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Matt Jensen is the adopted son of mountain man Smoke his soul was forged by violence and hardship, his calling the sound of a gun. . .


Snake River Massacre

Matt Jensen didn't want to kill two murderers in Wyoming but he had no choice. Now, his fame has reached into Idaho Territory where a woman Matt knew as a child in an orphanage is being hunted by predators. . . Kitty Wellington inherited her uncle's 20,000-acre ranch--and a mortgage--on the Snake River. She plans to pay her debt by selling thoroughbreds to the U.S. Army. But a relative is trying to steal it all. . .until Matt enters a fight whose most dangerous combatants have yet to show their hand.


Behind one man's evil plot is a small army of vicious killers masquerading as peace officers in Boise. For men who are used to getting their way, the odds in this fight look pretty good. . .until they meet Matt Jensen.

The real battle is about to begin.

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 23, 2010

84 people are currently reading
196 people want to read

About the author

William W. Johnstone

1,041 books1,392 followers
William W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.

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5 stars
337 (58%)
4 stars
161 (27%)
3 stars
60 (10%)
2 stars
12 (2%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Rob Smith, Jr..
1,294 reviews35 followers
September 25, 2015
This entry in The Last Mountain Man series has a fine story, great characters and some lousy construction. Considering earlier entries in the series, this was a further drop off.

Parts of this books are very well written and then there are the pages of extraneous pages of conversation and description that seem to be tacked on. Extra pages that include misspellings. All adding up to an editor that was asleep at the wheel of this Johnstone Clan novel.

It's really a shame, in that otherwise there is so much good about this book. Especially considering so much is tied to the start of the series for the fan of Matt Jemsen. thus a split decision:

Bottom line: if you like Matt Jensen series- i recommend.
If you aren't familiar with series: i don't recommend. 4 out of 10 stars.
Profile Image for Tori.
142 reviews1 follower
January 28, 2014
A bit of a slow mover in large spots, this could have been lots shorter and tighter for a more enjoyable ride. Not as enjoyable as the Smoke Jenson series.
1,249 reviews23 followers
Read
August 1, 2019
KATHLEEN

Ambushed, land grabbing, misrepresenting and the age old jealousy. A young man Marcus Kincaid, the son of a woman, who married a royal from England, but he never adopted the boy. The royal died, but he had remarried Kitty who much younger than him. He loved Kitty very much, so to more or less keep peace, he divided his American holding down the middle. Kitty inherited the horse ranch and Marcus received another ranch. Like all greedy men, he felt he should have inherited the profitable horse ranch.
Marcus used underhanded ways of hoping to cause Kitty to lose her ranch. He hired some outlaw band of regulators to rustle her horses so that she wouldn't be able to fulfil her Army contract for the horses. If this happened she wouldn't be able to pay off her loans and her ranch would go into foreclosure. She would have no recourse, lost of a source of income and the
ranch hands would lose their jobs. Kitty has an ace up her sleeve and that is MATT JENSEN.
Need I say more, well Matt and Kitty have history together, they were in the same orphanage run by a horrible predator who sold the girls into prostitution, possibly the boys also. Beatings, never having enough food, the predators would accept good stuffs and possibly other items to make their lives easier were confiscated by the predators for his own use..it was orphans "be damn."
Matt Jensen utilizes every aspects of a graduate from West Point. A leader who men will follow into battle knowing they will overcome the challenges facing them.
So let's all say together ride easy Matt Jensen and Spirit II , watch that groove of trees, good place for a ambush. Oh my did you see that reflection off to your right??Matt be careful!!!
Profile Image for Garth Mailman.
2,529 reviews10 followers
July 31, 2018
These Mountain Men books are a guilty pleasure. I don’t normally hold with guns or gun play but realize it may have been the way it was back when in the West. Or so books such as these have promoted the myth. Dueling has not been legal for some time. All the E-books I’ve read could have benefited with more careful editing but the errors are not excessive or distracting but seem to get worse as I go on. If you’ve watched Gunsmoke or Rifleman you know the score. Smoke and Matt are protraited as likeable gunslingers.

This is book 5 in the series, the libraries I use don’t carry book 2. Matt is a wandering rogue who thinks of himself as a good guy. As his renown grows and spreads he tends to attract gunplay wherever he goes and create business for undertakers but become less popular with local law enforcement. Since the ‘hero’ is peripatetic the books’ locale keeps changing and we are continually introduced to new characters most of them unsavoury.
Profile Image for RICHARD STENTON.
283 reviews5 followers
May 25, 2021
Another Matt Jensen book and a perfect evening read. It is always good vs. evil and again Matt rises to the occasion and saves the day. This episode concerns Matt traveling around as usual and he gets a letter from a long time friend who was with him when he was in the Orphanage. She needs his help to save her ranch. He comes to the rescue and runs into lots of problems in the town but as Matt always finds a way to save the day and he does it real style this time. He also goes to Chicago with the woman who was a small girl when he was in the orphanage. It appears there is a little spark starting to bubble up in his heart and even though he is off again on another adventure he indicates he may be back to see Kitty.
623 reviews
November 19, 2018
Another great story about the Jensens. Matt is doing the same good deeds as Smoke did/does. In this one, Matt helps out a lady that he knew when they were both orphans. She was lucky enough to marry a well-to-do fella with a large ranch and she is raising horses. The husband dies and she is doing well, except for his step son who thinks he is entitled to more than his share ... and Matt just happens to be in the neighborhood. A little different in that he has to hold off an organized bunch of outlaws (calling themselves a posse of 16 or so) who try to steal her horses, but Matt has a lot of tricks up his sleeve and all ends well.
282 reviews1 follower
May 13, 2023
Matt is requested by an old friend from his childhood to come and help her get 500 horses to Chicago to be sold to the U.S. Army. What should have been an easy thing to do is made into a deathly endeavor when Matt runs into trouble with a group known as the Idaho Auxiliary Peace Officers, who are nothing but a gang of murders, that have badges. Once the killing begins Matt suffers a bad knife wound and then after healing, he goes to work to try and save the day and revenge the death of a soiled dove, who saved his life. Is this where Matt falls in love and settles down?
Profile Image for rick incremona.
211 reviews
June 6, 2023
I very much enjoyed this book. The characters were great, I loved the supporting cast, and the climax was good. I just hope there are no more attorneys named Dempster. Since the purgatory book there has been a Dempster attorney in every story and I even think the name pruefrock popped up once or twice for an undertaker. Other than that it was just great storytelling.
1,483 reviews4 followers
July 25, 2019
I did enjoy this book and in the storyline. The only thing is as the series goes on they have Matt running more and more in the line of fire with the bullets buzzing right by his head. They’re turning him into superman. Like to see what happens to the lady and her horse ranch.
Profile Image for E. Franmklin.
Author 1 book3 followers
February 21, 2021
A Very Good book as a one man army sets things straight with a puesdo - military posse out to steal a here of valuable steeds; the sale of which would rescue a lady from losing her ranch. Bullets fly and bodies begin to stack up. A bit of romance thrown in ,this tale is hard to put down.
10 reviews
November 3, 2020
Good from beginning to the end

I liked the characters were different. Not the same virgin heroine but a real woman with a past, through no fault of hers.
18 reviews
January 20, 2022
Great

I enjoyed this book. Lots of excitement lots of emotion and was a GOOD READ. IT says I need 5 more words. Ok
43 reviews
May 12, 2022
Snake River Slaughter, Book 5

This was a really good storyline. I enjoyed this book very much. I can't wait to read the next one.
Profile Image for Nolan.
1,039 reviews3 followers
May 25, 2023
Interesting story and interesting ending.
2,490 reviews46 followers
February 6, 2010
Matt Jensen comes to the aid of an old friend from their orphanage days. She married well, an older man, and inherited the ranch when he died. Her late husband's stepson tried an end run in the courts and lost, so hired a small private army to make sure she defaulted on her loan, which he'd bought from the bank.

She had a contract with the government to deliver five hundred horse, of Arabian stock, which would allow her to pay off the loan and have enough left to continue business.

Several attempts were made to kill Matt before he got there. No easy thing, all failed.
Profile Image for Judith Bowers.
45 reviews
June 2, 2016
Loved it!!!

I am a Westerner at heart, this is why I try to read all of William Johnston's books. The characters are lively, spirited, and humorous. I find Preacher, Smoke, Matt, and Duff some of the best men that the West had to offer us as readers. You will never be disappointed, I would recommended these series of books to everyone who wishes they had lived while the Western states were being "Tamed!"
Profile Image for ইমতিয়াজ আজাদ.
50 reviews51 followers
September 16, 2017
গতানুগতিক ওয়েস্টার্ন ছিল। সেই র‍্যাঞ্চ বাঁচানোর জন্য কাউকে ডেকে পাঠানো, তারপরে নায়কের আগমন এবং সব শেষে দুষ্টের দমন এবং শিষ্টের পালন। তবে শেষের অ্যাকশনে নতুনত্ব আছে।

তবুও খারাপ লাগেনি। ওয়েস্টার্ন পড়তে কখনওই খারাপ লাগে ন���। :)
Profile Image for Debbie.
13 reviews
Read
July 19, 2016
Fairly easy read, the ending was to abrupt and unfulfilling.
862 reviews2 followers
January 15, 2017
Excellent!

Another Western Masterpiece by this great author. it is so good to see right prevail! Even if it is fiction.
Profile Image for Don Sinquefield.
44 reviews2 followers
January 18, 2017
GREAT Story!

Matt is a man among a bunch of IDIOT outlaws. He wins against big odds and wins the lady too.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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