J.A. Johnstone

In this hot-blooded new series from the bestselling Johnstones, a small town deputy sheriff with nothing to do decides to go looking for treasure . . . and winds up with six cutthroat killers out for his blood. JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. GET TOUGH OR GET OUT OF THE WAY. As the deputy sheriff in a small Missouri town, "Slick" Parker Jones doesn't have much to do except get drunk and chase saloon girls. Life is pretty dull in Rory's Junction--until Slick sees the wanted poster for a notorious train robber. Parker's never met an actual outlaw before. He's never faced any real dangers, to be honest. But when that wanted man staggers into Parker's nightly watering hole--half dead, with a hole in his gut and a bloody map in his hand--the young deputy's life takes a wild turn . . . quite possibly fatal. It starts with the dying man's final words: "The gold." Which leads Slick Parker to one conclusion: The map leads to the stolen gold from the outlaw's latest, greatest train robbery. Instead of calling the marshal, Parker decides to hunt for the gold himself, earn his badge the old-fashioned way, and become the kind of lawman he always knew he could be. There's just one problem. Parker isn't the only one searching for the gold. A vicious gang of six barbaric killers are looking for it, too--and they're gunning for the man with the map. By the time Parker realizes what he's up against, it's too late. He's already halfway to hell. . . .

From the greatest western storytellers of our time comes a new twist on the legend of notorious outlaw Jesse James--who just might not have died on that fateful April 3, 1882. 1942--Granbury, Texas. A ninety-five-year-old man walks into a recruiting office with the crazy idea to enlist--and an even crazier story. He claims to be the one and only Jesse James, the infamous bank robber allegedly shot by Robert Ford sixty years earlier. Using another man's corpse to collect the reward, Ford allowed James to slip away and start a new life. Changing his name to Dalton, Jesse worked as a cattle broker in Fort Worth and fathered a pair of twins named Bill and Frank. But when one of the boys turns out to be a chip off the old block--young outlaws in the making--Jesse has no choice but to school his sons in the fine art of bank robbing so they don't get their fool heads blown off. Problem is, once Jesse's sons get a taste of the outlaw life, they decide it isn't for them after all. Father Jesse, on the other hand, misses it . . . So begins the wildest story the West has never known, proving that some legends are bigger than life--and a lot harder to kill . . .

Small town America is under attack--but one group of patriots are fighting back--in this explosive contemporary thriller from the bestselling Johnstones . . . THE FIGHT FOR THE SOUL OF AMERICA BEGINS Welcome to Maverick, Iowa. Once a thriving farm community, the peaceful little town is now a bristling hotbed of drugs, crime, and homelessness. Thanks to the misguided policies of a new state governor, the floodgates have been opened to a devastating and very unwelcome wave of newcomers, grifters, fentanyl dealers, thieves, and roving gangs of smash-and-grabbers--and one powerful billionaire who's buying up the farmland. Lifelong residents watch helplessly as their beloved Main Street becomes a bloody battleground in a divided America. This is more than a culture war; it's a hostile takeover. But one group of veterans are fighting back. . . . THIS LAND IS OUR LAND. THIS FIGHT IS OUR FIGHT.Returning home for the first time since Afghanistan, war veteran Bryan Branch barely recognizes his old stomping ground. Back in the day, he was the town hellraiser--until the military gave him a sense of purpose and appreciation for our hard-fought freedoms. Now those freedoms are under attack--and this time, it's personal. As the violence and destruction of Maverick spirals out of control, Bryan enlists the help of his army buddies, a group of veterans who call themselves "The Night Warriors." They're armed and ready to clean up the town. But their enemies are armed, too--and ready to blow the whole country straight to hell . . .

