Westerns
FIRST RULE OF JOHNSTONE COUNTRY: TRUST NO ONE
No one knows the dangers of driving a stagecoach better than Red Ryan. Especially when the passenger's a dead man, the payoff's a gold mine, and the last stop is death . . . SECOND RULE: WATCH YOUR BACK
Red Ryan should've known this job would be trouble. The first stop is a ghost town--in a thunder storm--and the cargo is a coffin. But things start to look a little brighter when Red and his stage guard Buttons Muldoon deliver the corpse to a ranch run by the beautiful Luna Talbot--and her gorgeous crew of former saloon girls. Luna asks the boys to help them find the Lucky Cuss Gold Mine, using a map tucked inside the dead man's pocket. Buttons can't refuse a pretty lady--or the lure of gold. But Red has a feeling they're playing with fire. Especially when the map leads them straight into crossfire of a ferocious range war, a 400-pound load of pure evil known as Papa Mace Rathmore--and his backwoods clan of sadistic, kill-crazy hillbillies . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
No one knows the dangers of driving a stagecoach better than Red Ryan. Especially when the passenger's a dead man, the payoff's a gold mine, and the last stop is death . . . SECOND RULE: WATCH YOUR BACK
Red Ryan should've known this job would be trouble. The first stop is a ghost town--in a thunder storm--and the cargo is a coffin. But things start to look a little brighter when Red and his stage guard Buttons Muldoon deliver the corpse to a ranch run by the beautiful Luna Talbot--and her gorgeous crew of former saloon girls. Luna asks the boys to help them find the Lucky Cuss Gold Mine, using a map tucked inside the dead man's pocket. Buttons can't refuse a pretty lady--or the lure of gold. But Red has a feeling they're playing with fire. Especially when the map leads them straight into crossfire of a ferocious range war, a 400-pound load of pure evil known as Papa Mace Rathmore--and his backwoods clan of sadistic, kill-crazy hillbillies . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
Johnstone Country. Where Legends Fight or Die. Bounty hunter Luke Jensen has always relied on his guns, his brains, and his guts to bring in the deadliest outlaws in the West. But when a family needs his help, he'll have to use something else: his heart . . .
BLOOD IS THICKER THAN SLAUGHTER
Luke Jensen has seen some sorry looking bounties in his time, but this one takes the cake. A wanted poster is offering a reward of one dollar and forty-two cents--plus one busted harmonica--to capture Three-Fingered Jack McKinney. Turns out, McKinney's twelve-year-old son Aaron wants revenge on his daddy for abandoning him and his mom. The reward is all the money Aaron can scrape together. Luke can't say no to the poor boy--or his beautiful mother--so he agrees to go after McKinney and his bank-robbing gang. Good deeds, however, are like good intentions--the road to hell is paved with them. And when Aaron McKinney decides to tag along, it puts Luke in the middle of a father-and-son reunion that's life-or-death, blood-for-blood, and kill-or-be-killed. . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
BLOOD IS THICKER THAN SLAUGHTER
Luke Jensen has seen some sorry looking bounties in his time, but this one takes the cake. A wanted poster is offering a reward of one dollar and forty-two cents--plus one busted harmonica--to capture Three-Fingered Jack McKinney. Turns out, McKinney's twelve-year-old son Aaron wants revenge on his daddy for abandoning him and his mom. The reward is all the money Aaron can scrape together. Luke can't say no to the poor boy--or his beautiful mother--so he agrees to go after McKinney and his bank-robbing gang. Good deeds, however, are like good intentions--the road to hell is paved with them. And when Aaron McKinney decides to tag along, it puts Luke in the middle of a father-and-son reunion that's life-or-death, blood-for-blood, and kill-or-be-killed. . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
The New York Times-bestselling Grand Master of suspense deftly displays the other side of his genius, with seven classic western tales of destiny and fatal decision . . . and trust as essential to survival as it is hard-earned.
Trust was rare and precious in the wide-open towns that sprung up like weeds on America's frontier--with hustlers and hucksters arriving in droves by horse, coach, wagon, and rail, and gunmen working both sides of the law, all too eager to end a man's life with a well-placed bullet. In these classic tales that span more than five decades--including the first story he ever published, "The Trail of the Apache"--Elmore Leonard once again demonstrates the superb talent for language and gripping narrative that have made him one of the most acclaimed and influential writers of our time.
Louis L'Amour's classic novels of the West make for perfect Father's Day gifts! Tyrel Sackett was born to trouble, but vowed to justice. After having to kill a man in Tennessee, he hit the trail west with his brother Orrin. Those were the years when decent men and women lived in fear of Indians, rustlers, and killers, but the Sackett brothers worked to make the West a place where people could raise their children in peace. Orrin brought law and order from Santa Fe to Montana, and his brother Tye backed him up every step of the way. Till the day the job was done, Tye Sackett was the fastest gun alive.
Johnstone Country. Try Not to Get Killed.
In this explosive Hank Fallon thriller, the justice-seeking ex-con goes undercover and behind bars to expose a plot as big, as bold, and as deadly as the American Civil War . . .
GET OUT OF JAIL FREE--OR DIE Doing time in Texas is no picnic. But getting sent to The Walls in Huntsville is a fate worse than hanging. If the guards don't kill you, the prisoners will. And if it weren't for the fact that the man who framed Hank Fallon and murdered his family could be inside The Walls, Hank would never step one foot in that heinous helltrap--let alone go undercover as an inmate. But this isn't just another assignment. This is his chance for revenge . . . Inside The Walls, Hank quickly discovers who's boss--as well as judge, jury, and executioner. The only relief from the gang fights and guard beatings is a prison work program that allows inmates to leave The Walls to work for plantation owner J.J. Justice. Hank figures it can't be any worse than jail. But it is. Seems that Justice is ordering the men to commit robberies and murders. He's stockpiling weapons. Building an army. And planning to restart the Civil War--all in the name of Justice . . .
Live Free. Read Hard.
In this explosive Hank Fallon thriller, the justice-seeking ex-con goes undercover and behind bars to expose a plot as big, as bold, and as deadly as the American Civil War . . .
GET OUT OF JAIL FREE--OR DIE Doing time in Texas is no picnic. But getting sent to The Walls in Huntsville is a fate worse than hanging. If the guards don't kill you, the prisoners will. And if it weren't for the fact that the man who framed Hank Fallon and murdered his family could be inside The Walls, Hank would never step one foot in that heinous helltrap--let alone go undercover as an inmate. But this isn't just another assignment. This is his chance for revenge . . . Inside The Walls, Hank quickly discovers who's boss--as well as judge, jury, and executioner. The only relief from the gang fights and guard beatings is a prison work program that allows inmates to leave The Walls to work for plantation owner J.J. Justice. Hank figures it can't be any worse than jail. But it is. Seems that Justice is ordering the men to commit robberies and murders. He's stockpiling weapons. Building an army. And planning to restart the Civil War--all in the name of Justice . . .
Live Free. Read Hard.
Johnstone Country. Where it's never quiet on the Western front.
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 employerƒ‚‚"ƒ‚‚€ƒ‚‚"Chief U.S. Marshal Luther T. "Bleed-'m-So" Bledsoeƒ‚‚"ƒ‚‚€ƒ‚‚"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 Friendlyƒ‚‚"ƒ‚‚€ƒ‚‚"who is anything butƒ‚‚"ƒ‚‚€ƒ‚‚"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 Cutthroats are back. The bad guys are history.
JOHNSTONE. WHERE IT'S NEVER QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. In this rollicking new series, the Johnstones cordially invite you to the biggest, baddest event of the season--one that gives a whole new meaning to "shotgun wedding" . . . Here come the brides. And the bullets . . .
Bo Creel and Scratch Morton are lifelong drifters who keep one eye on the horizon, one finger on the trigger, and one foot out the door. Roaming the West is what keeps them young, or so Scratch tells Bo. But when they save the life of Cyrus Keegan--the owner of a matrimonial agency--they receive an unexpected proposal that's hard to resist. Keegan needs to deliver five mail order brides to a mining town in New Mexico Territory. All Scratch and Bo have to do is get these gals to the church on time--and alive, if possible . . . The job seems easy enough--and the brides-to-be are even easier on the eyes. Cecilia, Beth, Luella, Rose, and Jean all need good husbands. But their prospects look bad when the journey to the altar includes Mexican banditos, scheming silver robbers, and one overbearing rancher who won't take no for an answer. Bo and Scratch promised to keep the ladies safe--and keep their hands to themselves--but it could be the last vow they'll ever make . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
Bo Creel and Scratch Morton are lifelong drifters who keep one eye on the horizon, one finger on the trigger, and one foot out the door. Roaming the West is what keeps them young, or so Scratch tells Bo. But when they save the life of Cyrus Keegan--the owner of a matrimonial agency--they receive an unexpected proposal that's hard to resist. Keegan needs to deliver five mail order brides to a mining town in New Mexico Territory. All Scratch and Bo have to do is get these gals to the church on time--and alive, if possible . . . The job seems easy enough--and the brides-to-be are even easier on the eyes. Cecilia, Beth, Luella, Rose, and Jean all need good husbands. But their prospects look bad when the journey to the altar includes Mexican banditos, scheming silver robbers, and one overbearing rancher who won't take no for an answer. Bo and Scratch promised to keep the ladies safe--and keep their hands to themselves--but it could be the last vow they'll ever make . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
With two trail drives under his belt, Dewey "Mac" Mackenzie has proven to be more than a good chuckwagon cook. He's good at serving up justice, too--with a side of hot lead . . .
Mac Mackenzie has enough problems on his plate. He's got bounty hunters on his tail, no one on his side, and no place to hide. Just when he thinks it can't get any worse, he hears the rumbling of a cattle stampede--heading straight for his camp. Mac's got two choices: Get trampled like a weed or saddle up and help get the herd under control. At first, the traildrivers ain't too pleased to have a stranger help them out. But once they realize Mac's not a rustler, they ask him to join the team. Mac takes them up on the offer--especially after he meets the cowgirl Colleen--and quickly impresses everyone with his cooking skills. There's just a few more problems:
Mac's new employers are the real rustlers. And Mac's stepped out of the frying pan into the fire . . .
The Pulitzer Prize--winning American classic of the American West that follows two aging Texas Rangers embarking on one last adventure. An epic of the frontier, Lonesome Dove is the grandest novel ever written about the last defiant wilderness of America. Journey to the dusty little Texas town of Lonesome Dove and meet an unforgettable assortment of heroes and outlaws, whores and ladies, Indians and settlers. Richly authentic, beautifully written, always dramatic, Lonesome Dove is a book to make us laugh, weep, dream, and remember.
"L'Amour is popular for all the right reasons. His books embody heroic virtues that seem to matter now more than ever."--The Wall Street Journal More unpublished works from the archives of Louis L'Amour: complete short stories, partial novels, treatments, and notes that will transport readers from the Western frontier to India, China, and even the future. Exploring the creative process of an American original, the Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures series will uncover the hidden history behind the author's best known novels . . . and his most mysterious and ambitious unfinished works. In this second volume, Beau L'Amour examines how his father made the transition from struggling pulp writer to successful novelist and uses his father's notes, journal entries, and correspondence to continue the process of seeking out how and why many of these never-before-seen manuscripts were written as well as speculating about the ways they might have ended. These selections include the beginnings of a post-apocalyptic science fiction tale, a proposal for a nonfiction project based on the life of Renaissance-era traveler Ibn Batuta, and two chapters of a historical novel set in India about the origin of L'Amour's well-known Talon family. At the other end of the spectrum are classic adventures, such as "In the Measure of Time," a chance encounter set on the high seas, and a science fiction film treatment set in Mexico, as well as seventeen chapters of a novel that reappears throughout Louis's journals and letters and speaks to his fascination with post-revolutionary 1950s China, leading him so far as to correspond with the Dalai Lama. With rare photographs and commentary, this book further maps the journey L'Amour embarked upon to become one of our greatest storytellers and the diverse realms to which his imagination traveled, making him a true American pioneer.
A shocking tale of violence and vengeance in the hills of Wyoming.
From Spur Award-winning author Charles G. West . . .
FIRST COMES BLOOD
Cole Bonner will never forget what happened to his family at Crow Creek Crossing. His wife, her parents, and their three young children--brutally slaughtered by outlaws. The horror of the massacre drove him into the wilderness. Drove him nearly mad. And drove him to seek an equally brutal revenge . . . THEN COMES CARNAGE
Now, against his better judgment, Bonner is returning to the place that almost destroyed him. While hunting in the mountains, he discovers that a man has been murdered and a woman abducted. He manages to track the killers and free her. But to bring the widow to safety, he will have to face his own demons. Return to his old homestead. And relive the violence--and the vengeance--of another massacre at Crow Creek Crossing . . . "Rarely has an author painted the great American West in strokes so bold, vivid, and true."
