Review--Branded--4.5 stars

The novel “Branded” by Eric Red is one that shows the ways that humans can do very bad deeds.  It is focused on a bounty hunter named Joe Noose who has partnered with two U. S. Marshals – one male, Emmet Ford, and one female, Bess Sugarland.  Yep, a female marshal is on the job.  This brings an interesting dynamic to the storyline.

As the book’s title notes, there is branding going on and we are not taking the branding of cattle.  There are people being branded by a seeming madman.  Joe, as a kid, while running around with several older boys, was caught stealing cattle by the owner.  The man took it on himself to hang the older boys but since Joe was too young, he only branded him on the chest with a large “Q.”  Now as a 34-year-old adult, Joe carries the brand mark but instead of embittering him, he used the evil experience to turn his life around. But the idea still strikes fear in him.

The task that Noose and his Marshal friends, Ford, and Sugarland, have taken on is to track this fiend down.  They are spurred on as recently there was a mass murder where each victim was branded with the letter “Q.” The difference with Joe is that after his ordeal, he was left alive.  This did not happen with the most recent victims;  they were chopped into pieces with the mark of “Q” on every piece that had been hacked off.

During the midst of winter in Wyoming, the “posse” roamed through lots of snow seeking the Brander, as they have started referring to him.  He is very elusive and has almost been caught several times. The pursuing bad discovers some unusual secrets but begin to bond as a team.

Cornered in heavy snow, the Brander might be expected to fight, and he does but the outcome has several twists right to the bitter end.  An interesting book that is hard to put down until the posse begins to wrap-up this adventure. An enjoyable adventure.

Review--Outlaw Country--5 stars

One of the most famous characters in the William and J.A. Johnstone’s stories is Kirby “Smoke” Jensen.  This is the third book in the series, but it gives the backstory of Smoke’s life to this time.  He is on a ship heading to Paris with his second wife, Sally.  He becomes friends with a reporter who is not interested in news but human-interest stories.

He is enticed to tell his story from the beginning where his mother dies, and his father gets murdered.  A friendly mountain man named Preacher takes over the training of the young whippersnapper ensuring that he learns well all the skill needed by a person vowing revenge on the murderous gang who murdered his father. 

While under Preacher’s tutelage he meets and falls in love
the lovely Nicole who is left alive after a savage attach on her and her families wagon heading westward.  It is not an immediate love story btu they become enamored with each other and get married in a most unusual way. Preacher does a lot of away time rambling his beloved mountains.  Nicole and Smoke conceive a baby boy who they name Art after Preacher’s given name – Arthur. Preacher will be the grandpa to the baby. Tragedy befalls the new family.

Rather than go into more detail in the review, read the book to learn the sad story of the passing of Nicole and baby Art and what Stone does to avenge them.  It is a little gruesome but in the ways of the old West appropriate.

Smoke keeps the stories of his life coming to the reporter including his meeting and wedding Sally; their founding of the Sugarloaf ranch including how he becomes a renown purveyor of good horseflesh.  He becomes a founder of a town and owner of a railroad. As might be expected because of the legends of Smoke’s speed and accuracy with a pistol, there are numerous bad people who want to kill him.  Some just to gain more of a reputation with the gun and others to avoid his legendary temper for committing some nefarious deed to Smoke or the ones he loved. Smoke does not forget wrongs against him or his loved ones.

Smoke’s story here is one that puts all the various pieces together and is very entertaining and instructive in getting the story all in one place.  I definitely recommend this book.

Review--Every Mother's Son--4 stars

 

Every Mother’s Son, by William and J. A. Johnstone has a title that does not exactly fit the story, in my view.  The story is one that is gripping and has three disparate characters that are generally friends or at least well-known associates.  This group has a somewhat less than totally wholesome reputations but are honest and trustworthy. As a matter of fact, they are often referred to as “jackals” but regardless of one being a drunk, another a bounty hunter, and the third is a retired Texas Ranger.

A more unlikely group you’ve likely never seen or read about.  But they have come to help one of their ‘pards- Jed Breen, a drunken, former sergeant who was asked by a former commanding officer, Colonel Bainbridge, to help find his only daughter who was captured in a stagecoach holdup by the notorious Harry Holland and who is demanding $20 thousand for the safe return of the colonel’s only daughter.

The kicker is that the money must be delivered to Holland’s nearly impenetrable compound by the Rio Grande River.  All the while avoiding Apaches, outlaws, and harsh desert conditions…and making the tight timeline.

