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MacCallister #3
Dry Gulch Ambush
The Greatest Western Writer Of The 21st Century
Duff MacCallister is heir to a fierce family of fighting Scotsmen. In a new land, in the extraordinary new saga by bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone, Duff gives new meaning to the words without mercy.
Cut Off The Head—The Beast Will Die.
The Indians around Fort Laramie, Wyoming are peaceful. Or so it has seemed—until killers ambush a detail of U.S. soldiers and an officer’s wife. One man, an ambitious cavalry officer, flees the carnage and lives to tell the story—his own story, an outright lie. When Duff MacCallister and a few brave men go after the attackers, they discover the officer’s wife is very much alive and at the cold merciless hands of the sadistic warrior Yellow Hawk. To free the woman, Duff touches off a fierce battle. And when he finds himself surrounded by the blood-crazed renegades, MacCallister knows there is only one way out—by going after Yellow Hawk himself…
Duff MacCallister is heir to a fierce family of fighting Scotsmen. In a new land, in the extraordinary new saga by bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone, Duff gives new meaning to the words without mercy.
Cut Off The Head—The Beast Will Die.
The Indians around Fort Laramie, Wyoming are peaceful. Or so it has seemed—until killers ambush a detail of U.S. soldiers and an officer’s wife. One man, an ambitious cavalry officer, flees the carnage and lives to tell the story—his own story, an outright lie. When Duff MacCallister and a few brave men go after the attackers, they discover the officer’s wife is very much alive and at the cold merciless hands of the sadistic warrior Yellow Hawk. To free the woman, Duff touches off a fierce battle. And when he finds himself surrounded by the blood-crazed renegades, MacCallister knows there is only one way out—by going after Yellow Hawk himself…
- GenresWesterns
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
254 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,055 books1,396 followersWilliam 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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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
February 14, 2021
Enjoying this series, will continue to. Narrator is terrific and his voice is perfect for part. Some violence and profanity (no F-bombs).
June 14, 2013
I'm in somewhat of a quandry on how to rate this book. As a western novel, I would have to give it five stars. Great story here. But as a novel in the Duff MacCallister series, it hardly rates more than three stars tops.
Why would that be?
Because Duff MacCallister appears in scarcely more than a third of the book, just one of several plot lines with a large cast of characters. The prologue, epilogue, and one section in the middle are set in 1918 when General John J. Pershing meets Duff MacCallister, Jr. and recruits him for a mission that could end The Great War early and save thousands of lives on both sides.
The main part of the story is how Pershing met the boy's father and had an adventure together in 1988.
Yellow Hawk, a Shoshone renegade has broken off the reservation and is raiding and killing. One plot thread concerns him and his plans. Duff is driving a herd of Angus bought by the army to one of their forts. Another thread is an ambitious, and cowardly, officer who married a general's daughter because it might further his rise in rank and a comfortable posting in Washington. That it doesn't work he attributes to everything but the real reason: himself.
A nice story here, but hardly a Duff MacCallister novel.
I'll reluctantly give it four stars.
Why would that be?
Because Duff MacCallister appears in scarcely more than a third of the book, just one of several plot lines with a large cast of characters. The prologue, epilogue, and one section in the middle are set in 1918 when General John J. Pershing meets Duff MacCallister, Jr. and recruits him for a mission that could end The Great War early and save thousands of lives on both sides.
The main part of the story is how Pershing met the boy's father and had an adventure together in 1988.
Yellow Hawk, a Shoshone renegade has broken off the reservation and is raiding and killing. One plot thread concerns him and his plans. Duff is driving a herd of Angus bought by the army to one of their forts. Another thread is an ambitious, and cowardly, officer who married a general's daughter because it might further his rise in rank and a comfortable posting in Washington. That it doesn't work he attributes to everything but the real reason: himself.
A nice story here, but hardly a Duff MacCallister novel.
I'll reluctantly give it four stars.
February 14, 2021
Enjoying this series, will continue to. Narrator is terrific and his voice is perfect for part. Some violence and profanity (no F-bombs).
February 7, 2017
This is more like it! After reading the first two in this new MacCallister series, i thought the Johnstone Clan had really dropped the ball doing this series. This entry is engaging, interesting, great characters and, overall a far better book.
The story has three levels to it with very strong characters that well interconnect the levels. The story wraps up nicely.
The problems are frustrating and I had to wonder just who the heck wrote these books? First off the 3rd book has a 3rd spelling of Megan...or Meghan...or Meagan. That's just inexcusable.
There's the opening that is written that the reader will be taking in the story from a character's point of view. The next page is third person with a view the earlier character could not know. That is inexcusable.
There are many, many, many lines that are lifted from the previous two books. Nearly entire paragraphs. How did that happen? Also inexcusable.
There are a number of little things that are inconsistent. Such as later in book when a major character asks about not knowing about an item that the character had been told about earlier.
How did such a mess happen? I conclude multiple ghost writers were involved. A later one decided to take the original story and reformat it and not enough care was done to check continuity.
Despite the above, this is still a good story.
Bottom line I recommend this book. 5 out of 10 points.
The story has three levels to it with very strong characters that well interconnect the levels. The story wraps up nicely.
The problems are frustrating and I had to wonder just who the heck wrote these books? First off the 3rd book has a 3rd spelling of Megan...or Meghan...or Meagan. That's just inexcusable.
There's the opening that is written that the reader will be taking in the story from a character's point of view. The next page is third person with a view the earlier character could not know. That is inexcusable.
There are many, many, many lines that are lifted from the previous two books. Nearly entire paragraphs. How did that happen? Also inexcusable.
There are a number of little things that are inconsistent. Such as later in book when a major character asks about not knowing about an item that the character had been told about earlier.
How did such a mess happen? I conclude multiple ghost writers were involved. A later one decided to take the original story and reformat it and not enough care was done to check continuity.
Despite the above, this is still a good story.
Bottom line I recommend this book. 5 out of 10 points.
July 8, 2018
Excellent ... different locations. A Scottish rancher sells a herd to the soldiers and gets involved in a skirmish with renegade indians. A very weak (wife beater) lieutenant gets his comeuppance at the end and the renegade indians are defeated also ... what could be better ? A great story. Very entertaining.
May 5, 2018
Dry Gulch Ambush
Superb. A fascinating read. Stories within stories. Exciting and nerve wracking. Forever a fan of these two two authors. Western fans will get a triple charge between the pages. So, "Giddy Up."
Superb. A fascinating read. Stories within stories. Exciting and nerve wracking. Forever a fan of these two two authors. Western fans will get a triple charge between the pages. So, "Giddy Up."
January 26, 2022
MacCallister stories are a hit or miss with me. This one actually only had a little of him in it. This one had his son though and I'd be more interested in seeing more of him. Of course, I would like Megan and MacCallister to finally get hitched alright.
July 27, 2023
Dry Fully Ambush
This book was really a combination of several former stories plus going way back in time, then way forward to World War 1 stories about Duffs son a really great story.
This book was really a combination of several former stories plus going way back in time, then way forward to World War 1 stories about Duffs son a really great story.
July 26, 2018
Another very good and entertaining novel by this author. I enjoyed reading this novel and recommend this book to everyone.
June 8, 2015
Not as good as the first two but I still enjoyed it. The story kept me reading right to the end but I thought the ending was anticlimactic, I was hoping for more. Yes, I will read book #4, when I find it.
I am going to try a story by William Johnstone about Jami MacCallister titled "Eyes of Eagles" and do a comparison in writing. Look for a review of this book in the future.
I am going to try a story by William Johnstone about Jami MacCallister titled "Eyes of Eagles" and do a comparison in writing. Look for a review of this book in the future.
October 29, 2014
Another excellent Johnstone book. I love all of his books. I love the way he blends interactins of historical characters with the characters in his books.
December 17, 2023
These are fun
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews