Books by William W. Johnstone

Luke Ransom was just eighteen years old when he answered an ad in a St. Louis newspaper that would change his life forever. The American Fur Company needed one-hundred enterprising men to travel up the Missouri River -- the longest in North America -- all the way to its source. They would hunt and trap furs for one, two, or three years. Along the way, they would face unimaginable hardships: grueling weather, wild animals, hunger, exhaustion, and hostile attacks by the Blackfeet and Arikara. Luke Ransom was one of the brave men chosen for the job -- and one of the few to survive ... Five years later. Luke is a seasoned trapper and hunter, a master of his trade. The year is 1833, and the American Fur Company is sending him to the now-famous Rendezvous at Green River. For Luke, it may be his last job for the company. After facing death countless times, he is ready to strike out on his own. But when he encounters a fellow trapper under attack by Indians, his life takes an unexpected turn. A new friendship is forged in blood. And a dangerous new journey begins ...

From the legendary, bestselling authors of Forever Texas comes a thrilling, action-packed novel that proves old cowboys not only get wiser with age – they get bolder and tougher too…After thirty hard years of chasing stampedes into storms and pushing herds of half-crazy cows across the plains, longtime buddies and cattle drivers Casey Tubbs and Eli Doolin are ready to hang up their spurs. But when they get to Abilene with their final delivery of two thousand cows, the company lawyer has skipped town with their crew’s entire wages. That means there’s just one last job Eli and Casey will have to do…Steal it back.Sure, pulling off a robbery is a new challenge for these old boys. But they’ve learned a lot of tricks over the years —and they’re one hell of a team. Between the two of them, they devise a scheme to hold up the lawyer on the noon train and deliver the money to the men who earned it.Except after pulling off the perfect crime—and getting away with it—an honest, peaceful retirement stops sounding so good. Casey and Eli start thinking they may have missed their calling in life. This could be the start of a whole new career . . . as outlaws.JOHNSTONE COUNTRY.  WHERE CRIME DOESN’T PAY . . . UNTIL IT DOES. “Superb from start to finish. An instant classic." —New York Times Bestselling Author Marc Cameron on Forever Texas

When President Theodore Roosevelt comes to Deadwood, the Greatest Western Writers of the 21st Century unite three of their most legendary heroes – Hunter Buchanon, Frank “The Last Gunfighter” Morgan, and his son, Conrad “The Loner” Morgan – from three of their most popular series for one monumental new series spin-off!JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WHERE MEN LIVE BY THEIR WITS—OR DIE BY THEIR  IGNORANCE.The President has come to Deadwood—and his enemies have come out of the woodwork—in an action-packed tale of vengeance and justice from national bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone.A HAIL OF BULLETS TO THE CHIEFDeadwood, 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 York City policeman jailed by Roosevelt for corruption, has kidnapped the President’s daughter. 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 . . .Live Free. Read Hard.

The bestselling Johnstones serve up the third breakneck shoot-em-up featuring Ben Savage, a former Texas Ranger-turned bar owner in the rough and tough town of Buzzard’s Bluff….Running a small town saloon is no easy task, even for a former Texas Ranger like Ben Savage. A lot of men get mean after a few shots of hooch. Some get violent. Others get revenge—bloody, bloody revenge. SLAUGHTERDAY NIGHT There’s a new stranger in town, and he goes by the name of Lucas Blaine. Some folks say he’s the fastest gun in the West. But Ben Savage don’t put much stock in what folks say—until the killing starts. So far, Blaine has his sights set on just one target: a pretty widow who’s staying with the wife of a Baptist preacher. No one knows what the connection is between the two, but the local sheriff isn’t taking any chances. In the past, he’s relied on Ben Savage to help keep Wolf Creek from becoming target practice for gunslingers. But this time, a woman is involved. And the gunslinger’s about to turn Wolf Creek into a slaughterhouse… JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. ALL SHOTS ON THE HOUSE. 

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. DANGEROUS CURVES AHEAD.Slash and Pecos match wits with the wiliest opponent they've ever hada wickedly smart woman who can't be caughtin their wildest western adventure yet. . . . It sounds like an easy job: track down the lady friend of notorious outlaw Duke Winter and bring her in for questioning. There's just one problem: Slash and Pecos have never met a woman like Miss Fannie Diamond, a glamorous showgirl who's prettier than a French poodle, slicker than a Dodge City gambler, and more slippery than a Mojave rattlesnake. She knows that Slash and Pecos are coming for her and has no intention of being caughtnot without one of hell of a fight. . . . By the time the duo arrive at the Rocky Mountain mining camp where Miss Diamond is performing, the devilishly clever gal has already arranged a welcome wagon for them: some hired thugs who knock Slash and Pecos silly. Still, the show must go onso the pair decide to snatch Miss Diamond off the stage in the middle of a performance. It doesn't take long for Slash and Pecos to learn that there's no business like show businessand no showgirl like Miss Fannie Diamond. Sometimes, the female of the species is deadlier than the male. . . . Live Free. Read Hard.

