J.A. Johnstone

Johnstone Country. The Good Die Young. The Bad Die Younger. When Smoke Jensen is summoned to a small Texas town under siege by a scourge of kill-crazy bandits, he finds himself outmanned and outgunned. Being Smoke Jensen, he wouldn't have it any other way. A gunshot wound has robbed Tywappity, Texas, of its top lawman at the worst possible time. Enos Crabtree and his band of outlaws have hatched a scheme to plunder the town bank of a small fortune in railroad money. When the acting sheriff, Dalton Conyers--half-brother of Smoke's niece Rebecca--is unable to raise a posse to hunt down Crabtree's gang, he calls on Smoke for help. But with so much cash at stake, Crabtree won't go down without a fight. And with a nothing-to-lose army of gut-shooting recruits at his command, he can keep the blood flowing faster than the waters of the Rio Grande.

JOHNSTONE JUSTICE. MADE IN AMERICA. A Jensen family holiday takes a dark and dangerous turn--on the infamous Donner Pass--in this thrilling epic adventure from the bestselling Johnstones . . . It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the High Sierras. But Smoke Jensen and his children, Louis and Denise, won't let a little snow stop them from heading to Reno for the holidays. There are two ways for them to get there: the long way, going around the Sierra Nevada Mountains, or the short way, going right through them. Smoke decides to take a gamble. They'll follow the trail that, decades earlier, brought the legendary Donner Party to a gruesome, tragic end . . . And so the journey begins. The Jensens share a stagecoach with a stranger who's planning to rob a bank. Smoke wants to stop him, as well as his notorious gang of outlaws. But he's outgunned and outnumbered. And when a blizzard traps them in the mountains, he's out of luck too. Like the Donner Party before them, the Jensens will be forced to do whatever it takes to survive. This time, they're hoping history doesn't repeat itself. But sometimes, the ghosts of the past just won't stay buried . . .

Johnstone Country. The Good Die Young. The Bad Die Younger. In this gripping thriller, America's greatest Western storytellers take you inside the dangerous world of an undercover agent--and the deadliest jail in America . . . PRISON RIOT Hank Fallon knows what it's like to rot behind bars. To wallow in the filth of a rat-infested cell. To smell the pent-up rage of cutthroat killers and thieves. Fallon earned his freedom the hard way. He saved the lives of four guards, got released early, and became a detective. Then he went undercover, infiltrated a prison gang plotting to bust out--and barely made it out alive. Now they're sending him back. Behind the iron. Straight to hell . . . This time, it's the ninth circle known as Missouri State Penitentiary. His mission: get inside the infirmary, look for a pregnant inmate named Jess Harper, and find out where her bank-robbing boyfriend hid the stolen cash. Problem is: a rebellion is brewing among the prisoners. Their rage is burning out of control. An all-out savage riot is about to explode. And Fallon's head is on the chopping block . . . Live Free. Read Hard.

Johnstone Justice. What America Needs Now. From the bestselling chroniclers of the American West comes a riveting new chapter in the epic Buckhorn saga--the legendary adventures of a young gun-for-hire with Indian blood, a lightning-fast trigger, and his own special brand of justice . . . When a wealthy cattle baroness hires Joe Buckhorn to track down her son, it sounds like easy money. But when he learns that the boy has run off with a girl--whose father is the leader of the cattle-rustling Riley clan--Buckhorn's only hope is to infiltrate the gang. Gain their trust. Live the outlaw life, even at the risk of death. There's just one problem: there's more than one gang. The Riley girl may have stolen a runaway boy's heart but the other gangs are stealing the baroness's cattle. Which puts Buckhorn in the middle of a violent, bloodsoaked range war. If he chooses the wrong side, he's as good as dead...but if he follows his gut and lives, there's going to be the darkest kind of hell to pay . . .

Johnstone Justice. What America Needs Now. The Kerrigans have fought long and hard to carve out their own piece of heaven on the Texas frontier. And when evil comes knocking at their door, with guns blazing, there'll be hell to pay . . . NO SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL It begins with a simple act of kindness--and ends in a shocking night of violence. A homeless family shows up on Kate Kerrigan's doorstep, seeking refuge from a vengeful rancher's wrath. Seeing their desperation--and fear--the West Texas matriarch welcomes the family into her home. But her charity turns out to be an invitation to disaster. First, the rancher and his henchmen come gunning for her houseguests. They break into Kate's mansion. They shoot her butler, brutalize her staff, and try to force themselves on Kate. Then the real slaughter begins. When the smoke clears, Kate vows to send these murderous bastards straight to hell. Even if she has to dance with the devil himself . . .

