real tough. As soon as he arrives in Devil’s Gulch, he begins laying down the law. It doesn’t matter if you don’t like his rules as long as you follow them. If you don’t, you’re likely to be on the receiving end of a fist or bullet. If you’re still alive you’ll find yourself in jail damn quick. It doesn’t matter who you are either. Holt is not here to make friends, just do his job, his way.

To say Holt’s brutal attitude doesn’t go down well with the townsfolk, including those who hired him, is an understatement of magnificent proportions. Seems the only person that likes him is the undertaker who see’s Holt’s methods as good for business. Leading Sibert to say he wants a statue erected in Holt’s honor as he’s better for his business than the plague.

As well as outlawry there is political turmoil in Devil’s Gulch. Different sides vying for control. Even people on the same side are ready to double-cross each other without hesitation. Holt really does have his hands full of trouble, and judges and lawyers give him even more headaches to contend with. 

As you’ll now realize, there is a lot going on in this book. The author weaves his various plot threads in an entwined ball that will take Holt a lot of strength, and bullets, to untangle. There are many other great characters too, strong-willed men and women that are a joy to read about, be they good or evil or somewhere in between. All this makes Devil’s Gulch a gripping read. The author also includes some terrific twists that I didn’t see coming, especially the connection between Mullen and the Bostrom gang. The final few chapters also spring some excellent surprises that really made me wonder how this story was going to end. 

Whoever wrote this book really does know how to ensnare a reader and ensure they keep turning the pages. The closing scenes really left me looking forward to the second book in the series, Shooting Iron, that is set to be released in October. 

American readers can get a copy here
British readers can get a copy here

A STRANGER IN TOWN

WILL TANNER

Book 2 of 7 to date

A STRANGER IN TOWN

By William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, November 2016

The train grinds to a halt somewhere in the Indian Nations, and the bandits get onboard. They take everything on the train worth stealing and gun down a guard to make their escape – just another notch on the belt for Ben Trout and Brock Larsen, two of the most savage killers in the west. U.S. Deputy Marshal Ed Pine follows them to Muskogee. There the trail runs cold, and Ed Pine disappears. To save his friend, Will Tanner rides for Muskogee, where justice extends only as far as the range of a Colt .45.

Tanner earned his badge in a blistering gunfight, when he got the drop on a trio of killers and saved the life of a fellow marshal. Now he’ll have to be just as quick – and just as deadly. To bring in Trout and Larsen, Tanner must set his badge aside, and resort to the law of the gun.

This is a straight-forward track them down story. The opening chapters tell of Pine’s attempt to hunt down the train robbers and his disappearance. Tanner is then assigned to bring in Trout and Larsen, which is problematic as he has no idea what they look like or where they are heading. Some readers may find this part of the story a little on the slow side, but I’d urge you to stick with it as the pace really picks up when Tanner meets a woman and her young son and they have an impact on Tanner’s mission.

During his search, Tanner meets some interesting characters, some of whom help him and some that hinder. He also has to face some who’d rather see a lawman dead rather than alive, and these standoffs provide some tense scenes. The author also includes a couple of surprises, especially where Tanner’s love life is concerned. 

The story is very descriptive; landscape and Tanner’s thought process is particular. These give a feeling of place and also help you connect with Tanner as he struggles to bring in the train robbers, sort out his conflicting feelings towards Sophie, and later another young lady. Tanner also has to deal with his desire to complete the job even if it means crossing a state-line where his badge is no longer recognized. 

I found A Stranger in Town to be an entertaining read, perhaps not quite as good as the first novel in this series, but it left me looking forward to reading the third book, Powder Burn, sometime soon.

FORT MISERY

FORT MISERY

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, February 2023

Captain Peter Joseph Kellerman was once a promising career soldier who’d proven his mettle in battle time and again. Now he’s fighting a battle with a whiskey bottle. He’s also in charge of Fort Benjamin Grierson, located west of hell, deep in Arizona Territory’s Mohawk Valley on the arid edge of the Yuma Desert. The men under his command aren’t fit to wear the uniform. Killers, thieves, and ravagers condemned to death but who’ve chosen to serve, holding down the hated Fort Misery.