Smoke Jensen calls the mountains home. The unforgiving wilderness taught him to survive. There’s no creature he hasn’t fought. There’s no storm he hasn’t weathered. And there’s no man in the untamed West who doesn’t fear his name. The Measure of a Man collects two adventures of New York Times bestselling author William W. Johnstone’s champion of the American frontier in one volume.War of the Mountain Man Nestled in the north Montana Rockies lies Hell’s Creek. A haven for outlaws, every thief and killer with an itchy trigger finger and an appetite for destruction pays their dues to Big Max Higgins, a criminal king seeking to expand his empire. But when he targets the town of Barlow, his gang ends up trading lead with Smoke Jensen, the Last Mountain Man, and the last man they ever should have crossed . . . Law of the Mountain Man In the dead of winter in frostbitten Idaho Territory two ranching outfits are at war, battling over the range. Between them comes Smoke Jensen, traversing the frontier and minding his own business, when he finds himself dodging bullets. Caught in the crossfire, threatened by both sides to sign up or occupy a grave, Smoke declares his own war, leaving casualties colder than the snow across the range . . .  JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WHERE NATURE FORGES THE STRONGEST MEN.

Before he became known as “The Last Mountain Man,” Smoke Jensen and his bride Sally were hard-working ranchers on the Colorado frontier, when times were hard, tensions were high, and guns were the law…JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. BULLET BY BULLET.  For Smoke and Sally Jensen, the Sugarloaf Ranch is a glorious stretch of untamed land near the Colorado-Kansas border, the perfect place to stake their claim, raise some cattle, and start a new family. But when a man claiming to be an army colonel arrives in Big Rock—with a well-armed militia—the Jensens’ dream becomes a living nightmare. Colonel Lamar Talbot claims there’s a war looming with the Cheyenne Indians. And only he can save them from a bloody massacre—by launching a bloody counterattack… Smoke and Sally aren’t sure they trust him. They suspect the colonel and his men are nothing more than brutal vigilantes with a hidden agenda of their own. But the Cheyenne war parties are a very real threat. The tribe’s charismatic leader, Black Drum, is launching raids on local ranches, farms, and the railroads, too. Every day, the violence gets worse and the war moves closer—until it reaches the Sugarloaf Ranch. That’s when Sally gets attacked. That’s when Smoke grabs his guns. That’s when the shooting starts—and the final battle begins…

Inludes excerpt from When the shooting starts.

“Superb from start to finish. An instant classic. “ —New York Times Bestselling Author Marc Cameron Based on real events and the true history of the legendary King Ranch in South Texas, this riveting historical adventure evokes the reality of life on the Texas frontier, as one pioneering family battles to forge a new life and carve out their own piece of the American West…It’s 1852. The wounds of the Mexican War are healing. Regis Royle, co-owner of a steamship fleet, has made it out alive, relatively unscarred and with enough profit and foolhardy ambition to envision a new life in south Texas. With the help of his crack-shot kid brother Shepley, his glad-handing riverboat partner Cormac Delany, and his old friend, raw-edged former Texas Ranger Jarvis “Bone” McGraw, Regis is laying claim to the prime jewel in a magnificent rolling prairie: the Santa Calina range teeming with wild mustangs, cattle, and eighteen-thousand acres of lush promise.   But all dreams have a price. For Regis, it’s hell to pay—and the fire is coming at him from all directions. On one side of the border, it’s banditos and a vengeful Mexican heiress with a passionate hatred for greenhorn gringos. Especially those who have their eye on land once owned by her family. On the other side, the Apaches, slave traders, and outlaws have Santa Calina in their sights. And none of them are going to walk away from the bloody battle.   The brothers Royle and their partners have the most to lose—including their lives. They made a pledge to themselves to build the greatest ranch in America. To see it through to the end, they’ll have to ride hard and learn the bitter necessity of violence and bloodshed.

Includes excerpt from When the Shooting Starts.

"'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 Hagen plans to expand the family legacy across the nation. Debora Hagen's ruthless nature believes the time has come for a queen to reign over the Hagen kingdom. Only Adam, their estranged brother, has a different plan. His vengeance against their father requires him to tear down everything 'King' Hagen ever built, even if that means shedding family blood. But none of the siblings reckoned that 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 ..." -- Amazon.

From bestselling authors William W. and J.A. Johnstone, comes an all too plausible narrative of how far greed can go, as a shocking wave of mass evictions triggers a national crisis, a media meltdown-and all-out war.THIS IS NOT THE AMERICA WE LOVE. From coast to coast, American families are losing their homes. Evicted with little notice and tossed into the streets by predatory bankers, landlords, and real estate developers, these once-proud homeowners have invested their lives in the American Dream-only to see it turn into a nightmare. But one tightknit community is fighting back. They've decided to stand their ground, defend their homes, and fight the power-with firepower… THIS IS WAR. Enter Joseph Knox, a military veteran whose parents have been targeted in an illegal scheme to turn their quiet but slightly rundown neighborhood into luxury condos. The man behind the project has the backing of greedy investors, sleazy lawyers, and a corrupt police force. But the Knox family has backing, too-a makeshift army of real Americans who refuse to surrender. With some last-minute training from Joe Knox and his brother John-and a small arsenal of weapons-this ragtag team of senior citizens will do whatever it takes to save their homes. Even kill if they have to.

"Smoke Jensen is mighty proud of his son Louis for finishing law school. But he can't help being a little disappointed that Louis isn't returning to the Sugarloaf Ranch. Instead, he's setting up his own law practice in nearby Big Rock--a career choice that turns out to be every bit as dangerous as fending off cattle rustlers. The boy's first case lands him smack in the middle of a heated dispute between two riled-up ranchers over water rights. If Louis can't settle them down, the whole thing could blow up into a bloody range war. Then a scheming con man shows up in town to stir up trouble--and ends up dead. Now Louis has to defend his sister's boyfriend on murder charges. What's worse, the real killer is still out there. And he's ready to slaughter again... Smoke Jensen's son may be a lawyer now. But if there's one thing he learned from his daddy, it's that in places like Big Rock, men live and die by one law alone: the law of the gun... Johnstone Country. Guns and Money. And Sometimes, Lawyers." --

"Apache renegade Bloody Hand plays a role in each of the Jackals' lives. To bounty hunter Jed Breen, he is man with a price on his head. To retired cavalry segeant Sean Keegan, he is a cellmate after a drunken brawl. And to former Texas Ranger Matt McCulloch, he is the key to a mystery that has long haunted him. When McCulloch breaks Bloody Hand out of jail, his fellow Jackals follow them into Mexico. Now, all four are wanted men. The U.S. Army and bounty hunters cross the Rio Grande in pursuit. Awaiting them south of the border are Mexican rurales led by Confederate expatriate Major Block Frazer seeking revenge against Bloody Hand. But nothing will stop McCulloch from completing his mission--to save his daughter from the Apache band that abducted her years before. Outnumbered and outgunned, the Jackals will stand together to free McCulloch's daughter--or end up hung, drawn, and quartered."--

"There's a storm brewing in Oklahoma Territory, and this time, it's deadly serious. Local cattle ranches are being targeted by Texas rustlers--and the only man who can keep it from turning into a bloodbath is U.S. Deputy Marshal Will Tanner. The newly married lawman hates to leave his beautiful bride Sophie, but duty calls--for better or worse. In Tanner's experience, it's usually worse. An unexpected confrontation with outlaws is just the bloody beginning. Then an escaped convict catches wind of the fact that Tanner killed his brother. Now Will's really in the crosshairs. Tanner knows he's riding straight into a perfect storm of vengeance and slaughter, with only one way to end it--a hailstorm of hot lead"--Back cover.

When outlaws start setting fires to distract the locals while they rob their banks and loot their towns, Luke Jensen, as their fiery reign rages out of control, infiltrates the gang, fighting fire with gunfire.

From the Greatest Western Writers of the 21st Century, William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone, the 6th blazing adventure featuring Perley Gates, a new hero in the Old West who’s carving out his own legacy in the violent American frontier. He’s as honest and good as his heavenly name, so when an unholy trio of cutthroat rustlers turn a routine horse drive into an epic showdown between good and evil—with a little divine justice from gunfighting legend Perley Gates… JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. RUSTLERS’ PARADISE.  At first, the job sounds easy: lead a small herd of horses across the Arkansas–Texas border to the Double-D ranch near Texarkana. No problem—at least not for a man like Perley Gates. In fact, he’s looking forward to the 150-mile journey with his old sidekick Possum Smith and young Sonny Rice, and doesn’t expect any trouble along the way. Unfortunately, trouble has a way of finding Perley Gates. This time, it’s a trigger-happy trio of horse thieves who take one look at old Possum, young Sonny, and the low-key Perley, and decide they’re three very easy targets. But in the Old West, nothing comes easy. Except death… So begins one hell of a showdown. On one side are the forces of evil itself, with notorious gunslinger Spade Devlin gunning for blood. On the other side are a few good men, a town under siege—and a merciless angel of vengeance named Perley Gates… 

Johnstone Justice. Get It While It’s Hot. Dewey “Mac” Mackenzie is no ordinary chuckwagon cook. He’s a marked man on the run who works cattle drives to stay one step ahead of his enemies. If these hired killers catch up to him, he’ll be slinging guns instead of hash—with a side order of revenge that’s best served cold . . . HOT BISCUITS. COLD GRAVES. A hot meal, a hard drink, and maybe a friendly hand of poker—that’s all Mac Mackenzie wants when he drifts into the small town of Harcourt City, Montana. What he gets is a fistful of trouble.  When he defends a saloon girl from the unwanted advances of some local toughs, he earns the wrath of the town’s powerful namesake, Oscar Harcourt. Harcourt rules this place with an iron fist—and a steely eyed gang of thugs. Now he has his eyes on a ranch belonging to the saloon girl and her brother. A ranch they won’t give up—without a fight. To raise funds, the brother and sister arrange a cattle drive to Rattlesnake Creek, and they want Mac to join them. As an experienced cattle pusher and chuckwagon cook, he’s sure to be an asset. But as a secret gunslinger with a price on his head, he might end up getting them all killed. Now the cattle are ready to go. Mac is ready for anything. But with so many devils ridng on their tails, Mac is ready to turn up the heat—and send them back to hell . . . 

Johnstone Justice. Making the West wild again. Keeping the peace in a West Texas town like Buffalo Peak should be easy for a legendary frontiersman like Marshal Elwood "Firestick" McQueen. He’s got his longtime buddies "Beartooth" Skinner and "Moosejaw" Hendricks as his deputies—not to mention the famous rifle that earned him his nickname. But when Firestick learns that their ornery old friend “Rip” Ripley just rode into town, all bets are off. It’s darn near impossible to keep the peace when Rip’s specialty is disturbing it. Firestick finds a decade-old wanted poster for Rip—the reward is one dollar.  Firestick uses it to toss Rip into the clink till he decides to leave town. But Ripley’s still up to his old tricks—he has a new gang of cutthroats coming to Buffalo Peak to steal a king’s ransom in gold in the town bank. Firestick, Beartooth, and Moosejaw become pawns in what just might be the heist of the century. Because Rip’s kill-crazy pals will have to bust him out of jail first... 

Johnstone Country. Be Quick or Be Dead. In a twist of fate, Slash and Pecos are riding hard for the law, dispensing justice as they see fit, and determined to watch their final sunset as heroes...not outlaws. His wicked ways mostly behind him, reformed bank robber Jimmy “Slash” Braddock is getting hitched to his sweetheart. But before the honeymoon, Chief U.S. Marshal Luther T. “Bleed-’Em-So” Bledsoe needs Slash and his former partner-in-crime, Melvin “Pecos Kid” Baker, to don a couple of deputy marshal badges and saddle up for a trip to Nebraska. Seems the town of Harveyville has fallen prey to a trio of murderous badmen blasting away up and down Main Street, and the local law needs some assistance from men who know how to handle a gun. But Slash and Pecos killed the wrong man. Worse, the town marshal tells them that the outlaws rode on and he doesn’t need their help after all. But now Slash and Pecos are wanted men. Tom Gyllenwater’s son is dead. He won’t rest until Slash and Pecos are permanently relocated to Boot Hill. And as the duo are targeted by every gun-crazy desperado in the territory, Slash and Pecos discover they’ll find no help from anyone in Harveyville, a town of ruthless and corrupt folks willing to kill to protect their secrets...

"It begins in the Pacific Northwest. A deadly wave of massive wildfires are raging out of control, killing hundreds in their path, and showing no sign of stopping. This time, the fires are manmade. In Portland, Oregon, a sleeper cell of terrorists have recruited a disgruntled Forest Service smokejumper to train their army. To spread the fear coast to coast. To make America burn. Those who flee the hot flames are gunned down in cold blood. But one man--Forestry Service smokejumper Cory Cantwell--is fighting back"--Back cover.

Rollie Finnegan is a man of few words. As a Pinkerton agent with two decades of experience under his belt, he uses his stony silence to break down suspects and squeeze out confessions. Hence the nickname Stoneface. Over the years, he's locked up plenty of killers. Now he's ready to make a killing--for himself...There's gold in the mountains of Idaho Territory. And the town of Boar Gulch is a golden opportunity for a tough guy like Finnegan. But when he arrives, the local saloon owner is gunned down in cold blood--and Finnegan makes a cold calculation of his own. Instead of working in a mine, he'll buy the saloon. Instead of gold, he'll mine the miners. And instead of getting dirty, he'll clean up this grimy little boomtown once and for all--with his own brand of Stoneface justice...

Includes a preview of Red River vengeance: a Perley Gates western.