Johnstone Country. Frontier Spirit Lives Here. Luke Jensen comes from a righteous brood. Survival is in his blood. And he's burned enough gunpowder to forge out his own legend on the frontier as the toughest bounty hunter who ever stalked his prey . . . THE HUNTING PARTY When Luke Jensen traps fugitive Ben Craddock in Arapaho Springs, he's ready to collect on his bounty. But the job's not done--not by a long shot. A raid by a savage gang known as the Legion of Fire has left the peaceful settlement looted, burned to the ground, and the ashes scoured for female hostages--including the marshal's daughter. For Luke this is more than a hunt. It's now a rescue. And with Craddock busted out of jail and thrown in with the gang, it's also revenge. Wrangling a small posse, Luke heads for the Legion's hideout in the Kansas badlands. Outnumbered, they can't risk an ambush. Instead, it's going to take cutthroat cunning for the outlaws of the Legion of Fire to go down in flames--one by one.

Welcome to the West's most dangerous town. In the electrifying new series from America's bestelling western writers, Marshal Bob Hatfield is fighting back against a tide of chaos and murder--with every weapon they can fire . . . In the shadow of the Prophecy Mountains, the ramshackle boomtown of Rattlesnake Wells draws schemers, predators, and desperate pilgrims. As for the law, that's the town marshal, a former Texas outlaw trying to make a new life for himself. ButSundown Bob Hatfield knows a man who's slick on the draw can't escape trouble for long. In Rattlesnake Wells, you fight fire with fire--and a new one has just exploded. An enterprising saloon owner stages a shooting contest with a matched pair of gold-plated revolvers as first prize. But some contestants don't play by the rules, and these aren't just any old gold-plated guns. Now the guns are gone, innocent hostages have been taken for a violent ride, and a chase is on into the vast Wyoming wilderness--where a terrifying dark secret will be exposed, much blood will be spilled, and a fast-gun marshal will bring the real outlaws to their knees . . .

Twenty-two years ago Tim Colter's family was ambushed on the Oregon Trail, forcing the young boy to find an unlikely ally in one-eyed mountain man Jed Reno. Now a widowed deputy U. S. marshal and Civil War veteran, Colter is ready to remarry and settle down when he gets a dangerous new assignment. The Union Pacific Railroad is laying track to the northwest. Rival factions have set upon the town of Violet to gain control of the rails. To tame the rampant greed and rising tensions, Colter will need to deputize his trusted old friend, Jed Reno.

Johnstone Country. Frontier Spirit Lives Here. National bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone spin a breakneck tale about a heroic chuckwagon cook who knows just what to do when cowboys get hungry--for revenge . . . THE CHUCKWAGON TRAIL Framed for murder, Dewey "Mac" McKenzie is running for his life. Though Mac's never even made a pot of coffee, he talks his way onto a cattle drive heading west--as a chuckwagon cook. Turns out he has a natural talent for turning salt pork and dried beans into culinary gold. He's as good with a pot and pan as he is with a gun--which comes in handy on a dangerous trail drive beset with rustlers, hostile Indians, ornery weather, and deadly stampedes. Mac can hold his own with any cowboy twice his age. At least until the real showdown begins. . . . Trail hand, Deke Northrup, is one mean spit in the eye. Before long, he's made enemies of all his men. When Mac learns that Northrup is planning to double-cross the herd's owner, he stands up to the trail boss and his henchman. He might be outgunned and outnumbered, but Mac's ready to serve up some blazing frontier justice--with a healthy helping of vengeance. . . .

Johnstone Country. Where others fear to tread. Descended from Scottish Highlanders and blood kin to Falcon and Jamie Ian, Duff MaCallister forged a bold new life on the American frontier. But he will always stay true to his clan's fighting spirit--when it comes to justice . . . THE STALKING DEATH There's something rotten in Wyoming, and it's not just the smell of cow pies--the first whiff is coming off the Laramie County Cattlemen. Right off the bat, Duff notices something odd: no small-time ranchers allowed. It's big-leaguers only. And none are bigger than Brad Houser, owner of the sprawling Twin Peaks ranch. He's up in arms over the small-timers claiming the unbranded mavericks who escape their herds. Which is perfectly legal. No brand, free cow. Houser has a plan to stop these former cowboys from taking their runaways. For $1000, Houser will make the small ranchers go away--six feet under. That makes Duff MacCallister madder than a wet hen . . . and his guns will do the screaming.

From bestselling authors William W. and J. A. Johnstone comes the fiery saga of Perley Gates, a legend born out of the brutality and violence of the American West . . . He's the son of a cattle rancher. A restless young dreamer who, under normal circumstances, would follow in his father's footsteps. Normal, however, is not his style. Like his famous grandfather and namesake Perley Gates--a hell-raising mountain man with a heavenly name--young Perley wants adventure, excitement, and freedom. And like his grandfather before him, he will find his dream--in the untamed wilds of a lawless frontier . That dream though might just become a nighmare . . . After his father's death, Perley strikes out on his own. His first order of business is to track down the grandfather whose name he shares. When he crosses into Oklahoma Territory, young Perley discovers that the trail is full of dead ends--and near-death encounters. Hostile Indians, wanted outlaws, and bloodthirsty killers are just a few of the dangers waiting for him. And the closer he gets to finding the original Perley Gates, the closer he comes to meeting his Maker at the fabled gates they're named for . . .

JOHNSTONE JUSTICE. WHAT AMERICA NEEDS NOW. John Horton Slaughter fought on the blood-soaked battlefields of the Civil War. He drove thundering cattle across a dangerous frontier, and faced the deadliest outlaws as a Texas Ranger. Now, bestselling authors William and J. A. Johnstone tell the story of this towering historical figure--the man who tamed Tombstone, Arizona. A HERO AS BIG AND TOUGH AS TEXAS Enticed by the richest poker tournament the West has ever seen, a horde of cheating and ruthless card players is gathering at Tombstone, Arizona. Lawman John Slaughter already has his hands full when a local Romeo takes off with a rancher's daughter and draws the ire of her father and a blood-thirsty posse. Back in town, a murder shatters the poker tournament, with a beautiful Englishwoman as the prime suspect. John Horton Slaughter has been to hell and back as a soldier, rancher and Texas Ranger, and this just might be his toughest day yet. To set things straight he'll need every bullet he can muster, aim straight, and shoot to kill. And kill again... Forget keeping the peace. This is war. Live Free. Read Hard.

THE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY The families Jensen and MacCallister reunite in a gripping tale of tragedy, survival, love, betrayal, and maybe even a miracle . . . Three days before Christmas, Matt Jensen is traveling the Denver and Pacific railway when an avalanche slams down onto the train, trapping it in desolate Trout Creek Pass. But it wasn't an act of nature that caused the accident; it was a gang of outlaws attempting to rescue their leader, who is being taken to Red Cliff to be hanged. As Smoke Jensen and Duff MacCallister frantically try to make their way to the scene, Matt struggles to save the survivors, among them a beautiful young woman with a dark past, a merchant seaman turned rancher, and a senator with his very ill young daughter. Starving under a bitter, driving snow in the brutal, unforgiving Rocky Mountains, and surrounded by armed and desperate outlaws, Matt still dreams of making it home for Christmas. But unless fate lends a hand, nobody will.

Johnstone Justice. What America Needs Now. A TRAIN RIDE TO HELL When Smoke Jensen sees a gang of outlaws holding up a stagecoach, his gunfighter instincts take over and he storms in with guns blazing. He kills one of the gunmen, the rest scatter like the rats they are. Another notch on the sharpshooter's weathered grip. But the dead man is the brother of the notorious outlaw Gabe Briggs, and Briggs will want revenge . . . Tired of the savagery of the lawless countryside, Smoke's wife Sally heads back east for a spell, only to find the big city choking in filth, violence, and corruption. Before Sally can head back home, though, she's snatched right off the street. When Smoke gets word that Sally's been kidnapped, he hops the first train east. But Gabe Briggs and his ruthless bandof bad men are along for the ride. Unless Smoke can punch their ticket to hell first, they'll blow this train sky high . . .

Johnstone Justice. What America needs now. Bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone celebrate a legend of the American West--and the weapon that shaped a nation's destiny . . . As a teenager, John McMasters won the Medal of Honor as a sniper for the Union Army during the Civil War. Thirty years later, McMasters lives a peaceful life in the Arizona Territory, raising a family and running cattle. These days, he needs eyeglasses to hit a distant target. But that doesn't stop his wife and four children from buying him a special present for his fiftieth birthday: a beautiful new Remington shotgun. Turns out, he's going to need it . . . The Butcher gang has come to town. By the time McMasters learns of their arrival, they've invaded his ranch and slaughtered his family, hightailing it out of the county. McMasters wants revenge, using his new shotgun to hunt down those butchers like the animals they are. But he can't do it alone. His friend, Deputy U. S. Marshal Daniel Kirkpatrick, is hauling six of the deadliest criminals in the country to a prison in Yuma. They're cutthroat killers, every bit as ruthless as the Butchers. But when McMasters points his Remington at their heads, they will become his killers . . .

THE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY From William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone comes a special holiday gift for devoted fans of the Jensen saga--a warmhearted story of burning justice, blazing bullets, and other Jensen family traditions . . . It's that time of year when families gather together to celebrate the holidays, and the Jensens are no exception. This year, since half the clan is scattered across the American West, they've decided to split the difference and meet up in Tucson. Matt and Luke will be there, for sure, and maybe Ace and Chance, too. That leaves Sally, Preacher, and Smoke Jensen, who've reserved three seats on a westbound stage to make sure they don't miss out on the festivities. They won't be traveling alone, however. A reporter with a nose for trouble, a mail-order bride with a wandering eye, and an old woman with a surly young grandson are on board--along with a freshly minted cargo of cold hard cash. What could possibly go wrong? Mother Nature is the first to strike, dusting up the trail with a sandstorm as blinding and deadly as any northern blizzard. Then come the Apaches who ambush the stagecoach, forcing the passengers and drivers to seek shelter in a cave. Even if Smoke and Preacher manage to shoot their way out of this, they have another big surprise waiting--a ruthless gang of outlaws after the cargo of cash, happy to slaughter any man, woman, or child who tries to stop them. If the Jensens hope to save Christmas this year, they'll need to save their own lives first . . .

THE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY Bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone turn up the heat for one heck of a showdown with lawman Jess Casey--when the devil goes down to Texas... THE MOST HATED MAN IN THE SOUTH They call him "The Butcher of Baxter Pass," the notorious former Union General who massacred 200 Conferate prisoners--just because he could. Now it's Sheriff Jess Casey's unenviable job to protect the bloodthirsty murderer from those who want him dead, which turns out be pretty much everyone south of the Mason-Dixon Line. When the Butcher arrives in Fort Worth--followed by the vengeance-hungry McNamara clan--Casey has to swallow his disgust and uphold the law, even if it means saving a mass murderer's hide. But it won't be easy. He's outgunned by a dozen ex-Rebel avengers who lost three of their kin to the Butcher and will shoot anyone who gets in their way. Unfortunately for them, Sheriff Casey is the one man who's brave enough--and crazy enough--to try and stop them...

THE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY Bestselling authors William and J. A. Johnstone continue the wild, epic saga of Tim Colter with the building of the transcontinental railroad and the making of the American Dream . . . Twenty-two years have passed since Tim Colter and his family were ambushed on the Oregon Trail, forcing the young boy to find an unlikely ally in one-eyed mountain man Jed Reno. Now a widowed deputy U. S. marshal and Civil War veteran, Colter is finally ready to remarry and settle down until a dangerous new assignment becomes a life-or-death struggle for the soul of a town and the heart of its people . . . The Union Pacific Railroad is laying down tracks connecting the great northwest to the rest of the country. But two rival factions have set their sights on the town of Violet aka Violence to gain control of the rails. It s Colter s job to tame the rampant greed and rising tensions. But to do it, he ll need to deputize his trusted old friend Jed Reno and wage a savage new war that will determine the fate of the Dakota Territory and the future of a nation."

From the bestselling authors of Black Friday, Tyranny, and Stand Your Ground comes a shattering novel of the last days of civilization--and the final battle for humanity . . . DON'T OPEN TILL DOOMSDAY Six weeks ago, former US Marine Patrick Larkin purchased shares in a massive high-tech, state-of-the-art underground missile silo for his family. It was a decision based on easing his wildest, most unimaginable nuclear fears. But then reality strikes with devastating suddenness, razing cities in a searing flash across the nation, all of it witnessed by terrified Americans on TV and the Internet. No one knows who pulled the trigger. No one knows if the last day on Earth will ever end. But Larkin and his family are the lucky ones--or so they think . . . Holed up in their fortified sanctuary, with a maximum capacity of four hundred people, the bunker is pushed to its limits--and so are the people locked inside. Tensions rise. Panic erupts. Outside, armed marauders surround the bunker--and they want in. Larkin has to convince the others they must work together as a team to survive. And they must kill without mercy to stay alive . . . MAYBE THE DEAD ARE REALLY THE LUCKY ONES . . . .

THE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURY Raised in the wild. Armed to the teeth. Sam Flintlock is no ordinary bounty hunter. But sometimes even a man who sets traps for a living can step right into one. Sometimes the hunter becomes the hunted in the ultimate kill-or-be-killed showdown from bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone . . . ONE WEEK IN HELL After crossing the dry Arizona desert and missing six meals in a row Sam Flintlock is flat-out desperate. For food. For work. For lodgings. Luckily he finds all three in the high timber country east of the Mogollon River. A very young and pretty heiress, Lucy Cullen, has an unusual proposition for the bounty hunter. She will pay him cold, hard cash to spend one full week in the gothic mansion of her murdered uncle. What s the catch? The place is haunted . . . Flintlock ain t afraid of the dead. It s the living he s more worried about namely Hogan Forde, the murderous Texas gunslinger who just happens to be skulking around town. Toss in a few unfriendly locals and a missing treasure map, and you ve got all the makings of a pretty terrifying campfire story. The difference is, these restless spirits are very much among the living, and they ve got Flintlock slated for his own afterlife . . ."