If anyone can accomplish it the jackals are the ones but so many twists and turns intervene.  The three good guys must enlist the help of a river pirate, avoid attacks by Chief Rojo’s Apache band, and various robbers bent on taking that $20 thousand in gold coin that the colonel has raised regardless of what would happen to Bainbridge’s daughter at the hands of Holland’s nefarious gang if the money were not delivered on time.

Expect lots of adventure as the three jackals are committed to a task even though there are so many dangers that must face. It seems around every corner there is another barrier to the on-time delivery.

There are lots of men involved in the story there is minimal mention of every mother let alone their sons.  So, although the title  may not be the best one, the story is one full of adventure, and enough twists and turns to keep a reader entertained.  I would recommend it as one of the Johnstone’s entertaining books.

Review--By the Neck--3 stars

 

This book by William Johnstone, By the Neck, was somewhat of a disappointment.  It is not up to the typical quality and page-turning urge, I’ve always gotten with one of Johnstone’s book. The story was sort of s dud.  I’m not sure if it was because of the protagonist, Rollie Stoneface Finnegan who was a Pinkerton injured on the job and then put out to pasture.  He had captured a large number of really bad people in his career and either had them executed or jailed them.

After the last injury he goes through a bit of a downward spiral and ends up in a mining camp high in the mountains.  He gets to thinking about settling down and ends up opening a local watering hole that is basically a canvas and logs affair. There is no real law or government there in the hills but Rollie is a good man who takes over with a law and order standard.

All goes well until folks start rolling in with a vendetta to kill Finnegan.  There are only one or two who are handled easily especially with help from some of Stoneface’s friends.  All goes pretty well until a woman with a stronger hate and ads placed in newspapers listing where Finnegan lives.  These ne’er-do-wells start rolling in and then the smelly stuff hits the fan.  The climax is a battle; injuries and deaths occur.

Should the ex-Pinkerton leave or stand his ground and defend his business and livelihood along with his friends?  Or should he turn tail.  Gotta read this book to find out. Just don’t expect the development and high adventure that I had come to expect from a Johnstone novel.  Not bad btu not up to his usual high adventure stories.

Review --A Quiet Little Town--4 stars

 Reading  A Quiet Little Town” by William and J. A. Johnstone began in a most unusual way for the best western authors that I can remember. It starts in Europe with a person setting up a murder for hire.

Thinking this might be a different type book, it was a pleasure when the scene switches to the traditional West in the late 1800s.  In this case, a stagecoach driven by a Muldoon and a guard Ryan.  These have been characters in other enjoyable Johnstone books.

A most unusual set of passengers a being carried on to the next stagecoach stop, not counting where horse teams are switched.  Lots of adventures happen from outlaws, Indians, murders, and others get involved.

Nothing is too unexpected but be ready for adventure as one rider describes the place as Hell on Wheels.  From Pinkertons, to a former drunk, to monks, to gentlemen outlaws all converge.  You can count on murders, attempted murders, and adventure—lots of adventure to happen.

Texas is in for a rip-roaring adventure as these fellow passengers are off heading eastward through dangerous grounds filled with Indians but also with dangerous fellow passengers.  A western reader will enjoy this book even though it is a little too far fetched and enough off the traditional western genre to be fully enjoyable.  A fast read that has an occasional plot twitch adds to the fun

Review - Blood, Guts, and Glory -- 5 stars

Reading the William Johnstone book entitled Blood, Guts, and Glory  a reader can see how the western part of the country differs from back East in New Hampshire.  The plot of the story concerns the early days of Smoke Jensen and his second wife, his first and a baby son murdered by outlaws.  

Smoke is considered the fastest on the draw through the West.  He has never killed a person who did not deserve killing and he has no wanted posters issues for him.  He is quick to reach when an injustice is done and those involved are brought to a quick justice.

This story revolved around an old acquaintance who along with 2 outlaws comes to Smoke’s house and shoots his new wife, Sally.  For a while it seems she may not survive but survive she does.

Smoke takes off after them when he finds that are after his wife who just happens to be pregnant with Smokes twins (although at first, he does not know about the twins.  Sally is in New Hampshire with her father who is an accomplished lawyer.

As might be expected, there is a showdown with this set of criminals and in true western fashion, of course the good guys win.  Although there is a lot of adventure here, getting to this point, it still a pleasure to read about Smoke Jensen and the way he handles the troublemakers.

A short book that reads very quickly and is hard to put down as Smoke’s exploits make the adventure one of suspense.  Definitely one  that a fan of Johnstone will have trouble putting down. The shortness is its only flaw!