Santiago Lozado, the most wanted bandit on both sides of the border, has set his sights on Fort Misery. He wants vengeance against Kellerman for killing his son and has raised an army of brutal Apache and Comancheros to slaughter every man wearing Union blue – only to encounter a wild bunch of desperate men unafraid of shedding blood and fighting to the death . . . 

Johnstone brings together a captivating bunch of soldiers to face a much larger force of bandits and Apache in a story full of seemingly hopeless situations and disillusioned officers and troopers. Most of these characters imbibe in alcohol to see them through each and every day. When a clerical error sends a fresh-faced officer straight from West Point to the fort, he is aghast at the situation he finds himself in. 

The author switches regularly between his cast of characters, be they soldiers or their enemy. This allows the readers to follow what each side is doing, how they are planning to attack or defend Fort Grierson and this also helps build reader anticipation for the assault on the fort. The bandits, scalpers and Apache all seem set on double-crossing each other too. Other people get involved in this battle as well; a couple of prisoners who’ve escaped from the prison wagon taking them to Yuma, and a marshal looking to track them down. 

Action scenes are described superbly and they are often quite brutal in their depiction. The harsh landscape surrounding Fort Grierson is beautifully portrayed as are feelings of despair, nerve jangling tension, and hatred. Amongst all this the author injects many moments of humour, mostly found in conversation, adding some welcome relief to the deadly situations the soldiers find themselves in. 

It would be unrealistic to expect all your favourite characters to come out of this unscathed. I also liked how the author wasn’t averse to killing off some of them too, making it impossible to predict who would be left alive by the end. 

The last couple of chapters nicely set up what I assume will be the plot for the second book in the series and I’m looking forward to reading that with much anticipation. 

BLACK HILLS BLOOD HUNT

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, November 2022

Deadwood, South Dakota. Miners flock there seeking fortunes, while cardsharps, bandits, and businessmen seek to deprive those who strike gold by means fair and foul. Legendary former lawman Seth Bullock plans to keep the peace by any means necessary – especially when his good friend, President Theodore Roosevelt, is expected in town to celebrate the anniversary of Deadwood’s founding.

Delayed in Washington, the President has sent his wife and children to the boomtown ahead of his arrival. But Ambrose Neill, a former New Your policeman jailed by Roosevelt for corruption has kidnapped two children in the First Family. Backed by a gang of trigger-happy outlaws and supported by a ruthless senator, Neill plans to politically control the Commander-in-Chief before slaughtering him.

But what Neill and his cohorts don’t realize is that Roosevelt has gathered a deadly posse of rough riders including Bullock – and the legendary father-son gunfighters Frank and Conrad Morgan – who are more likely to bring the gang to justice dead than alive . . . 

The book begins with a couple of incidents from Roosevelt’s past that will shape the plot of this story. The author includes many real life people as well as his fictional cast which brings together some of Johnstone’s most loved characters, the main one in this tale being Conrad Morgan. Roosevelt is attempting to employ Conrad when two of his children are kidnapped so the Kid offers to help save them and brings his father, Frank Morgan, in to help. Later they will team up with Hunter Buchanon. Other Johnstone characters make brief appearances too, such as Smoke, Sally and Denny Jensen.

This is a well written story that is packed with tense situations and engaging characters, both good and bad. As Roosevelt rides to rescue his children the youngsters find themselves in a frying pan into the fire situation as events change and their survival chances become much slimmer. Roosevelt, and his posse, are totally unaware of how things have altered, and their mission looks doomed to failure.

As well as plenty of action scenes, the author also includes moments of humour. The bickering about age between Hunter and Frank making me laugh out loud. Yeap, this story is set in the very early 1900’s, so these familiar characters have aged quite a bit since we last read about them in their own series. Does this also mean that Frank won’t be quite as fast with his gun as he once was when he needs to be?

If you like stories that bring together fictional characters with those that really lived, or tales that see heroes from different series riding and fighting alongside each other then this is a must read. Of course, no fan of the Johnstone books will want to miss this either.

CUTTHROATS

SLASH AND PECOS

Number 1 of 5 to date

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Kensington hardback, February 2019

Pinnacle paperback, July 2019

Not every Western hero wears a white hat or a tin star. Most of them are just fighting to survive. Some of them can be liars, cheaters, and thieves. And then there’s a couple of old-time robbers named Slash and Pecos . . . 

After a lifetime of robbing banks and holding up trains, Jimmy “Slash” Braddock and Melvin “Pecos Kid” Baker are ready to call it quits – though not completely by choice. Sold out by their gang, Slash and Pecos have to bust out of jail and pull one last job to finance their early retirement . . . 

The target is a rancher’s payroll train. Catch is: the train is carrying a Gatling gun manned by deputy U.S. marshals who know they’re coming. Caught and quickly sentenced to hang, their old enemy – the wheelchair-bound, bucket of mean, Marshal L.C. Bledsoe – shows up at the last minute to spare their lives. For a price. He’ll let them live if they hunt down their own gang, the Snake River Marauders. And kill those prairie rats – with extreme prejudice . . . 

Slash and Pecos are a couple of bickering old outlaws who’ve never killed anyone unless it was whilst defending themselves. Both are very likeable characters whose reflections on their past and observations on their now and future often had me grinning or laughing out loud. I will quickly add that this isn’t a comedy western, far from it.

After a lengthy gunfight with bounty hunters the story swiftly moves on to the ill-fated train robbery. This leads to them being sentenced to death by hanging. Saved in the nick-of-time, Slash and Pecos now have to face up to the realization that they have been double-crossed and have no choice but to track down and kill their old gang. Fittingly the final showdown revolves around another train robbery which contains many edge-of-the-seat moments.

There are many other terrific characters in this book too; Marshal “Bleed-‘Em-So” Bledsoe and the beautiful statuesque blonde, Abigail Langdon, who pushes the Marshal around in his wheelchair. Then there’s Jaycee Breckenridge, a long-time friend who it seems set them up to be captured, which is a revelation that Slash and Pecos struggle to comprehend. 

Descriptions of characters, landscape, architecture, trains and the many action scenes are superb, painting vivid imagery that played out in my minds-eye in a very visual, gripping tale that made this book difficult to put down. On reaching the end, I was left wanting to read the next book in the series as soon as possible.

THE MORGANS

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, October 2018

There’s nothing particularly unusual for a legendary gunman to be summoned to the lawless, bullet-riddled territory of Arizona. But when Frank Morgan, aka The Last Gunfighter, rides into Tucson, he finds himself ambushed and kidnapped by ruthless Mexican bandit Ramirez and his army of thugs. The only way out is for Frank’s son, Conrad Browning, heir to the vast Browning fortune, to ransom his father free. But Conrad isn’t giving up one cent. He’s got a far deadlier currency in mind . . .

Conrad heads down to the border and infiltrates the compound. But to prove himself, he has to hold up a train with the rest of the gang. Ramirez catches on to Conrad’s ruse, and the only way out is for Frank to come to the rescue. It’s a wild turn of events for sure, but for the Morgan’s, when it comes to killing their enemies, it’s all in the family.

Both The Last Gunfighter and The Loner series came to an end in 2012 and the many fans of these two series thought that was the last they’d see of Frank Morgan and Conrad Browning, but now they are back, together in a book that is advertised as the first in a new series. 

Throughout the vast majority of this book father and son operate alone. Even as Conrad attempts to free his father, Frank, unaware of his son’s plans, tries to break out of his prison. Nothing works out as expected and the Morgan’s find themselves in more deadly situations.

There are plenty of memorable characters, Ramirez, Kern, Bracken, and Antonia to name but a handful. The story is filled with twists and turns and contains plenty of action. The author includes tense scenes too, such as when Conrad is about to witness his father being shot dead right before his eyes. Everything moves forwards at an ever-increasing pace, culminating in an exciting showdown that finishes the book in blood-drenched style. 

Fans of The Last Gunfighter and The Loner will definitely want to read this. If you haven’t read any of the books in those earlier series then this is a superb way to introduce yourself to Frank Morgan and Conrad Browning. In my opinion this book should be on the reading list of all western fans.

Was there another book in this series? Sadly, there hasn’t been. But in October 2022 Pinnacle Books are releasing Black Hills Blood Hunt, a book featuring Frank Morgan, Conrad Browning and the hero from another Johnstone series, Hunter Buchanon, and that is definitely on my want list. 

WILL TANNER, U.S. DEPUTY MARSHAL

By William W. Johnstone with J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle Books, June 2016

After spending most of his young life driving cattle from Texas to Nevada, Will Tanner is ready to wash the trail dust from his throat. Maybe it was fate that brought him to the Morning Glory Saloon on the border of Indian Territory – or just plain bad luck – because no sooner does he sit down than three rough-looking characters walk into the bar with vengeance in their eyes, guns at their sides…and fingers on their triggers. The trio’s target is the famous U.S. Deputy Marshal Pride who arrested one of their kin – and who’s sitting in the bar near Will Tanner. Seeing that Pride is facing losing odds, Will Tanner makes a decision that changes his life forever. He draws, takes aim, and saves the deputy’s life. Tanner has himself a new job, a badge, and enough grit to make him a legend on the American frontier.

This is the first book in a series, of which there are currently seven, and the opening scenes detail events that lead to Tanner arriving at the Morning Glory Saloon. Saving Pride sees Tanner offered and accepting a position as a Deputy Marshal. Tanner’s first assignment is to ride with Pride to bring in a group of outlaws lead by Max Tarbow, during which the experienced Pride shares his considerable knowledge of tracking down outlaws – and staying alive in the process – to the new lawman. Tanner certainly has a natural ability with the gun and for self-preservation, although learning to think like an outlaw will take some effort. Tanner soon learns that taking outlaws alive isn’t easy, but transporting the dead has its own problems too.

The story is essentially a chase novel filled with fast and furious gunplay. It’s not just the lawmen tracking outlaws though, as it isn’t long before someone is hunting for Tanner, wanting to send the novice lawman to hell. 

Tanner meets a great set of characters, both good and bad, male and female as he tracks down Tarbow and his gang. The relationship between Tanner and a young lady, Sophie, I expect will develop further in the next book(s). Tanner also meets an old man called Perley Gates, which is a name that should be familiar to readers of Johnstone novels, and Gates has an important role to play in the outcome of this tale.

The story captured my imagination easily with the authors’ prose painting vivid imagery for my minds’ eye. The interaction between the characters was excellent and I especially enjoyed how the author often switched to telling the story from the outlaws’ perspective, particularly when Tanner was gunning for them – their fear of this often-unseen lawman making him seem almost mythical in his deadly ability to take them out one by one. 

As you’ve probably gathered, I really enjoyed this book and I’m certain it won’t be long before I pick up the next one. 

THE FIRES OF BLACKSTONE

BUCK TRAMMEL 4

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle, May 2022

“King” Charles Hagen is dead. The empire he carved out of Blackstone, Wyoming, by hook and by crook now lies in the hands of his children. Caleb Hagen has long stood in his father’s shadow, ambitiously plotting, and ready to stake his claim. Young and impetuous Bart Hagan planes to expand the family legacy across the nation. Debora Hagan’s ruthless nature believes the time has come for a queen to reign over the Hagan kingdom.

Only Adam, their estranged brother, has a different plan. His vengeance against their father requires him to tear down everything “King” Hagan ever built, even if that means shedding family blood. But none of the siblings reckoned that the bloodthirsty crime honcho Lucien Clay was prepared to send a murderous pack of gunslingers against them all for control of the territory.

Blackstone has been ruled by lawlessness long enough. The town is Buck Trammel’s jurisdiction. And he will protect it as judge, jury, and executioner . . . 

Those of you that have read the previous three books in this series will know that each story is self-contained, yet carries plotlines and characters from book to book. If you’ve been following the difficulties that have faced Buck Trammel as he tries to bring peace to Blackstone this book will be a must read for you. If you’ve not read the earlier books then you might prefer to do so before beginning this one, but if you do dive right in to this story, you’ll find the author includes enough information for you to understand what has happened before.

The introduction of “King” Hagan’s sons and daughters adds a great set of new characters to those that have survived the series so far. And it’s not just them that add fresh blood to the storyline, there’s the hired assassin Stanton who seems to be more than a match for Trammel, perhaps he’ll be the man who’ll finally put the lawman in his grave. If you enjoy courtroom drama, then this story has that too, as the validity of “King” Hagan’s will is contested in some gripping scenes that offer surprise after surprise. There’s an interesting turn of events in Trammel’s relationship with Emily. Trammel also gets an offer he finds impossible to turn down. All this and more, makes for a complicated and gripping plot that made the book difficult to put down.

The author neatly brings everything to a rousing and violent climax played out on the streets of Blackstone that seems to bring a close to all the storylines in this tale and those that have continued book to book. I say seems to bring a close, as a neat twist at the end could mean there’s more trouble in store for the survivors. One can only live in hope.

BULLETS DON'T DIE

THE LONER

Number 15 of 15

By J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle, September 2012

Conrad Browning, a.k.a. The Loner, knows what it’s like to have a family and a home. And he knows what it’s like to lose it all. Now, he has met a man living on the edge of sanity: a good man, a flawed man, a solitary man who might just cost The Loner his life…

Jared Tate is an aging U.S. marshal who has saved lives, made enemies, and planted a lot of bad men in hallowed ground. But Tate is in deep trouble, the kind that comes from a troubled mind. Not remembering as much as he wants to, not forgetting as much as he should. Tate has one person to trust. Because the Loner has made Tate’s enemies his own, taking on Tate’s demons and Tate’s fight. In the lawless and violent Kansas territory, a young wanderer and an again lawman will journey side-by-side one last time – into a fight that will take every bullet they have…

The theme of memory loss due to age is a storyline that doesn’t turn up that often in westerns, and having this tale revolve around that condition makes this story a bit different to other books. Tate’s condition provides one or two humorous moments, but mainly his mixed-up memories will trigger feelings of sadness within the reader. The author handles these scenes with a sensitivity that’ll soon have you hoping you won’t suffer in a similar way when you get older.

The Loner and the lawman get involved in a number of deadly situations as the former escorts Tate to his daughter’s home. At first The Loner doesn’t realize that Tate is suffering from memory loss but it soon becomes very evident and The Loner has to confiscate Tate’s gun when the lawman tries to kill him when he confuses the Loner for an outlaw he tracked down many years before.

An unfortunate newspaper report reveals Tates’ whereabout to both old and new enemies and several attempts on his life are made. As well as gunfights the Loner gets involved in a couple of vicious fistfights as he tries to protect the old lawman. 

I don’t want to make any comments about the ending so as not to spoil it for those who are planning to read the book, except to say that it didn’t quite turn out as I expected.

Talking of endings, Bullets Don’t Die is the last book in the Loner series and for me that is a shame as I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all. But I will be able to read more about Conrad Browning as in 2021 the Johnstone’s put out a book called The Morgans which sees the Loner team up with his father, Frank Morgan a.k.a. The Last Gunfighter, and I’ll be reading that very soon.

THE INTRUDERS

BUCK TRAMMEL 3

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle, July 2021

Blackstone, Wyoming, belongs to “King” Charles Hagan. The rancher bought land, built businesses, and employed most of the townsfolk. Unfortunately, Sheriff Buck Trammel is not on His Majesty’s payroll. The lawdog won’t be tamed or trained to accept the king’s position as master of the territory, but neither will he threaten his empire.

Adam Hagan, the king’s second in command, is vying to take control of his father’s violent empire in Blackstone. Sidling up with the notorious criminal Lucien Clay, Adam is adding professional hired guns who perform his dirty deeds without question. But moving against his father means crossing paths with his former friend Buck – the man who once saved Adam’s life.

A civil war is coming to Blackstone. And when the gunsmoke clears, Buck Trammel is determined to be the last man standing . . . 

This is a series that you may prefer to read in order as many storylines continue from book to book. Having said that, each book does have its own specific plot that will be resolved even though this may give birth to new story threads that will entwine with series running plots and carry on in the next book. 

Whereas some westerns read like one long gun battle from beginning to end, the Buck Trammel series doesn’t. These books revolve around complicated powerplays as most of the main characters attempt to wipe each other out by destroying each other’s businesses in any way they can so they can take control of them themselves. These twisting power struggles offer surprise after surprise and often have unexpected outcomes. All this makes for gripping reading. Of course, there is gunplay, and murder, all of which leads to an excellent showdown at the end that sees a lot of lead slung and many bodies littering the streets of Blackstone.

Trammel tries his best to keep a lid on things whilst wrestling with affairs of the heart as the two women in his life respond in different ways to him – to say more about this would give away too much of the plot. The author piles on problem after problem for the lawman to deal with. Strained relationships reach breaking point. There is also a surprising death, the aftermath of which sets up the violent ending to the tale. 

Like the two books before it, The Intruders turned out to be an enthralling read and the end left me very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

HARD LUCK MONEY

THE LONER

Number 14 of 15

By J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle, July 2012

A beautiful young woman has an incredible story about her outlaw father who got busted out of jail and then met a bloody end. Katherine Lupo believes her dad, a career train robber, was sprung by someone who wanted to set him up for another crime – and then killed him when the job was done. A Texas Ranger believes her and turns to The Loner, to go undercover and find out who was behind Lupo’s escape and murder. Posing as train robber, The Loner finds what he is after: a cold blooded and deadly master criminal. But from the get-go, The Loner is fighting for his life, for the lives of men and women on the right side of the law – and one desperate shot to plant an evil man six feet under.

The first part of this book tells of what happened to Lupo, telling the tale of his jailbreak and reveals who was behind it and what they want from the bank robber. The story then follows his involvement with the gang and his death at the hands of a cold-blooded killer. 

Kid Morgan, The Loner, doesn’t want to get involved, but eventually agrees. Given a new identity the Kid is thrown into prison hoping the gang will free him for his fake talents as a successful train robber. There are some tense scenes inside the prison as the Kid finds he can’t trust anyone, fellow prisoners or guards.

Soon the Kid is sprung in an explosive jailbreak and he finds himself riding with the gang on a train robbery, will he be forced to break the law? He is also surprised to find a beautiful young woman is part of the gang and he is puzzled as to her involvement. Can she be trusted as she wants him to help her escape the gang?

Like the previous books this one moves forward at a tremendous pace. The plot is straight-forward enough but the author keeps it interesting by adding twists and turns that soon had me wondering how the Kid could possibly bring the gang to justice. Filled with great characters and lots of action I found this book to be just as enjoyable as those before it and on reaching the end I was left eager to read the next in the series, something I’ll be doing very soon.

BURY THE HATCHET

BUCK TRAMMEL 2

By William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone

Pinnacle, September 2020

There are two things a man can never escape: his past and his destiny. For Buck Trammel, that past includes a fatal mistake that ended his career as a Pinkerton – and a deadly shootout with the Bowman gang in a Wichita saloon. Call it luck or call it fate, but the famous Deputy Wyatt Earp was there to give Buck some advice: Run for your life. Maybe it was Earp’s warning that saved him from the gang’s wrath. Maybe it was destiny that brought him to the town of Blackstone, Wyoming, where his biggest problem is a brewing father-son war. But Trammel’s luck is about to run dry . . . 

The gang’s ruthless boss, Old Man Bowman, knows where Trammel lives. He’s assembled a small army of gunslingers. He’s hired a Pinkerton with a grudge against Trammel. And he’s coming to town to bury the hatchet . . . 

This book continues storylines begun in the first Buck Trammel western, North of Laramie, so if you haven’t read that story, you may find it advantageous to read the earlier book before this one, although it isn’t necessary as the author includes enough information in this second book to fill new readers in on any background detail you need to know to understand how those previous events shaped the plot in this tale.

The author develops relationships further between characters from the first book and introduces others too. All find themselves struggling to stay alive in a twisting plot that easily pulls you into its enthralling storyline. A bounty placed on Trammel’s head ensures there’s plenty of gunplay as all kinds of people try to make themselves a quick fortune. It was the coming confrontation between Trammel and the Pinkerton’s that added suspense to the tale and kept me eagerly turning the pages.

Trammel’s broken friendship with Adam Hagan and his uneasy alliance with Adam’s father, King Charles Hagan, is tested a number of times and there is a shocking revelation that could cause unfixable damage. 

The story involves fast violent action scenes, political wrangling, double-cross, and devious twists, in a well-crafted tale that proved to be a gripping read. The book neatly ties up the main threads of the story and leaves a couple of the sub-plots still dangling, thus ensuring readers will want to read the third book, The Intruders, to find out what happens next, something I hope to do very soon.