--Ralph Compton
From Spur Award-winning author Charles G. West . . .
FIRST COMES BLOOD
Cole Bonner will never forget what happened to his family at Crow Creek Crossing. His wife, her parents, and their three young children--brutally slaughtered by outlaws. The horror of the massacre drove him into the wilderness. Drove him nearly mad. And drove him to seek an equally brutal revenge . . . THEN COMES CARNAGE
Now, against his better judgment, Bonner is returning to the place that almost destroyed him. While hunting in the mountains, he discovers that a man has been murdered and a woman abducted. He manages to track the killers and free her. But to bring the widow to safety, he will have to face his own demons. Return to his old homestead. And relive the violence--and the vengeance--of another massacre at Crow Creek Crossing . . . "Rarely has an author painted the great American West in strokes so bold, vivid, and true."
--Ralph Compton
Bill Pronzini's riveting western mystery, The Peaceful Valley Crime Wave, takes on the modern world with old-fashioned violence--and his Peaceful Valley is anything but...
Nothing much happens in Peaceful Valley, Montana. And that's just how Sheriff Lucas Monk likes it. Aside from the occasional drunken brawl or minor disturbance out on the reservation, he hasn't had to resort to his fists or sidearm in years. That is, until mid-October, 1914, when the theft of a wooden cigar store Indian sets off a crime wave like nothing Lucas has ever seen. Teenager Charity Axthelm goes missing, Reba Purvis's housekeeper is poisoned with cyanide Reba is sure was meant for her, and Lucas's gut tells him that this is only the beginning. It's not long before the first corpse shows up, bringing the peace in the valley to a thundering end.
From the author who invented the Western genre comes one of the most iconic novels of all time full of gun-slinging action, romance, and revengeWhen Lassiter, a gun-slinging avenger in black with a fearsome reputation, rides into the Mormon village of Cottonwoods in Southern Utah, he finds a town in turmoil. An underhand land battle is in full force. Beautiful young rancher Jane Withersteen is in possession of the richest land holding in the Cottonwoods, but the Mormon church have plans to take control by forcing the unwilling Jane into marrying Elder Tull. Outnumbered and outgunned, Jane sees no escape--until Lassiter arrives. A lone gunman fighting for justice, Lassiter has his own agenda. His sister has been kidnapped by a Mormon proselytizer and he is determined to find out what happened to her. Jane finds herself drawing ever closer to Lassiter while he tries to unravel the complex web of intrigue that underlies the corrupt village. In Lassiter, Zane Grey creates an iconic prototype hero that inspired many books and films. With a complex plot and engaging with issues of morality, isolation, and religion, this book is more than just the first Western--it is a classic.
JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WHERE DEATH RIDES FASTER THAN THE WIND.
A blazing new series takes you back to the lawless frontier where every stagecoach was a moving target. Where every passenger needed protection. And where every hired gun who rides along better be fast on the draw--or be dead on arrival . . .
RIDING SHOTGUN
If anyone knows the road to purgatory, it's Red Ryan. As a stagecoach guard, he's faced holdups, ambushes, and all-out attacks from every kill-crazy outlaw, Indian, and prairie rat. But even he's a bit reluctant to take on his next job: riding shotgun with his driver Buttons Muldoon on a stage bound from Fort Concho, Texas, to Fort Bliss. Word has it, the Apaches are on the warpath. They're being led by the vicious war chief Ilesh, which means "Lord of the Earth." And this lord means business, as in slaughtering every Texan from here to El Paso. Red wants to postpone the stage. But an army major's beautiful but stubborn wife insists they leave--or she'll go it alone. So Red has no choice . . . Thus begins a nightmare journey into 400 miles of harsh, unforgiving terrain, blood-drunk killers, and one scheming devil who plans to paint the town of El Paso red--starting with Red's blood . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
A blazing new series takes you back to the lawless frontier where every stagecoach was a moving target. Where every passenger needed protection. And where every hired gun who rides along better be fast on the draw--or be dead on arrival . . .
