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Luke Jensen: Bounty Hunter #1
Luke Jensen, Bounty Hunter
The Greatest Western Writer of Our TimeWith his epic novels of the Jensen family, William W. Johnstone has captured the pioneer spirit of America. Now he reveals the untold story of Smoke Jensen's long-lost brother Luke, thought to have been killed in the fiercest war in our nation's history.
Smoke's Brother The Jensen Legend Continues. . .
The last days of the Civil War. With Richmond under siege, Confederate soldier Luke Jensen is assigned the task of smuggling gold out of the city before the Yankees get their hands on it--when he is ambushed and robbed by four deserters, shot in the back, and left for dead. Taken in by a Georgia farmer and his beautiful daughter, Luke is nursed back to health. Though crippled, he hopes to reunite with his long-lost brother Smoke, but a growing romance keeps him on the farm. Then fate takes a tragic turn. Ruthless carpetbaggers arrive and--in a storm of bullets and bloodshed--Luke is forced to strike out on his own. Searching for a new life. Hunting down the baddest of the bad. . .to become the greatest bounty hunter who ever lived.
This is the sprawling saga of one fearless man who would stop at nothing to bring outlaws to justice--and freedom to America. . .
Smoke's Brother The Jensen Legend Continues. . .
The last days of the Civil War. With Richmond under siege, Confederate soldier Luke Jensen is assigned the task of smuggling gold out of the city before the Yankees get their hands on it--when he is ambushed and robbed by four deserters, shot in the back, and left for dead. Taken in by a Georgia farmer and his beautiful daughter, Luke is nursed back to health. Though crippled, he hopes to reunite with his long-lost brother Smoke, but a growing romance keeps him on the farm. Then fate takes a tragic turn. Ruthless carpetbaggers arrive and--in a storm of bullets and bloodshed--Luke is forced to strike out on his own. Searching for a new life. Hunting down the baddest of the bad. . .to become the greatest bounty hunter who ever lived.
This is the sprawling saga of one fearless man who would stop at nothing to bring outlaws to justice--and freedom to America. . .
321 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
259 people are currently reading
309 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,041 books1,392 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 - 30 of 44 reviews
January 15, 2025
I thought the characters were stereotypical and the story boring and unimaginative but it did pick up for me when he became a bounty hunter and reconnected with his brother. Westerns are probably not a favorite for me.
July 1, 2023
A great start to the series and good way of tying it to the other Jensen series of books. Long thought dead it turns out Smoke’s brother Luke didn’t perish in the Civil War but instead took up as a bounty hunter.
February 1, 2022
I don't read too many westerns, but I liked this one: good story line, good guys, bad guys, pretty women; what's not to like!
August 18, 2015
I hadn’t had a western in my book queue for a while so when the opportunity to snap a few up came my way, I grabbed them. I think like many people, I had some preconceived notions about westerns that were misguided. Simplistic cowboy stories that set the stage for the lone American hero. The HBO series, Deadwood changed that idea to some extent. I started to examine the subtext of what these stories were really about.
Luke Jensen tells the first part of the story in a flashback after he is injured during getting a bounty. It details his time as a confederate soldier and how he and seven other men were tasked with transporting the last of the Confederate gold to a new location in Georgia as Richmond was under attack and before its fall.
During the course of transporting the gold, the commanding officer is killed during an ambush from Union soldiers. Four of the men, including Luke, decide to remain true to the confederate cause and ensure the gold reaches its destination. The other four, sensing the fall of the confederacy, decide to steal the gold. In the course of the theft, Luke’s companions are killed and Luke is severely injured.
He is then rescued by a farmer and his granddaughter. During the course of recovering on their farm, they all find out that the south has fallen and the war is over. In short order however, northerners move to the south and begin the process of reconstruction which for certain of them, means buying up property or forcing out southern owners through political and violent means.
Luke takes matters into his own hands in order to protect his hosts. This forces him to move on ultimately and he then proceeds to become a professional bounty hunter. This brings us to the second part of the story.
His exploits as a bounty hunter are examined. His travels from city to city, the people he meets along the way and bits of information he collects along the way. Some of this information will become important in part three of the book. It also shows us where Luke’s vulnerabilities are and his thoughts and reasons for not returning to his own home in the Ozarks after he left the military.
Finally, Luke ends up rescued from another injury. This time, the rescuer happens to be his younger brother who he hasn’t seen in years and who does not recognize him. There is an eventual reunion and although Luke continues as a bounty hunter, he finally establishes a home.
What got me thinking in this book was about soldiers who returned after war and s pent time searching to find their way. From the civil war when this book is set to today's vets returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, young men (and now women) return to the civilian world displaced.
For many, entry to the war as a soldier was a career opportunity and once that ends, we expect them to return to “regular” life but they are not built for much except killing. After the civil war, the cowboy myth developed and after World War II, Korea and Vietnam, cowboys were replaced with bikers. So the cowboy myth is really the disaffected soldier reality.
The second thing that sprang to mind was “to the victor, belong the spoils.” Many manufacturers from the north found opportunity in the south and were willing to exploit it. To do that, they were willing to displace and mistreat those southerners who had already suffered extensive damage to their homes and livelihood.
Likewise, after every war we have seen the vanquished displaced from their homes while the victors have exploited the economic downturns suffered by the losers to create cheap manufacturing opportunities. Of course, now we are seeing that as energy issue – oil.
In the cowboy myth, the bounty hunt is an economic opportunity. But after every conflict, we also see an upturn in the hiring of police. More police means we need to have more villains to go around. After the civil war, we saw the westward movement which required states and territories to be formed and legislation to be enacted and enforced.
The cowboy myth is really a dark tale of identity crisis and economic displacement and opportunity. I encourage readers to re-examine the western genre and look at the subtexts. It will be like watching Breaking Bad or Mad Men while reading a both a myth and a history of the post-civil war era.
Luke Jensen tells the first part of the story in a flashback after he is injured during getting a bounty. It details his time as a confederate soldier and how he and seven other men were tasked with transporting the last of the Confederate gold to a new location in Georgia as Richmond was under attack and before its fall.
During the course of transporting the gold, the commanding officer is killed during an ambush from Union soldiers. Four of the men, including Luke, decide to remain true to the confederate cause and ensure the gold reaches its destination. The other four, sensing the fall of the confederacy, decide to steal the gold. In the course of the theft, Luke’s companions are killed and Luke is severely injured.
He is then rescued by a farmer and his granddaughter. During the course of recovering on their farm, they all find out that the south has fallen and the war is over. In short order however, northerners move to the south and begin the process of reconstruction which for certain of them, means buying up property or forcing out southern owners through political and violent means.
Luke takes matters into his own hands in order to protect his hosts. This forces him to move on ultimately and he then proceeds to become a professional bounty hunter. This brings us to the second part of the story.
His exploits as a bounty hunter are examined. His travels from city to city, the people he meets along the way and bits of information he collects along the way. Some of this information will become important in part three of the book. It also shows us where Luke’s vulnerabilities are and his thoughts and reasons for not returning to his own home in the Ozarks after he left the military.
Finally, Luke ends up rescued from another injury. This time, the rescuer happens to be his younger brother who he hasn’t seen in years and who does not recognize him. There is an eventual reunion and although Luke continues as a bounty hunter, he finally establishes a home.
What got me thinking in this book was about soldiers who returned after war and s pent time searching to find their way. From the civil war when this book is set to today's vets returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, young men (and now women) return to the civilian world displaced.
For many, entry to the war as a soldier was a career opportunity and once that ends, we expect them to return to “regular” life but they are not built for much except killing. After the civil war, the cowboy myth developed and after World War II, Korea and Vietnam, cowboys were replaced with bikers. So the cowboy myth is really the disaffected soldier reality.
The second thing that sprang to mind was “to the victor, belong the spoils.” Many manufacturers from the north found opportunity in the south and were willing to exploit it. To do that, they were willing to displace and mistreat those southerners who had already suffered extensive damage to their homes and livelihood.
Likewise, after every war we have seen the vanquished displaced from their homes while the victors have exploited the economic downturns suffered by the losers to create cheap manufacturing opportunities. Of course, now we are seeing that as energy issue – oil.
In the cowboy myth, the bounty hunt is an economic opportunity. But after every conflict, we also see an upturn in the hiring of police. More police means we need to have more villains to go around. After the civil war, we saw the westward movement which required states and territories to be formed and legislation to be enacted and enforced.
The cowboy myth is really a dark tale of identity crisis and economic displacement and opportunity. I encourage readers to re-examine the western genre and look at the subtexts. It will be like watching Breaking Bad or Mad Men while reading a both a myth and a history of the post-civil war era.
September 23, 2012
During the last days of the Civil War, Luke Jensen is made part of a detachment to deliver the Confederate treasury to the new capital from Richmond, which was under siege. He knew four of the men and the commander. The other four were new to him and he was suspicious by their manner.
They were headed to Georgia and had to avoid Yankee patrols. They finally ran into a big one and the commander was killed. The four Luke didn't know wanted to take the gold. Luke was still loyal to the Confederacy.
It almost came to a gunfight, but the four backed down. But they were leaving and Luke was glad. He kept a sharp eye for a few days, then relaxed.
They were ambushed crossing a river and all were shot up and left for dead. It was the four deserters.
Luke survives and is taken in by a Georgia farmer and his granddaughter and nursed back to some kind of health. Left crippled, his legs healing very slowly, he stays with the family until he's almost fully restored.
A carpetbagger has designs on the farm and the beautiful granddaughter.
A bloody gun battle starts and forces Luke to strike out on his own to keep the family out of trouble. By accident, he becomes a bounty hunter and works that for several years.
During the period, he hears of Smoke Jensen and wonders if it could be his little brother Kirby. He gets a chance to find out.
First entry in a new series. I look forward to more.
They were headed to Georgia and had to avoid Yankee patrols. They finally ran into a big one and the commander was killed. The four Luke didn't know wanted to take the gold. Luke was still loyal to the Confederacy.
It almost came to a gunfight, but the four backed down. But they were leaving and Luke was glad. He kept a sharp eye for a few days, then relaxed.
They were ambushed crossing a river and all were shot up and left for dead. It was the four deserters.
Luke survives and is taken in by a Georgia farmer and his granddaughter and nursed back to some kind of health. Left crippled, his legs healing very slowly, he stays with the family until he's almost fully restored.
A carpetbagger has designs on the farm and the beautiful granddaughter.
A bloody gun battle starts and forces Luke to strike out on his own to keep the family out of trouble. By accident, he becomes a bounty hunter and works that for several years.
During the period, he hears of Smoke Jensen and wonders if it could be his little brother Kirby. He gets a chance to find out.
First entry in a new series. I look forward to more.
October 12, 2017
Long Lost Brother
Over the past few years I have really been getting into realistic fiction books. Books are good to read, but just can't get into them. That’s a new story now after I picked up Luke Jensen, Bounty Hunter by William W. Johnstone. The stories are not real but you could feel the realism in the book as you read along. Gunfights, riding horseback and injuries make the genre of this boo realistic fiction.
I got about half way through the book and I realized that this book is going to tie into another book by Johnstone. It's interesting how a few different books could have all the same theme and can be all related back to one story. The main ideas of this book is family. Luke leaves his family to go to war and ends up returning home by accident.
One thing that I was able to take away from the novel was that the world is actually a small place and you'll never know who you will run into next. The author was definitely trying to say that the world has a history of repeating itself. Luke Jensen now has become a bounty hunter after a very intense injury held Luke up for a few months. Luke has had a couple of run-ins with the law, but finds out things are starting to turn for the better. A connection I have would have to be that Luke rides a horse and we use to raise horses.
A quote from this book just shows. "Because once the Reconstruction government was forced to let go of some of its power, the facts of the case came out. Turns out the land speculator was nothing but a carpetbagging thief, and evidence indicated he'd had men killed in order to grab their land. That particular Luke Smith can go back to Georgia without having to worry about the law anymore."
I know that this book was created for entertainment as well as all the other books by Johnstone. This book went by kind of quick I thought because for the small amount of time I had each day to read it only felt like a few days went by. The book was quite interesting I don’t think I ever really enjoyed a book that I read at home. After I finished reading this book I immediately went to library to find another Johnstone novel. Luke used a Remington handgun and I have a shotgun that is a Remington. The gunfights and how Johnstone makes it seem like you're in the book and people are actually getting hurt like the main character sets the book over the edge. From doing chores on a farm to killing people in bar fights Luke is always trying to do the right thing.
If you want a book that entertains you and if you want a western then this is the book for you. If I were to recommend this book to somebody I would have to say it's for people that enjoy westerns, and gunfights.
Over the past few years I have really been getting into realistic fiction books. Books are good to read, but just can't get into them. That’s a new story now after I picked up Luke Jensen, Bounty Hunter by William W. Johnstone. The stories are not real but you could feel the realism in the book as you read along. Gunfights, riding horseback and injuries make the genre of this boo realistic fiction.
I got about half way through the book and I realized that this book is going to tie into another book by Johnstone. It's interesting how a few different books could have all the same theme and can be all related back to one story. The main ideas of this book is family. Luke leaves his family to go to war and ends up returning home by accident.
One thing that I was able to take away from the novel was that the world is actually a small place and you'll never know who you will run into next. The author was definitely trying to say that the world has a history of repeating itself. Luke Jensen now has become a bounty hunter after a very intense injury held Luke up for a few months. Luke has had a couple of run-ins with the law, but finds out things are starting to turn for the better. A connection I have would have to be that Luke rides a horse and we use to raise horses.
A quote from this book just shows. "Because once the Reconstruction government was forced to let go of some of its power, the facts of the case came out. Turns out the land speculator was nothing but a carpetbagging thief, and evidence indicated he'd had men killed in order to grab their land. That particular Luke Smith can go back to Georgia without having to worry about the law anymore."
I know that this book was created for entertainment as well as all the other books by Johnstone. This book went by kind of quick I thought because for the small amount of time I had each day to read it only felt like a few days went by. The book was quite interesting I don’t think I ever really enjoyed a book that I read at home. After I finished reading this book I immediately went to library to find another Johnstone novel. Luke used a Remington handgun and I have a shotgun that is a Remington. The gunfights and how Johnstone makes it seem like you're in the book and people are actually getting hurt like the main character sets the book over the edge. From doing chores on a farm to killing people in bar fights Luke is always trying to do the right thing.
If you want a book that entertains you and if you want a western then this is the book for you. If I were to recommend this book to somebody I would have to say it's for people that enjoy westerns, and gunfights.
May 27, 2019
I do so love a good Western! I think that comes from reading my Papaw Faulkner's Louis L'Amour books when I was a young girl. Even as an adult I feel like I have found my home and people in these kind of novels. I had no idea what to expect from Mr. Johnstone but the reviews made it worth a look. I am so glad I did! The opening grabbed my attention completely but falling into the Civil War made me hesitate. (Have I mentioned before that I am not usually a fan of historical fiction?) Once we began to see the person of Luke develop, I knew I had to continue. Never go looking for trouble but don't back down from it either. Duty and family ... honor ... life isn't fair but never quit ... always help if you can. By the end of the book, I felt like I was a long, lost Jensen. I must read more and I most certainly need to read the Smoke Jensen stories as well. Woo hoo! I have a new Western series! The bad guys are bad; the good guys are good; and yet everyone is who they are because of their choices. Why can't life be that simple and people be that good?
January 12, 2025
Luke fought on the South's side in the war. He was part of an eight-man team that took a gold shipment to Georgia. Four of the men in his unit decide to kill Luke and his three friends in the unit and keep the gold for themselves. Luke survives and is brought back to health by a young Southern girl and her grandfather. From there Luke helps them take care of some scum buckets then he rides away. He slowly becomes a bounty hunter and that brings him to the Sugarloaf Ranch, which is owned by his brother Kirby. Luke tries to keep his identity hidden from Kirby and his wife Sally but nothing escapes Sally and Kirby, who also goes by Smoke.
I gave a lot of the plot away, without telling you the whole story. This book explains so much if you have read any of the Jensen-related books.
I gave a lot of the plot away, without telling you the whole story. This book explains so much if you have read any of the Jensen-related books.
July 19, 2018
The Johnstone Clan of writers do tend to present their best in the opening salvo of the series. It's done again with this book.
