J.A. Johnstone

JOHNSTONE'S AMERICA. THE GOLD STANDARD. From the acclaimed chroniclers of the Old West comes the epic saga of the great American Gold Rush--and the boldhearted dreamers who made it all happen. . . . THEY CALLED THEM THE FORTY-NINERS. In January of 1848, the discovery of gold at Sutters Mill in California sparked a nationwide frenzy, fueling the dreams of Americans from coast to coast. By 1849, hundreds of thousands of fortune hunters from across the globe headed west to stake their claim. Armed with pan or pickaxe, driven by greed or glory, every last one of them was determined to strike it rich--or die trying. . . . For Cord Bennett, it was more than a dream. California was his destiny--even if he didn't know it yet. Forced to leave his family farm in the Ozarks, he reluctantly joins his two older brothers on the treacherous journey west. Together, they would endure harsh weather, fierce tribal attacks, and roving outlaws. But their biggest challenge comes when they reach the gold-rich canyon of Rio Oro. This small makeshift town is barely more than a campsite for prospectors--but the men who control it are as ruthless as any big-city criminals. And twice as deadly . . . This is the story of the men and women who risked their lives to make their fortunes in a boundless land of opportunity. But sometimes, all that glitters is not gold. And where there's gold, there's gunfire . . .

Two families. Nine generations. One stretch of land under the Big Sky of Montana Territory. From national bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone, a bold new saga of the American West centuries in the making, from the brave ranchers who staked their claims in the spring of 1842, to the lawmen who risked their lives to keep them, and the descendants who carried their dreams into the 21st century... Bordered by the Blackfeet Reservation to the north and mountain ranges to the east and west, Cutthroat County is seven-hundred glorious square miles of Big Sky grandeur. For generations, the Maddox and Drew families have ruled the county--often at odds with each other. Today, Ashton Maddox runs the biggest Black Angus ranch in the country, while County Sheriff John T. Drew upholds the law like his forefathers did over a century ago. A lot has changed since the county was established in 1891. But some things feel straight out of the 1800s. Especially when cows start disappearing from the ranches. . . Residents and news media still recall a gun-blazing tale of the land-grabbing battles fought by Maddox's and Drew's ancestors. Meanwhile, their present-day descendants face a new kind of war that's every bit as bloody. Sheriff Drew's girlfriend/deputy is shot and seriously wounded in what appears to be a routine traffic stop. When Ashton Maddox's rival rancher's foreman is found murdered and a modern-day vigilante group hires a hard-drinking, publicity-hungry retired Texas Ranger to investigate, Drew and Maddox decide to do what their forefathers did so many years ago: join forces against a common enemy. Risk their skins against all odds. And keep the dream of Montana alive for generations to come . . .

The sixth action-packed historical western from national bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone featuring Buck Trammel, former Pinkerton-turned Wyoming Territory lawman Ben Washington and his gang of murdering prairie rats have been terrorizing Wyoming Territory for quite a spell: rustling cattle, robbing stagecoaches and railroads, and slaughtering settlers. When Sheriff Buck Trammel of Laramie learns that Washington and his killers have been menacing an innocent family, he and his deputy ride out and bring Washington in the hard way--at the barrel of a gun. When word spreads fast of Washington's capture, gambler Adam Hagen begins taking wagers on the outlaw's fate--where and when his gang will bust him loose--and quickly finds himself sitting atop a mountain of cash. Naturally, greed forces Hagen to open the stakes nationwide. As the stink of easy money grows, the New Orleans gang known as the LeBlanc Brothers crawl into town posing as cattlemen. And the LeBlanc's never leave a job empty-handed . . . When the LeBlanc Brothers team up with Washington's cut-throats join Washington cut-throats, Trammel is forced to play a dangerous high-stakes game of own where any move he makes could not only cost a deputy his life, but threaten justice in Laramie forever. Johnstone Country. Where Real Cowboys Never Run. They Fight Back.

A giant grizzly on a killer rampage terrorizes a small ranch community--and lures legendary mountain man Smoke Jensen into the deadliest trap of all: the human kind . . . . JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. HUNT OR BE HUNTED. The bear seems harmless--at first. Just a lost and confused grizzly poking around Big Rock. Then the killings begin. A horse wrangler is mangled. A rancher mauled. Then a bartender in the heart of town is found clawed to a bloody pulp. Now every man in Big Rock is taking up arms to hunt down the beast before it strikes again--which worries the local sheriff. He's afraid this amateur hunting party could turn into a mass funeral real fast. So he asks Smoke Jensen to help keep everyone calm and contain the panic. Unfortunately, it's too late. The panic is out of control. And the hunt is on. . . . While the gun-toting locals head for the hills in search of the bear, a ruthless gang of bank robbers ride into the half-empty town--armed to the teeth. Then a professional wild game hunter shows up offering to kill the grizzly--for a price. If that wasn't enough, a traveling medicine man claims the bear is part of his act--and wouldn't hurt a soul. Smoke Jensen isn't sure what to believe or who to trust. But one thing is certain: Where there are jaws, claws, and outlaws, there will be blood. . . .

From the bestselling masters of Old West fiction comes a bold new saga of the American frontier. Set amid the sprawling plains and majestic mountains of Wyoming Territory, this is the epic story of a legendary stagecoach line--and the brave men who built it, drove it, and risked their lives to keep it running . . . Founded in 1866, The Frontier Overland Company was no ordinary stagecoach operation. To begin with, its founding partners met in a Wyoming saloon brawl. After a raucous burst of punching, cursing, and chair smashing, the last two men standing become friends for life. Two kindred souls with the same fighting spirit, Tucker Cobb and former Texas Ranger Butch Keeling agreed to launch a business together: a brand-new stagecoach line through the wilds of Wyoming . . . They called it the Frontier Overland Company. And a legend was born. Cobb and Keeling knew it wouldn't be easy. The nation was still healing from the War Between the States. Red Cloud's War--an armed alliance of Lakota, Northern Cheyennes, and Northern Apaho against the United States--was heating up fast. And wealthy railroad magnates were itching to lay track for their western expansion to the Pacific. But it was one ruthless businessman--King Charles Hagen--who posed the biggest danger of all. He saw Cobb and Keeling's fledging company as a direct threat to his growing shipping empire. And, unfortunately for them, he decided to squash their little stagecoach business while they're escorting a young woman to see her dying father, an army colonel, at a Wyoming fort. To make things worse, Red Cloud's on the warpath--making Wyoming Territory is about to become hell on earth. This is the thrilling story of The Frontier Overland Company. This is how dreams are made. How legends are born. And how two fearless men staked their claim in America. The rest is history. JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WHERE THE DREAMS ARE BIGGER--AND THE ROAD IS DEADLIER.

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The top dogs of bestselling western action thrillers hit the bullseye with Shotgun Johnny, a disgraced lawman whose quest for vengeance becomes a legendary fight for justice. Shotgun Johnny Greenway thought he'd hit rock bottom when he lost his wife and son, hung up his badge, and hit the bottle. But a pretty young woman gave him a second chance. Offered him a job riding shotgun for the Reverend's Temptation Gold Mine. Gave him a reason to live. But even she can't save him when the Starrett gang tries to rob the gold--and Johnny kills their leader . . . When the dust clears, Shotgun Johnny is wanted for murder. The dead man's father has powerful friends, including a town marshal who's Johnny's personal enemy. One wants the gold. The other wants the girl. Both want Johnny dead. With a $1000 bounty on his head--and half the county trying to kill him--Johnny's got to prove his innocence. Not in a court of law. In a trial by shotgun . . .

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. But old cowboys? That's a different story -- especially when they're Robin Hood outlaws of the Wild West being tailed by an uppity US Marshal half their age... From William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone, legendary, bestselling masters of the classic Western with more than 50 million copies in print, the second in a rowdy new shoot-em-up series that proves old cowboys not only get wiser with age - they get bolder and crazier too... As proprietors of the growing D&T Cattle Company, Casey Tubbs and Eli Doolin finally have a business of their own. If they're going to spend their remaining years corraling cows, at least they can line their own pockets with the fruits of their labor instead of making wealthy ranchers even wealthier. Unfortunately, the meat market has seen better days and the D&T's finances are drying up faster than a rain puddle--leaving Casey and Eli no choice but to procure cash by any means necessary--usually robbing banks. Before long, Casey and Eli are the most wanted men in the West. Dogged by U. S. marshals and Texas Rangers, the old outlaws slip away time and again, gaining notoriety and being hailed as heroes by folks who have been victimized by corrupt bankers. Deputy U. S. Marshal Colton Gray, smart enough to suspect that the two cowboys are masquerading as old geezers, grudgingly respects Casey and Eli's grit. But he won't let that stop him from bringing them to justice. And if they don't come peacefully, then Colton will teach them to respect law and order from the barrel of his gun. JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. SPEAK YOUR MIND BUT RIDE A FAST HORSE.

From the greatest western writers of the 21st century, the thundering new adventure starring traveling gunslinger John Holt, a lawman-for-hire on a mission to serve justice across the untamed Colorado territories - one bullet at a time. One of the deadliest, crime-infested towns in Colorado Territory, Devil's Gulch needed more than a sheriff. They needed a gunslinger. So they pinned a badge on hardcase lawman John Holt. And the rest is history. . . . When the Devil Escapes As the town's new sheriff, John Holt achieved the impossible: He drove the devil out of Devil's Gulch. Corrupt, cutthroat rancher Joe Mullen--who ruled the land with an iron fist--is finally behind bars, all thanks to Sheriff Holt. But the tables are turned when Mullen manages to overturn his prison wagon and make his escape--with an army of prisoners, outlaws, and lowlifes to do his bidding. . . . All Hell Breaks Loose. It doesn't take long for the streets of Devil's Gulch to run red with blood. Again. Or for Holt to be marked for death. Again. But this time, the sheriff's up against more than a hundred men--all of them gunning for him--and his only allies are an all-too-young deputy, an all-too-angry farmer, and a wayward wagon cook. With odds this bad, Holt is sure of only one thing: when you shoot at the devil, it's best not to miss. Live Free. Read Hard.

According to the history books, legendary outlaw Butch Cassidy was killed in 1908 alongside the Sundance Kid in a bloody shootout with the Bolivian Army. Or was he? From master storytellers William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone, a page-turning revisionist Western and gripping tribute to a true icon of the Wild West that asks the question: What if Butch Cassidy survived? In a small Texas town in 1950, a Pinkerton detective interrupts an old-timer's game of dominos to learn the truth about Butch Cassidy--who is still very much alive and well. In fact, he's the old-timer playing dominos. Seems that after surviving the infamous shootout in Bolivia that claimed the life of his partner the Sundance Kid, Butch returns to Texas searching for a place to call home. When he comes across a dying rancher who'd been shot by some rustlers, Butch promises to avenge him--and take over the ranch after his death. Assuming the name Jim Strickland, Butch begins a new chapter in his life. But trouble has a way of finding Butch. A corrupt railroad baron pulls him into the most dangerous train robbery he's ever attempted. But if Butch Cassidy is going to ride again, it'll have to be with a newer, and wilder, Wild Bunch . . . JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WHERE LEGENDS NEVER DIE.

Slash and Pecos come face-to-face with the baddest hombre they've ever known: a kill-crazy mad man who's paving the road to hell--with bloodlust. He blew into town like a tornado--a mysterious stranger with money to burn and a sadistic streak as wide as the Rio Grande. He says his name is Benson and he's come to invest in the town's future. First, he showers the banks and local businesses with cash. Then, he hires a pair of drunks to fight and get arrested so he can check out the local lawmen. After that, he warms up to a lady of the evening--with deadly results. That's just the beginning. By the time Slash and Pecos return to town after a quick-and-dirty cargo run, Benson has enlisted half the outlaws in the territory for his own private army. The local lawmen are quickly slaughtered and the US marshals are no match. With looters amock and killers festering on every corner, a person would have to be stupid or crazy to try to take the town back . . . Luckily, Slash and Pecos are a little of both. They've been around long enough to see the worst in men--and they know that the best way to stop a very bad hombre . . . is to be even badder.

Nobody knows who he is or where he came from. Until the day this stranger, who calls himself John Doe, stands up for a town besieged by crime and corruption--and forges a legend. Johnstone Territory. Where Some Men Just Need Killing. An army of federal lawmen are converging on the small California mountain town of Ullet to catch a train. The cargo: a collection of ruthless thieves and killers bound for hard labor and the hangman. The folks of Ullet have all been evacuated to a nearby farm for their own safety until the train departs. But this band of deputies and their charges aren't going to jail. They're all in cahoots, planning the heist of a lifetime. And any honest lawman who tries to stop them will get a bullet in the brain or a knife in the back. Only they didn't reckon on facing a hardcase who calls himself John Doe. He doesn't know where he was born or who his parents are. What John does know is the difference between right and wrong--and how to enforce the law with guts and guns . . .

From the greatest western writers of the 21st century, William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone, ex-lawman turned cattle rancher Ty Brannigan returns to fight for what's his in Wyoming's Bear Paw mountains using his own unique brand of frontier justice... JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. TIME TO KILL. Former lawman Ty Brannigan tries to rope in some skittish cattle rustlers at his family ranch--and uncovers a nest of scheming bank robbers. Looks like he's going to need a bigger rope . . . DOOMSDAY IS COMING. Something fishy is going on with the beef at Circle P. After a quick-and-dirty shootout with a small band of rustlers, Ty Brannigan and his son Matt do another count of their cattle--and find they have fifty heads more than before. Seems the rustlers were hiding stolen cows from other ranches among the Brannigan herd. And that's just the tip of the cowpie. In jail, the rustlers rat out their partners to the local marshal. They're not just stealing cattle. They're plotting the biggest bank robbery in the county's bullet-riddled history. And this time, they're going to make a real killing. . . . Months in the planning--and just days away--the countdown to doomsday has begun. Ty, Matt, and the town marshall must race against time to track down the robbers before they strike--or innocent people will die. But the Brannigans aren't afraid of danger. When the clock runs out--and the shooting starts--every man's days are numbered . . . Live Free. Read Hard.

From the Greatest Western Writers of the 21st Century, the 10th chapter in the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling series featuring Luke Jensen, the long-lost brother of Mountain Man Smoke Jensen. A legend among bounty hunters, Luke Jensen joins a posse of misfits and greenhorns on a murderous manhunt that's doomed from the start--and there's no turning back . . . Someone is terrorizing the Arizona border. Burning down ranches. Butchering travelers. Blazing a trail of bloodthirsty raids and robbing the railroads blind. His name is Melichus. A ruthless half-breed outlaw with a mile-long record of cruelties and crimes, he's the most wanted man in the territory. And the massive price on his head has attracted the attention of every trigger-happy, would-be bounty hunter this side of the Rio Grande. But Luke Jensen knows something they don't: The bigger the bounty, the deadlier the prey. Against his better judgment, Luke accepts an offer from the Great Southern Railroad to lead a posse of hired guns to stop Melichus in his tracks. Problem is, the gunmen are untrained, undisciplined, and unruly. To make matters worse, a meddlesome pair of Pinkertons are along for the ride, too. But the real trouble starts when their team gets caught in a three-sided gunfight with an Apache war party and the Mexican Army. It's fast becoming the bloodiest manhunt Luke's ever seen--and the final showdown could be his last . . .

From the Greatest Western Writers of the 21st Century, William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone, the 7th blazing adventure featuring legendary gunslinger Perley Gates, a new hero in the Old West who's as honest and good as his heavenly name. Perley always fights on the side of the angels. But in the East Texas county of Angelina, the war is half over--and the devils are winning . . . Perley's elder brother, Rubin, who manages the Triple-G Ranch decides to try breeding some Hereford cattle with the ranch's longhorns. He asks Perley to deliver the contract for the Herefords, a simple task. But nothing ever remains simple when Perley is involved. And for the reluctant fast gun, it means a nightmare journey through hell itself . . . The trouble starts when Perley and his sidekick, Possum, meet some damsels in distress--a lovely group of saloon girls with a broken wagon wheel. Being a good Samaritan, Perley feels honor-bound to help them. But when the travelers cross paths with an ornery gang of vicious outlaws, things turn deadly--and fast. It only gets worse from there, for Perley agrees to escort them to Nacogdoches--next to Angelina County, a section of which is infested with a special breed of vermin known as the Tarpley family. And this corrupt clan has a gunslinger--who'd love nothing more than to take down a living legend like Perley Gates . . .

From the legendary Johnstones, the first in an action-packed new shoot-em-up series featuring a disgraced former marshal whose quest for revenge turns into a war for justice... NO ONE MESSES WITH SHOTGUN JOHNNY. It takes a brave man to ride shotgun for the Reverend's Temptation Gold Mine in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It takes an even braver man to try to rob a coach of bullion when the shotgun rider is Johnny Greenway. Armed with his weapons of choice--two sawed-off, double-barreled shotguns in custom-made holsters for pistol-quick draws--Shotgun Johnny ain't stopping for no one . . . NOT UNLESS THEY WANT TO DIE. Johnny Greenway was once a family man. A well-respected marshal who always played fair. Then his wife and son were killed by cutthroats. Johnny killed the killers. Then he hung up his badge and picked up a bottle. Now a shadow of his former self, he has nothing much to live for. But when he singlehandedly stops a bank robbery, he catches the eye of the banker's daughter. She's impressed by Johnny's gun skills, and offers him a job riding shotgun. First he'll have to stop drinking and clean up his act. But that's not all that needs cleaning. The mountain trail to the mine hides the filthiest, dirtiest gang in the territory. They're gunning for the gold. But Shotgun Johnny will be gunning for them . . .