Purgatory Crossing --  4 stars * * * * 

Having some history with hostile natives, Nathan Stark has made it his job to try to help prevent marauders from killing innocents; the way they did with his family.  His experience in the American Civil War has made him a hard man but one who seems to be interested in justice...but that is sometimes conflicted.

He joins with a member of the Crow tribe, Moses Red Buffalo, to hunt down marauders and deal frontier justice to those who would hurt innocents.  But he also has some background where all natives as well as people of color are not well trusted.  This inner conflict is seen again and again in his dealings along the trail.  But he would be the first to tell you that Moses Red Buffalo is his best friend.  Something that might not be expected given his background.

Stark and Red Buffalo are excellent trackers and are tasked with a tracking and retrieval job for some kidnapped Navajo children, a brother and sister, being held by one of the Geronimo Apache bands in frontier Arizona.  As might be expected the Apache will not take kindly to this rescue.  But others also come into play including scalp hinters and Mexican cavalry. The rescue is a key in limiting the Apache-problem but the Navajo chief, father of the kidnapped children, will not join the hunt for the Apache until the children are found.

The book is an adventure and a fun read.

 Preachers Strike -- 5 stars  

Preacher’s Strike by the Johnstone syndicate is a different story than many of the Preacher-series stories.  In this book, Preacher (no relation to an actual clergy member) is asked to accompany a member of the European nobility (Geoffrey Fitzwarren) of a small duchy to find the daughter of the ruling family.  She had left, of her own volition, with a lothario to explore in America’s west.  All is not as it seems with the “love tryst” and it is up to Preacher and his Horse and Dog along with some trusted allies to intervene.

Preacher and Fitzwarren hire some men to accompany them on a trip westward where they hope to find Charlotte, the noble woman.  What they do not know is that a less than respectable character named Knox also has been listening to their plans and has hatched a nefarious one of his own that has nothing to do with Miss Charlotte.  It is to capture and hold for ransom the noble Fitzwarren.  Knox’s gang is comprised mostly of uncouth cutthroats but one man, Bellamy, might have a glimmer of honesty.  If he does, he may be the only path of salvation for Preacher and members of his group.

Throw in some disgruntled Teton Sioux who are easily offended and there is a triangle of danger being formed.  How will the angles work out?  Well to see it will be necessary to read the story, which I recommend.  It is a quick and easy read that I found hard to put down once I started it.

 I’m Here to Kill You  --- 5 stars

I’m Here to Kill You is a twofer—two books in one (Brutal Night of the Mountain Man & Venom of the Mountain Man).  Both deal with a favorite Johnstone character: Smoke Jensen.  Jensen is a major ranch owner of the Sugarloaf in Colorado. Each of the books also deal with rather cruel men who happen to also be criminals who underestimate Smoke (aka Kirby) Jensen.

In “Brutal Night” the character is Silas Atwood who is determined to take over all the businesses in town…he already owns most of them.  But the saloon owner, Kate Coldane, does not want to sell the bar she and her late husband started. Atwood does not care and own the local law.  It is little reason to doubt that Kate’s son, Rusty, is forced into a gunfight when he is really a classical pianist just helping his mother out by doing saloon piano.  Although many witnesses would testify that he shot in self-defense, the corrupt Atwood, sheriff, and judge have found him guilty and sentenced him to hang, unless Kate sell Atwood her saloon.

Enter Smoke and his two sidekicks, Cal Wood and Pearlie also know as Wes Fontaine, who happens to be Kate’s long-lost brother.  This is where the fun begins as various, intriguing happenings take place.

Book 2 “Venom” sees a similar story but this one from an Irish mobster who is run out of NYC and heads west to take over a small town.  Enter shootings, kidnappings, murders, strange bedfellows as Smoke once again with his prime partners and friends seek to right wrongs.  This story involves Smoke’s lovely wife Sally, who is kidnapped and held for ransom in New York City by other Irish gang members.

Smoke is not to be denied his righteous anger as he goes after the culprits.  A few bad men develop a conscious but it is too little too late, but the large gang is dispersed one-by-one including one by a resourceful fourteen year-old teenager rescuing a group of five other youngsters.  In addition to setting them free, he gains a girlfriend!!

A delightful dual read and well worth the time and effort and Storm shows once again why he is feared by the bad, loved by the good, and respected by almost everyone with whom he interacts!!  Good read.

 Blood Bounty of the Mountain Man  -- 5 stars

The beginning of this book, Blood Bounty of the Mountain Man began rather slowly and seemed like another story amount the famous Smoke Jensen.  It didn’t take long for the authors to get into the interesting part of the story beginning with Smoke being involved in doing good for others.

This led to an injury that caused amnesia.  But the basic nature of the man always comes through and although he resorted to an old alias, he had used in his earlier crime fighting--Buck West. He was still definitely on the side of good even if he didn’t know who he was.

Being in several delicate situations concerning the fairer sex as well as the local crime boss, let him to wonder what was happening.  The story unfolds rather rapidly.  What he doesn’t realize that the love of his life, Sally, was pining for him back on his huge range, Sugarloaf.

How does he find out who he is when he hears about an outlaw claiming to be the famous Smoke Jensen and robbing and killing right and left?  The story comes to a dramatic conclusion when the townspeople in Last Change Spring decide to stand up and take back their town.

The dramatic conclusion happens with Smoke meets Smoke in a deadly gun battle.  One Smoke will survive but which one?  Fun read.