RIDING SHOTGUN
If anyone knows the road to purgatory, it's Red Ryan. As a stagecoach guard, he's faced holdups, ambushes, and all-out attacks from every kill-crazy outlaw, Indian, and prairie rat. But even he's a bit reluctant to take on his next job: riding shotgun with his driver Buttons Muldoon on a stage bound from Fort Concho, Texas, to Fort Bliss. Word has it, the Apaches are on the warpath. They're being led by the vicious war chief Ilesh, which means "Lord of the Earth." And this lord means business, as in slaughtering every Texan from here to El Paso. Red wants to postpone the stage. But an army major's beautiful but stubborn wife insists they leave--or she'll go it alone. So Red has no choice . . . Thus begins a nightmare journey into 400 miles of harsh, unforgiving terrain, blood-drunk killers, and one scheming devil who plans to paint the town of El Paso red--starting with Red's blood . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
After discovering six gold Roman coins buried in the mud of the Devil's Dyke, Barnabas Sackett enthusiastically invests in goods that he will offer for trade in America. But Sackett has a powerful enemy: Rupert Genester, nephew of an earl, wants him dead. A battlefield promise made to Sackett's father threatens Genester's inheritance. So on the eve of his departure for America, Sackett is attacked and thrown into the hold of a pirate ship. Genester's orders are for him to disappear into the waters of the Atlantic. But after managing to escape, Sackett makes his way to the Carolina coast. He sees in the raw, abundant land the promise of a bright future. But before that dream can be realized, he must first return to England and discover the secret of his father's legacy.
Barnabas Sackett was on the run. The only trail open to him ran West. With a few fierce fighting friends and his courageous wife Abigail by his side, Barnabas began to carve a place for himself and his glowing family out of the harsh Eastern American landscape. Facing an unyielding terrain, forbidding elements and savage Indians, Barnabas stood tall, staking a bold Sackett claim on the future.
From the bestselling author of Prayers for Sale, Sandra Dallas' Westering Women is an inspiring celebration of sisterhood on the perilous Overland Trail
AG Journal's RURAL THEMES BOOKS FOR WINTER READING Hasty Book Lists' BEST BOOKS COMING OUT IN JANUARY "Exciting novel ... difficult to put down." --Booklist If you are an adventuresome young woman of high moral character and fine health, are you willing to travel to California in search of a good husband? It's February, 1852, and all around Chicago, Maggie sees postings soliciting eligible women to travel to the gold mines of Goosetown. A young seamstress with a small daughter, she has nothing to lose. She joins forty-three other women and two pious reverends on the dangerous 2,000-mile journey west. None are prepared for the hardships they face on the trek or for the strengths they didn't know they possessed. Maggie discovers she's not the only one looking to leave dark secrets behind. And when her past catches up with her, it becomes clear a band of sisters will do whatever it takes to protect one of their own.
Johnstone Country. Frontier Spirit Lives Here.
America's greatest Western storytellers take you inside the dangerous world of undercover agents--and one man's mission to hell and back . . .
BREAKOUT OF THE CENTURY
Hank Fallon used to be one of the best deputy marshals in the country. Then he got framed for a crime he didn't commit. Got sentenced to ten years in a federal penitentiary. And got out early for saving the life of the captain of the guards during a riot. When Fallon is released, a private detective is waiting for him. He wants to put Hank behind bars again--but this time, as an undercover agent . . .
The last thing Fallon wants is to return to jail. Especially a rat-infested hellhole like Yuma Territorial Prison. But if he wants to clear his name, he's got to take the job. Get himself arrested. Make friends with criminal mastermind Monk Quinn. Find out where he stashed a fortune in stolen money. And join Monk's gang for the biggest breakout in American history. If Hank succeeds, he'll be on the run with the deadliest cutthroats alive. That's when all hell will break loose . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
America's greatest Western storytellers take you inside the dangerous world of undercover agents--and one man's mission to hell and back . . .
BREAKOUT OF THE CENTURY
Hank Fallon used to be one of the best deputy marshals in the country. Then he got framed for a crime he didn't commit. Got sentenced to ten years in a federal penitentiary. And got out early for saving the life of the captain of the guards during a riot. When Fallon is released, a private detective is waiting for him. He wants to put Hank behind bars again--but this time, as an undercover agent . . .
The last thing Fallon wants is to return to jail. Especially a rat-infested hellhole like Yuma Territorial Prison. But if he wants to clear his name, he's got to take the job. Get himself arrested. Make friends with criminal mastermind Monk Quinn. Find out where he stashed a fortune in stolen money. And join Monk's gang for the biggest breakout in American history. If Hank succeeds, he'll be on the run with the deadliest cutthroats alive. That's when all hell will break loose . . . Live Free. Read Hard.