The Hanging Party----5 stars  *****

The Johnstone group has another good series going with this one about Jon Gage aka Texas Lightening.  He grew up in a trying situation living with an alcoholic father after his mother had gone.  He was a sensitive boy and not one that his father understood.  One of the things that Gage got good at was wielding a gun.

It wasn't that he liked doing it but it seemed to come his way even when he tried to avoid it.  He developed a wide-ranging reputation as the Texas Lightening, which is where he hailed from. After being on his own he got rid of the family farm since there was little equity left in it and moved on.  But that pesky reputation followed him and there was always someone who thought they were faster on the draw...not!!

It came to a head in one of the dusty trail towns when once again he was called out and then after he was the faster draw, he was forced into a killing to save his own life.  The set Jon on a different path and he tried to hide from his past as he never wanted to kill again.

Enter a drying up mining town, a crooked freighter, some hired guns, and an evil wanna-be business tycoon and you find Jon in the next chapter of his life.  He has been successful in not wearing or drawing a gun for several years but here the evil was so strong, and he was determined to help right some wrongs.  This is the thrust of this story: the clash of his desire to help versus his self-imposed restrictions on using his gun.  Which part of Jon will win and what will be the consequences for whichever course of action he takes?  Herein lies the story and it is a good one and one I definitely recommend very highly.  I look forward to reading more about Jon Gage and he struggles with his past and his future.