What do you think?
Rate this book
Onion Creek #1
The Edge of Nowhere
Johnstone Country. Where Miracles Need Bullets.
In this bold, new Western from the bestselling Johnstones, a lone Texas Ranger finds himself snowbound with a lovely widow, her young daughter—and a gang of trigger-happy cowboys and their deranged ranch boss . . .
Ranger Ridge Tisdale rides the Comanche country of West Texas sunup to sundown, hunting down bands of killer outlaws. Now his captain wants Ridge to capture the wanted murderer Clyde Wilkes McPeak, alive, and bring him to Austin. A man who lives by a specific code of right and wrong, Ridge will do whatever it takes for justice to be served.
But his icy resolve begins to melt when he arrives in the small Texas town of Blackjack—along with a massive winter storm the locals call a Blue Norther. A fast-moving onslaught of heavy sleet and snow, it brings Ridge's mission to a halt, but also gives him a chance to warm up with the charming young widow named Maggie who runs the general store. She has a friendly smile, a precocious five-year-old daughter named Josie Ruth—and a terrible problem with mean-spirited cowboys working for a scurrilous rancher named Barlow. Being a gentleman, Ridge raises his gun to defend the widow and stop the thieving snakes. But the battle is only beginning . . .
In this bold, new Western from the bestselling Johnstones, a lone Texas Ranger finds himself snowbound with a lovely widow, her young daughter—and a gang of trigger-happy cowboys and their deranged ranch boss . . .
Ranger Ridge Tisdale rides the Comanche country of West Texas sunup to sundown, hunting down bands of killer outlaws. Now his captain wants Ridge to capture the wanted murderer Clyde Wilkes McPeak, alive, and bring him to Austin. A man who lives by a specific code of right and wrong, Ridge will do whatever it takes for justice to be served.
But his icy resolve begins to melt when he arrives in the small Texas town of Blackjack—along with a massive winter storm the locals call a Blue Norther. A fast-moving onslaught of heavy sleet and snow, it brings Ridge's mission to a halt, but also gives him a chance to warm up with the charming young widow named Maggie who runs the general store. She has a friendly smile, a precocious five-year-old daughter named Josie Ruth—and a terrible problem with mean-spirited cowboys working for a scurrilous rancher named Barlow. Being a gentleman, Ridge raises his gun to defend the widow and stop the thieving snakes. But the battle is only beginning . . .
- GenresWesternsHistoricalAction
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published October 22, 2024
407 people are currently reading
2926 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,055 books1,411 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
April 8, 2025
Good Western
Entertaining western yarn introducing Texas Ranger Ridge Tisdsle. The setting was great - a town caught between two warring cattlemen in a fierce winter storm. Likeable good guys and despicable bad guys made for a fast moving plot. This was my first read written by prolific writer William W. Johnstone and probably won't be my last.
Entertaining western yarn introducing Texas Ranger Ridge Tisdsle. The setting was great - a town caught between two warring cattlemen in a fierce winter storm. Likeable good guys and despicable bad guys made for a fast moving plot. This was my first read written by prolific writer William W. Johnstone and probably won't be my last.
March 11, 2025
A dnf at 25%. Not a bad book but the loud mouth five year ruined it for me. She wasn't precocious she was a brat. That a bunch of grown men would stand around and listen to a fresh 5 year old mouth off and think she's adorable made them all look dumb as rocks. Including the hero and her mother who apparently had no control over her.
So if you think children that roll their eyes and tell adults off is just too cute this book might work for you. But as for me I'm out. Too bad because it had the bones of a good story.
So if you think children that roll their eyes and tell adults off is just too cute this book might work for you. But as for me I'm out. Too bad because it had the bones of a good story.
June 22, 2025
This one was another suggestion by my lovely wife Cathryn. Thanks, babe!
This one was really good but more on that later. I encountered something here that I've NEVER seen in almost 50 years of reading novels. The back-cover blurb is usually a synopsis of the book. Which this one was. HOWEVER, the names of both the male and female protagonist, PLUS the town AND the gender of the lady's child were ALL WRONG. I've never seen that before. Anyone else ever seen anything like that?
The book itself was quite good. Really felt like a novel of one of the old 50's or 60's western TV shows I enjoy. One thing I really liked was the obligatory 'misunderstandings' that usually propel plots were kept to a minimum. I find it annoying in most media when a new one is manufactured every little bit to keep the story moving. This one had a major one towards the beginning to get the ball rolling and did a good job of sticking with that single one. There were nefarious acts by the villains but they didn't keep pounding them. That always bothers me when the bad guys just KEEP victimizing people. I guess to make sure we hate them enough? Usually feels unnecessary. Although there was one crime near the end that wasn't mentioned again and left me feeling a bit sad. I mean the perpetrator ends up punished but for other transgressions. The one I'm referring to seems to go undiscovered and was just as bad if not worse than the rest.
Overall, a very good book. Only one or two typos.
This one was really good but more on that later. I encountered something here that I've NEVER seen in almost 50 years of reading novels. The back-cover blurb is usually a synopsis of the book. Which this one was. HOWEVER, the names of both the male and female protagonist, PLUS the town AND the gender of the lady's child were ALL WRONG. I've never seen that before. Anyone else ever seen anything like that?
The book itself was quite good. Really felt like a novel of one of the old 50's or 60's western TV shows I enjoy. One thing I really liked was the obligatory 'misunderstandings' that usually propel plots were kept to a minimum. I find it annoying in most media when a new one is manufactured every little bit to keep the story moving. This one had a major one towards the beginning to get the ball rolling and did a good job of sticking with that single one. There were nefarious acts by the villains but they didn't keep pounding them. That always bothers me when the bad guys just KEEP victimizing people. I guess to make sure we hate them enough? Usually feels unnecessary. Although there was one crime near the end that wasn't mentioned again and left me feeling a bit sad. I mean the perpetrator ends up punished but for other transgressions. The one I'm referring to seems to go undiscovered and was just as bad if not worse than the rest.
Overall, a very good book. Only one or two typos.
April 28, 2025
Thrilling wild west justice. This book is a true page-turner, beginning with a Texas Ranger coming to the town of Blackjack with a warrant for the arrest of a murderer. Yet, everything goes to pot when the marshal of the town is shot, the entire town believing him to be dead, and a rumor starting that it was the Ranger who shot him, the whole town hunting him. The only thing that prevent this from getting 5-stars is the end which seemed to wrap up too quickly, but given the setting, the justice meted out was appropriate for the time period. It would have been better if the last bad guy standing had survived and become the antagonist for future books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2025
Very odd how the description on the back of the book is not the story at all. I'm guessing the synopsis for the original story pitch was used, except the final version was different but the publisher didn't bother to re-write the synopsis. Regardless, this complete story was unique in that the entire book takes place over a single 24-hour period, give or take. I also enjoyed the snowy conditions the town was dealt, which added to the feeling of being trapped. While I would have liked more flushed out characters, the premise is fairly straight forward and believable, especially for the time. The ending felt a bit rushed, but there was enough danger to keep any western fan reading deep into the night.
I do wish, however, that J.A. Johnstone, who is in charge of the estate of the late William W. Johnstone, acknowledge these various ghostwriters in some form. I truly believe Mr. Johnstone would have included them on either the cover or inside the book. The western books by Ralph Compton have his name prominently featured but still include the real author. At this point, many years after William W. Johnstone's death, most people already know the writer is someone else, especially when over 20 books a year are pumped out. Why not give the real author a little credit?
I do wish, however, that J.A. Johnstone, who is in charge of the estate of the late William W. Johnstone, acknowledge these various ghostwriters in some form. I truly believe Mr. Johnstone would have included them on either the cover or inside the book. The western books by Ralph Compton have his name prominently featured but still include the real author. At this point, many years after William W. Johnstone's death, most people already know the writer is someone else, especially when over 20 books a year are pumped out. Why not give the real author a little credit?
July 25, 2024
In William Johnstone's The Edge of Nowhere (Pinnacle 2024), Texas Ranger Ridge Tisdale, operating alone, is tasked with bringing in a killer, but no one really knows where he is. A vicious snowstorm traps him in a small Western town on the verge of a range war with a feisty Sheriff who believes in law and order and justice. Maggie, a single mother trying to run a business despite a man who wants to own the town, runs into trouble while Tisdale is buying supplies for the next leg of his journey. He can't NOT help, and that's how he becomes involved in the town's range war, one residents avoid, afraid of the consequences of being involved, not realizing the consequences of NOT getting involved.
Once the fighting starts, it doesn't stop until it's over. Good story in the Old West style. Highly recommended for those who like that sort of tale.
Note: The blurb on the Amazon page only loosely resembled the book. The character names are different, as is the overarching plot. I suggest potential readers check out some of the reviews before purchasing. Or--somehow, I got the wrong book.
Once the fighting starts, it doesn't stop until it's over. Good story in the Old West style. Highly recommended for those who like that sort of tale.
Note: The blurb on the Amazon page only loosely resembled the book. The character names are different, as is the overarching plot. I suggest potential readers check out some of the reviews before purchasing. Or--somehow, I got the wrong book.
October 17, 2024
The Edge Of Nowhere is the first book in the Onion Creek series by William and Jay Johnstone. When Ridge Tisdale arrives in Blackjack he is on the hunt for one sidewinder who killed a couple who offered to help him soon after his arrival however what he finds is a whole nest of vipers.
Despite him being there to keep law and order as a Texas Marshal it doesn’t take long for him to fine trouble it seemed widow Maggie and her young daughter Joe or at the center of a lot of the strife but like most Johnstone westerns they will not see the back of ridge until he sets all the wrongs right and gets his prey. This book totally reminded me of the early days of the John Stones and although from series to series there’s not much different in the writing style but the early books had a different overall field to them and it’s something I felt while reading this book. I love Johnstone westerns and they never cease to amaze me with a great and varied storytelling Ridge Tisdale is an awesome new character and I cannot wait to read more books about him in the future.#NetGalley, #KensingtonBooks, #WilliamAndJJohnstone, #TheEdgeOfNowhere, #OnionCreekSeries,
Despite him being there to keep law and order as a Texas Marshal it doesn’t take long for him to fine trouble it seemed widow Maggie and her young daughter Joe or at the center of a lot of the strife but like most Johnstone westerns they will not see the back of ridge until he sets all the wrongs right and gets his prey. This book totally reminded me of the early days of the John Stones and although from series to series there’s not much different in the writing style but the early books had a different overall field to them and it’s something I felt while reading this book. I love Johnstone westerns and they never cease to amaze me with a great and varied storytelling Ridge Tisdale is an awesome new character and I cannot wait to read more books about him in the future.#NetGalley, #KensingtonBooks, #WilliamAndJJohnstone, #TheEdgeOfNowhere, #OnionCreekSeries,
August 24, 2024
There is no such thing as a bad Johnstone western. Each series is built around main characters whose belief in the law and family is absolute, even if they've had to be reformed to get there. From Preacher, the original mountain man to the Jensen family to Perly Gates, to.....well, you get the point. Many times, characters from one series will show up in another as supporting hands. The communities are true to the era, clothing, guns, food and troubles are all what you'd find if you looked them up in the history books. No two stories are the same, each character or set of characters is unique and so are their stories. The writing is skillful, readers are pulled into the story and you will laugh and cry right along with the characters. I made the mistake of picking up a Johnstone western my uncle was reading. Ive been hooked ever since. Now I share them with my reading family and will continue as long as new Johnstones are released.
February 21, 2025
Ridge Tisdale is the Texas Ranger headed toward the town of Blackjack to bring in a killer named Clyde McPeak, when he runs into a range war, of sorts. First, he finds a dead driver of a wagon filled with goods for the Mercantile run by Maggie and daughter, Jo. Right from the start he begins to get a picture of ranchers fighting for land, a town being taken over by one of the landowners and Maggie who is trying to hold on to her store. There are gunfights, battles of will and dedicated townspeople who just want to live another day. The railroad will be coming to this area, and everyone wants a piece of the profits it will bring. Thanks for a good story but do be warned that the prologue you read about the book and its characters, does not match what you find within the pages. There's no Patrick Foley, no little boy or Lovejoy Peace; but you will find great characters and a wonderful storyline.
August 8, 2024
A Luke Jensen book that has him arriving in town with a footing corpse hanging from a tree. He can leave his prisoner in the jail but what he finds in the town is that one man Ezra Hannigan is set on owning everything around in the area and will go to any lengths to get what he wants. He makes friends with Mac a former trail cook and along with a few others they set out to finally put an end to the man’s way. A good story with many different and excellent characters to help the story along. A very good Western.
November 2, 2024
I'm confused by the back cover description and the book. Different person, town, widow, child gender - the only similarities are the child is 6 and the widow owns a general store. The book also had nothing to do with Christmas, which is mentioned twice on the back cover. What happened?
Even so, the story was good and the characters well developed.
Even so, the story was good and the characters well developed.
February 16, 2025
Accuracy
Have read several of his books. This one doesn't measure up. Usually he is accurate in details. Henry rifles were .44 rimfire, never made in
45-70. And no lever action ever made would hold 15 rounds of 45-70. Battle scenes were too exaggerated to be realistic . this does not seem to be the work of mr. Johnstone.
Have read several of his books. This one doesn't measure up. Usually he is accurate in details. Henry rifles were .44 rimfire, never made in
45-70. And no lever action ever made would hold 15 rounds of 45-70. Battle scenes were too exaggerated to be realistic . this does not seem to be the work of mr. Johnstone.
May 29, 2025
blah
I wish they would stop putting William W. Johnstone as the author of these books. Cause he sure as heck wouldn’t have written this garbage. I have tried to read other books written by J.A. and every time I try the fall short of even one star. At times it looks like they used copy and paste to write this book.
I wish they would stop putting William W. Johnstone as the author of these books. Cause he sure as heck wouldn’t have written this garbage. I have tried to read other books written by J.A. and every time I try the fall short of even one star. At times it looks like they used copy and paste to write this book.
December 4, 2024
Absolutely loved this one. Lots of betrayal and bad hombres. Ranger Tisdale is a great character. I hope we get more books for this character. This felt like Open Range meets the Hateful Eight. Every person in this story had a part to play and played it well.
February 4, 2025
Adventure That Doesn’t Stop
I have always loved the Johnstone westerns and this one lives up to the rest for mystery, adventure, action, and a hero in the end!! Once again evil is stopped and another victory is chalked up for the good guys.
I have always loved the Johnstone westerns and this one lives up to the rest for mystery, adventure, action, and a hero in the end!! Once again evil is stopped and another victory is chalked up for the good guys.
February 24, 2025
Good Western
The Johnstone authors write very good stories. I've been reading them for years. You won't be disappointed. There are great characters in all the books. They're well worth reading.
The Johnstone authors write very good stories. I've been reading them for years. You won't be disappointed. There are great characters in all the books. They're well worth reading.
February 1, 2025
A Good Read
It would be a good series. I enjoyed the fast pace action. It never stopped from page 1 to finish.
It would be a good series. I enjoyed the fast pace action. It never stopped from page 1 to finish.
February 25, 2025
What a great story!
I have always enjoyed both of these two authors and so glad more books keep being added to such a wonderful collection!
I have always enjoyed both of these two authors and so glad more books keep being added to such a wonderful collection!
March 1, 2025
The Edge of Nowhere
I've numerous books by Johnston's and have enjoyed everyone of them. Their books keep you spell bound and turning the pages.
I've numerous books by Johnston's and have enjoyed everyone of them. Their books keep you spell bound and turning the pages.
March 25, 2025
These are helluva good westerns. I miss the ol timey stories like these boos. Glad I found this author.
Read
April 9, 2025Good story line
But it dragged. At least a quarter of it could have been chopped out. Good points though for being well edited.
But it dragged. At least a quarter of it could have been chopped out. Good points though for being well edited.
April 22, 2025
Another western with a twist - a "blue northener" snowstorm hinders apprehension of the criminals.
May 3, 2025
Fast paced action!
Plenty gunfight at corral going on in this story. A no nonsense main character you want to pull for in the end.
Plenty gunfight at corral going on in this story. A no nonsense main character you want to pull for in the end.
Read
May 25, 2025Gotta sit down an read.
This is a really good western. All kinds of twists an turns an who done it's. One of those you don't want to but down till its finished.
This is a really good western. All kinds of twists an turns an who done it's. One of those you don't want to but down till its finished.
May 25, 2025
Good read.
Good read for anyone who enjoys Western fiction. Interesting characters and plot. William W. Johnstone books are always a good read.
Good read for anyone who enjoys Western fiction. Interesting characters and plot. William W. Johnstone books are always a good read.
May 30, 2025
Fun story. Pretty good character development. Period stage development was good. The story development could have enhanced the book, but overall a good Western.
June 2, 2025
The law had the final Nswer
Thoroughly enjoyed the temple if I the book. Never a dull moment. Showed how the power of money and greed can kill a mans dreams, and also a love story
Thoroughly enjoyed the temple if I the book. Never a dull moment. Showed how the power of money and greed can kill a mans dreams, and also a love story
July 2, 2025
Entertaining.
July 7, 2025
A great read. Well worth the money.
A lot action. The story had twist and turns . Jo, the little girl was great addition. The story was realistic. I'd recommend it.
A lot action. The story had twist and turns . Jo, the little girl was great addition. The story was realistic. I'd recommend it.
September 19, 2025
4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews