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.

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.