The new action-packed historical Western in the popular Nathan Stark series by the bestselling legends William W. and J.A. Johnstone... JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. NEVER RUN A BLUFF WITH A SIX-GUN. A legend, his name is mentioned alongside Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok. He casts a stormcloud-sized shadow across the untamed Western frontier. Men on both sides of the law fear his wrath. For Nathan Stark is the army's avenging angel, waging war against the hostile Indian tribes that threaten the nation--and murdered his family in cold blood. In Arizona Territory, the Apache have been raiding both sides of the border, slaughtering anyone who gets in their way. This is the same Indian band that kidnapped the children of the Navajo chief whose scouts serve the U.S. Army--and the Navajo will not engage the Apache as long as the chief's children are in harm's way. Now, Stark and Crow scout Moses Red Buffalo have been tasked with rescuing the Navajo. But they aren't the only ones on the trail of the kill-crazy Apache. A group of unhinged scalphunters are looking to collect the Mexican government's bounty on the Apache. Now the territory is about to explode in an avalanche of violence and death . . .

The Greatest Historical Western Writers of the 21st Century, William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone, bring to life the harrowing journeys of the fearless pioneers who braved the Oregon Trail--and lived to tell the tale . . . Independence, Missouri, 1865. Seasoned wagon master Virgil Grissom prepares to lead a new group of families westward across the Oregon Trail. Among them are struggling farmer Matt Moran, his wife Katie, and their three small children. In spite of the long, treacherous journey ahead, Grissom is confident that this solid, hard-working farmer and his family are tough enough to endure the harsh elements, the rugged terrain, and the occasional run-in with hostile tribes. But he's not so sure about the farmer's younger brother, Clay, who plans to catch up with them along the trail. Alone. Which has Grissom worried . . . On the Oregon Trail, a lone man is dead man. Clay Moran fought hard in the Civil War, serving as lieutenant in the US Calvary. Now that Robert E. Lee has surrendered, Clay is free to head west with his brother's family. Problem is, the wagon train has left Independence already--and Clay has to go it alone. Luckily, the army let him keep his horse. But when a couple of bushwhackers steal that horse and all his money, he's left high and dry. If Clay hopes to catch up with the wagon train, he'll have to rely on his wits. His guts. And every skill he learned in the war. Along the way, he'll have to do things a man should never have to do--just to survive . . . JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. GO WEST, LIVE FREE, OR DIE TRYING.

"Texas good-old-boys Doolin and Tubbs take on a pair of copy-cat outlaws--and prove they're not getting older, they're getting deadlier--in their latest, greatest adventure ... JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. AGED TO PERFECTION. Some say the Wild West is no country for old men. But apparently no one told Eli Doolin and Casey Tubbs. This rowdy pair of cowboys may be a bit long in the tooth but--thanks to the success of their new business venture, the D&T Cattle Company--they're riding high in the saddle. And raking in the cash. What's their secret? They rob banks. Disguised as even older men than they are, Doolin and Tubbs have managed to pull off a string of bank jobs without a hitch, making just a few withdrawals to help fund their ranch. But their lucrative sideline as undercover criminals takes a sudden dark turn when a pair of dangerous outlaws start committing similar robberies--dressed up as old men just like Doolin and Tubbs. Even worse, these copy-cat crooks are cutthroat killers. To stop these bad guys from smearing their good names, Doolin and Tubbs have to do the unthinkable: Team up with Marshal Colton Gray before they get wrongfully jailed--or kill their own doubles before their doubles kill them ..."

"Johnstone Country. Where Every Road Leads to Death. Preacher and Jamie McCallister head for the hills to uncover the truth behind a gruesome mountain massacre--and find themselves trapped in a nest of merciless, sadistic killers. ... FORT BUZZARD They were innocent men, slaughtered in the Rockies. A party of land surveyors who met their grisly fate at the hands of the Crow Indians--or so it seems. Some folks think the story is a lie. And now it's up to U.S. Army Lieutenant Ron Stanton to figure out what really happened up there in those desolate, bloodsoaked mountains. As his guides, Preacher and Jamie McCallister agree to retrace the footsteps of the doomed party--come hell or high water--but first they'll have to pass through a particularly nasty piece of purgatory known as Fort Buzzard ... Fort Buzzard--officially Gullickson's Fort--earned its nefarious nickname because of the human vultures it attracts. Namely the brutes and brawlers hired by Gullickson to protect his interests. When a nearby trading post is suddenly attacked--and two young women carried off by Indians--Preacher and McCallister smell a rat. The Crows swear they're not responsible for the attack, the abduction, or the mountain party massacre. Preacher and McCallister believe them--but proving it won't be easy. This road to justice only leads to more dead ends--and the biggest, bloodiest showdown in Rocky Mountain history ..."

BASED ON THE REAL LIFE OF AN ICON OF AMERICAN FOLKLORE. William Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone are the acclaimed masters of the American frontier and national bestsellers. Now, they take on the deadliest and most feared outlaw to ever walk the Old West--John Wesley Hardin. First he became a killer. Then he became a legend. He was 15 when he killed his first man. Before his murderous ways ended, Hardin killed 42 men in cold blood--one, the legend goes, because he snored too loudly. From then on John Wesley Hardin stayed true to his calling, slaughtering man after man after man, spending most of his life being pursued by both local lawmen and federal troops. Hardin lived a fever dream of lightning fast draws and flying lead. By the age of seventeen, Hardin earned a deadly reputation for cold-blooded killing that drew backstabbers and gunslingers--all for a chance to gun down the man who had turned killing into an all-American legend . . .

Legendary bestselling Western authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone return with the blazing new installment in their long-running series featuring Preacher, the First Mountain Man, a pioneering hero who embodies the Johnstone brand - and the American Frontier. Preacher leads a search party for a missing woman--and finds himself caught in the crossfire of cutthroat kidnappers, savage Sioux warriors, and one cunning captive . . . JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. SEEK AND YOU SHALL DIE. Preacher is heading home to the mountains when he's approached by a wealthy European with an unusual proposition. He wants the legendary mountain man to track down his missing cousin--a reckless young woman who fled to America with her lover--and he's willing to pay a small fortune to find her. Preacher isn't one to get mixed up in the affairs of fancy foreigners, but he reluctantly agrees. The search is on. Striking westward from St. Louis, Preacher quickly begins to suspect that this search party is doomed. And this trail will lead to some very dead ends . . . First off, they discover that the missing woman's American lover was killed by Teton Sioux years ago. Secondly, the murderous Knox gang heard about the rich European's fortune and plan to kidnap him for a ransom. Thirdly, a fierce band of Sioux warriors launch an attack on Preacher and his men. Things are looking pretty grim. But the biggest shock of all comes when Preacher finally meets the missing woman herself--and sees what she did to survive . . .

In this bold new series from the bestselling Johnstones, a legendary gunslinger tries to outrun his past and start a new life. But after so many years, so many bullets--and so much bloodshed--he finds old habits die hard. And new enemies die harder . . . THEY CALL HIM "TEXAS LIGHTNING" His name is Jon Gage. Most folks know him as "Texas Lightning," the fastest draw in the West. The deadliest, too. Rumor has it he's killed more than thirty men in half as many years, a body count he won't deny. His reputation as a gunslinger, widowmaker, and all-around hellraiser inspires awe, respect--and fear. But when an innocent woman dies in an ill-fated shootout, Gage decides it's time to drop his guns and change his wicked ways. There's just one problem: There is no rest for the wicked. A nameless drifter haunted by his past, Gage hopes to right the wrongs he committed. He's fighting on the side of the angels now, whether it's a widow losing her freight business, a wagon train of farmers in trouble, or a small-time rancher battling a big-time cattle baron. Wherever he goes, there are wicked men preying on the innocent--and some of them recognize Gage as the notorious Texas Lightning. Gage knows he can't outrun his demons. But he can still outgun them . . .

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WHERE VENGEANCE IS GOLDEN. Shot in the head and left for dead, Smoke Jensen wakes up to find a bounty on his head, a target on his back, and a trigger-happy lookalike pretending to be him . . . SMOKE JENSEN: WANTED DEAD OR DEADER Reece Quaid doesn't want to be known as "The Man Who Killed Smoke Jensen." But when the legendary mountain man shows up in the middle of a stagecoach robbery, Quaid has no choice but to shoot him. He didn't even know his victim was the famous Smoke Jensen--until he goes through his pockets and finds his papers. That's when Quaid comes up with a plan. Since he resembles Smoke, he'll simply assume his identy. Rob some banks. Hold up more stagecoaches. And shoot anyone who tries to stop him. Soon the whole world will be asking . . . Has Smoke Jensen gone bad? There's just one problem: Smoke is still alive. Rescued by a lovely stranger and recovering from the head wound, he's still a bit blurry about what happened--and who he even is. The only name he can come up with is that of a fictional bandit, which only adds to the confusion. Soon, the law is on the lookout for two outlaws now. But by the time Smoke comes to his senses, it may be too late. His lookalike is wanted for murder. His trail is getting bloodier every day. And Smoke is gearing up for the craziest showdown of his life--with a force of nature called Smoke Jensen . . .

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. HOMESTYLE JUSTICE WITH A SIDE OF SLAUGHTER. In this explosive new series, Western legend Luke Jensen teams up with chuckwagon cook Dewey "Mac" McKenzie to dish out a steaming plate of hot-blooded justice. But in a corrupt town like Hangman's Hill, revenge is a dish best served cold ... BEANS, BOURBON, AND BLOOD: A RECIPE FOR DISASTER The sight of a rotting corpse hanging from a noose is enough to stop any man in his tracks--and Luke Jensen is no exception. Sure, he could just keep riding through. He's got a prisoner to deliver, after all. But when a group of men show up with another prisoner for another hanging, Luke can't turn his back--especially when the condemned man keeps swearing he's innocent. Right up to the moment he's hung by the neck till he's dead ... Welcome to Hannigan's Hill, Wyoming. Better known as Hangman's Hill.Luke's pretty shaken up by what he's seen and decides to stay the night, get some rest and grab some grub. The town marshal agrees to lock up Luke's prisoner while Luke heads to a local saloon and restaurant called Mac's Place. The pub's owner--a former chuckwagon cook named Dewey "Mac" McKenzie--serves up a bellyfull of chow and an earful of gossip. According to Mac, the whole stinking town is run by corrupt cattle baron Ezra Hannigan. Ezra owns practically everything. Including the town marshal. And anyone who gets in his way ends up swinging from a rope ... Mac might be just an excellent cook. But he's got a ferocious appetite for justice--and a fearsome new friend in Luke Jensen. Together, they could end Hannigan's reign of terror. But when Hannigan calls in his hired guns, it'll be their necks on the line ... or dancing from the end of a rope.

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. THE ULTIMATE KILLING GROUND. The latest action-packed installment in bestselling Western authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone in the Hunter Buchanon Black Hills Western series. THE HILLS HAVE EYES The Buchanans are no strangers to hard times--or making hard choices. After losing a hefty number of livestock to a killer grizzly, Hunter Buchanan is forced to sell a dozen broncs down in Denver for some badly needed cash. Everything goes smoothly--until he's ambushed on the way home. The culprits are a murderous bunch of prairie rat outlaws, as dangerous as any Buchanan has ever tangled with. But Hunter is hell-bent on getting his money back. Even if means pursuing the thieves into Dakota Territory--where even deadlier dangers await ... Meanwhile, Angus Buchanan has agreed to guide three former Confederate bounty hunters into the Black Hills, on the trail of six cutthroats who robbed a saloon and killed two men in Deadwood. This motley trio of hunters are as cutthroat as the cutthroats they're after. And it doesn't take long for Angus to realize they mean to slaughter him as well at the end of the trail ... One family of ranchers. Two groups of cold-hearted murderers. So many ways to die.