The Bleeding Edge

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

From their towering westerns to their edgy thrillers Home Invasion and The Blood of Patriots, William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone capture the true American spirit. In this electrifying new thriller--torn from today's headlines--they put us on the frontlines of a new for the future of America itself. The Shady Hill Mobile Home Park isn't shady or hilly--this is West Texas after all. To military vet John Howard Stark, it's home. And worth fighting for. A vicious Mexican drug cartel starts terrorizing the residents of Shady Hill--retirees mostly--leaving severed heads in vegetable gardens to scare them out. As usual, the Feds and the local police run for cover. The good people of Shady Hill make a stand, electing Stark as their chief of police. Once a rancher, always a Texan, Stark and his fellow patriots send the Mexican cartel into a bloodthirsty fury by daring to fight the bad guys start slaughtering innocent high school students. The God-fearing folks of Shady Hill are totally on their own and deep in the heart of a bloody battle that can only end in a fight for survival, liberty. . .or death.

Genres: Westerns

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an average book, good to pass the time but didn't leave any lasting impression. I felt the middle sector dragged a bit too. The storyline concerned John Stark, an old veteran taking on the cartels and standing up for what is right.

It's a good thriller. well-written and full of action, just nothing remarkable. I guess it's just one of the many mass-produced thrillers out there to satisfy the market.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have yet to read a William W. Johnstone book that hasn't been engrossing, colorfully detailed and well written, with well developed characters. Even though J.A. Johnstone technically wrote this book from a William W. Johnstone outline or manuscript, The Bleeding Edge is just as engrossing, colorfully detailed and has well developed characters as if Willam W. Johnstone wrote it himself.

In Texas, John Howard Stark leaves the building his doctor's office in located and sees three Hispanic thugs breaking in his truck to steal it. John Howard Stark thwarts the three thugs and so doing, places a bigger X on his back with the American government (which has all but declared Mexicans & Hispanics a "protected" race and all whites as racists, vigilantes & domestic terrorists), and with the Mexican Cartel.

After John Howard's mobile home park neighborhood gets attacked by the Cartel, John Howard and the other residents stand up against the Cartel, who want the land the Shady Rest Trailer Park is on to have a more central, direct drug running route.

The Bleeding Edge was written in 2012. It's almost terrifying how accurate to today's tensions and country divide The Bleeding Edge is.

This book should be a must read for every American citizen. But, of course, it won't be.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Howard Stark is back in a novel sure to bring mixed emotions.

It's over the top and is pure pulp fantasy fiction.

It's a modern western that very much leans to the right.

Over all, it's a quick action packed shoot 'em up.

Don't mess with old people!

[larry brashear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

This is a great story, well written and edited. It is interesting and exciting with good winning over evil once again.

[Douglas Fugate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another of the John Howard Stark novels. He has moved to a retirement trailer park and trouble finds him. A great action filled, anti-drug crime novel.

[Lestlie Prokosch · Rating 2 out of 5]

To polictcal

To one sided policy my. Great characters and story. Could have been much better and believable with out the that nonsense.

[William Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read, splendid story. Am a long time follower.🙏

A family of writers looking for the next of his books. Enjoy every last one regardless of story line well done.

[Cody daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Loved the story kinda figured out in the beginning he was dying but didn't see the tumor figured cancer tho

[Anne Patkau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old West style stand. "the Good Lord just hadn't put any backup in him." "trying to do what's right."

Shoot fight hostages rescue tragedy. Stark is targeted by assassin, Texas retirement trailer park against Mexican drug cartel.Typo 20.3 her IS here

[Randy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book and others like it in the Johnstone line. Here, the conservatives are all good hardworking folks and the liberals are all whiny, crooked, out to grab your money and rights.

While there are a lot on each side like that, real life is not that black and white. There are conservatives that are out to scare older folks as a means of making money from their sponsors(think Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck) and their are ACTUAL liberals who want to do the right thing.

These books are extremely readable prose, full of action and adventure. On that level I enjoy them very much.

John Howard Stark is the hero of this novel and a couple of others. He's a Texan who stands up for his rights and has crossed swords with the Mexican drug cartels more than once. he lives in Shady Hill Mobile Home Park along with hundreds of retired folks of all persuasions: Hispanic, black, and Oriental among them. All good Americans who just want to be left alone to enjoy their retirement years.

The drug cartels want the property because it's a good route for their cocaine transportation. When they defend themselves, they are called racists for standing up to the cartels.

John Howard is not about to kowtow to such types. he begins organizing folks to fight back when invaded. And when the drug lords begin killing and kidnapping kids, John Howard and a few of his friens pull their own invasion of a home where one drug lord lives in Texas.

A good read, just not the real world.

[Ken Hearrean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great & fast read. One of the few authors I've read that gets to the point & doesn't spend excessive time character-building. Although fictional, I can visualize these things happening if not already doing so. His depiction of the Mexican Cartel is frightening & likely spot-on. I'd recommend this to any adventure-seeker; you won't be disappointed.

[Stephen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a pretty good look at how things are percieved today. It's a great story about a group of people incorporating as a town to stand against a drug cartel on the Texas border. The author gets into politics in the mayoral debates, and makes some great points. I would recommend this book to anyone who has the ability to love guns, violence, and actual thought.

[Jeff]

Not a western ... but still good