The writing is OK and the story is good. Much better than most Johnstone Clan books mostly due to the story having very different settings than nearly all Johnstone Clan books. This has a good part of it set in Georgia. A very refreshing change. As is the more complex story intertwining the War Between the States, a series of great Johnstone characters and well worked out plot. Though, for me, the story was rolling so well in Georgia, i wish it had stayed there.
Bottom line: i recommend it: 7 out of 10 points.
The writing is OK and the story is good. Much better than most Johnstone Clan books mostly due to the story having very different settings than nearly all Johnstone Clan books. This has a good part of it set in Georgia. A very refreshing change. As is the more complex story intertwining the War Between the States, a series of great Johnstone characters and well worked out plot. Though, for me, the story was rolling so well in Georgia, i wish it had stayed there.
Bottom line: i recommend it: 7 out of 10 points.
January 15, 2021
Classic old west excellent action fascinating story line
Outstanding characters and page turning action starting at the end of the Civil War while moving the Confederate gold bullion reserves, through carpetbagger trouble and the crooked politicians who aided them in the evil they pushed onto a defeated and starved people to the pursuit of outlaws and gangs who had a price on their heads. Well worth the time.
Outstanding characters and page turning action starting at the end of the Civil War while moving the Confederate gold bullion reserves, through carpetbagger trouble and the crooked politicians who aided them in the evil they pushed onto a defeated and starved people to the pursuit of outlaws and gangs who had a price on their heads. Well worth the time.
September 19, 2017
I get the feeling this is not a stand-alone book. There were a couple of major unanswered questions such as what became of two wagon loads of gold? They spent it all? I don't think so. The other, was why the four renegades would find any need to run off and kill Luke's father? I'm sure I'll have to read another four or five books to find out, but really, I was hoping I wouldn't have to.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2019
This was a decent little Johnstone book full of quests, revenge, flying bullets, and a surprising amount of character development for Ol’ Luke. The storyline was largely based around Luke’s time as a Confederate soldier and the betrayal of his fellow soldiers which was an interesting twist.
September 8, 2020
A very exciting western with a good plot and great characters. Being a great fan of westerns it's good getting back to reading some. Look forward to continuing with this series and reading others. Having such a wide genre that I like to read I sometimes forget to read westerns.
March 7, 2024
A great new series
This is looking to be a wonderful new series that is well written with all the action and adventure you could want. The characters are solid and the storyline is very enjoyable to read. I'm off to read book two.
This is looking to be a wonderful new series that is well written with all the action and adventure you could want. The characters are solid and the storyline is very enjoyable to read. I'm off to read book two.
March 14, 2024
Great classic western. Really does a great job of setting the scenes in a way where you can visualize the most minute details. Very much in the same vein as classic Clint Eastwood western films. Definitely will be diving more into the series!
November 15, 2024
This was incredibly entertaining and I was surprised to find that I could hardly put it down. Pretty much nonstop action and cool characters. Thoroughly enjoyed this one and I look forward to checking out the rest of the series this winter.
August 15, 2017
couldn't really get into this book. Craig Johnson is a much better writer.
September 4, 2017
Johnstone comes through again. This time he links the Jensen brothers. Follow Luke through the last days of the War Between the States to the wild west of Colorado.
May 5, 2018
Sophomoric.
July 29, 2018
Audiobook was mainly a lot of gunfire sounds..(graphic audio). Did not finish.
February 24, 2019
great series
July 7, 2019
A very fun pulp western read - clearly meant as an introduction to a series, but it works okay individually too.
August 28, 2019
I like to read a western every once in a while and William Johnstone is the author to read.
Read
January 22, 2020Start of a new series. Enjoyed tie in with other books by this author.
January 25, 2022
I've read a few of the Luke Jensen novels and read others where he's appeared in. It was nice to finally know history. Great job GA!
February 8, 2022
Thanks, its come together
Sure have enjoyed all these Great books. Hope to get the chance to read more of your works. Again thank you.
Sure have enjoyed all these Great books. Hope to get the chance to read more of your works. Again thank you.
March 30, 2022
Audible Audiobooks
April 6, 2024
Good book, action packed. 5/5
August 22, 2024
When the book 1st started, I did not think it was going to be that good but surprisingly, it got better and I did enjoy it. Just another good fun western read.
March 12, 2025
I don't usually read westerns but I enjoyed this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews