Halfway to Hell

Slick Parker #1

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. GET TOUGH OR GET OUT OF THE WAY.

In this hot-blooded new series from the bestselling Johnstones, a young deputy sheriff earns his badge the hard way—with six cutthroat killers out for his blood . . .

As the deputy sheriff in a small Missouri town, “Slick” Parker Jones doesn’t have much to do except get drunk and chase saloon girls. Life is pretty dull in Rory’s Junction—until Slick sees the wanted poster for a notorious train robber.
 
Parker’s never met an actual outlaw before. He’s never faced any real dangers, to be honest. But when that wanted man staggers into Parker’s nightly watering hole—half dead, with a hole in his gut and a bloody map in his hand—the young deputy’s life takes a wild turn . . . quite possibly fatal.
 
 It starts with the dying man’s final “The gold.” Which leads Slick Parker to one The map leads to the stolen gold from the outlaw’s latest, greatest train robbery. Instead of calling the marshal, Parker decides to hunt for the gold himself, earn his badge the old-fashioned way, and become the kind of lawman he always knew he could be. There’s just one problem. Parker isn’t the only one searching for the gold. A vicious gang of six barbaric killers are looking for it, too—and they’re gunning for the man with the map.
 
By the time Parker realizes what he’s up against, it’s too late. He’s already halfway to hell. . . .
 

Genres: Westerns

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published February 25, 2025

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

[Abibliofob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Halfway to Hell by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone is the first in a new series about Slick Parker. It is not the best work from this writer but it's not the worst. It is a bog standard western with all the ingredients you would expect. I don't think I will follow this series as it hasn't that extra to keep me interested. That is my view. I still like westerns but I don't have the time to read everything that comes out. If you like a regular western I can recommend this. I thank Pinnacle , Kensington Books and Netgalley for letting me read this advance copy.

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Halfway To Hell, is the first book in The Slick Parker westerns by William W Johnstone and Jay A Johnstone Parker Jones Junior is about to lock up the sheriffs office and go have a beer at Clancy‘s saloon, the local bar so when Marshall Tanner best walks in asking about wanted men Parker is quick to let him know that the most they get is young boys causing chaos and a drunk every now and then. He explains that Rory Junction isn’t the hot bed of criminality other places in the west tend to be. The Marshall still shows him warning, posters of men warned for crime and another man wanted for questioning. Parker never could’ve guessed the man wanted for questioning would be the same man. He would see later in the saloon bleeding out from a gunshot who gives them a clue that sends him on a journey of danger, intrigue and romance. with his brother-in-law, dropping big-time hints that he should really start his adult life. Parker believes the clue leads to the gold, stolen by an outlaw a gang that robbed a train carrying payroll while on his journey, he makes new friends and runs into old ones and word gets out. He’s on the hunt with the clue for the gold so soon the outlaws are after him but before his adventure is over, he will learn just because someone smiles in your face doesn’t mean they’re your friend. This book was super Duper good. This is a kind of Johnstone western. I miss and was so happy to read this and couldn’t read it fast enough what a great read.#NetGalley, #PinnacleBooks, #WilliamWJohnstone, #JJohnstone, #HalfwayToHell, #TheSlickParkerJonesWesterns,.

[Beau Wasserman (Depression Arc) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by Kensington Publishing

Justice in the West isn’t always black and white—it’s often written in blood. Halfway to Hell is a dust-choked, bullet-riddled ride through a lawless land where the strong survive and the weak get buried. The Johnstones once again prove their mastery of the Western genre, delivering a story as brutal as the frontier itself, where danger lurks around every bend and a man’s reputation can be the difference between life and death.

From the moment the first shot is fired, the tension doesn’t let up. The protagonist isn’t some perfect, untouchable gunslinger—he’s a man shaped by hardship, caught between doing what’s right and what will keep him alive. But in a town where outlaws make the rules and justice is a dying concept, the choice might not be his to make. As the body count rises and enemies close in, survival means playing by his own set of rules—and those rules are written in lead.

The Johnstones paint a world that feels as real as the dust beneath a cowboy’s boots. The settings are vivid, from saloons filled with dangerous men to sprawling landscapes where trouble can find you miles from the nearest town. Every encounter crackles with tension, every showdown is a masterclass in Western storytelling, and the stakes are high enough that you can’t help but grip the pages a little tighter.

With its relentless pacing, morally complex characters, and the kind of action that hits hard and fast, Halfway to Hell is everything a Western should be—gritty, gripping, and impossible to put down. Fans of classic frontier justice, high-stakes revenge, and rugged antiheroes won’t want to miss this one.

Highly recommended for fans of: Classic Westerns, tough-as-nails protagonists, and stories where justice is earned at the barrel of a gun.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure where Slick Parker comes from because he really isn't close to being slick. I did enjoy the story. Fast paced, the way a story should be. Has, a young woman who is an orphan, Indians, the US Cavalry, a snake oil salesman, outlaws, Gold, fishing, a US Marshall, a grizzly bear, and the Devils Tower, all in the same story. Good reading. I hope the local library gets the next book in the series. If there is one.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was hard to put this book down. I really enjoyed the sense of excitement and my own curiosity about what would come next in the storyline. Would recommend if a fan of westerners and of heist style books too.

[Shawna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven’t read a western for many years. This was a great quick read refreshing break from the big series I had been reading. All the things I’d want in a western were in the book, including the happy ending!

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one heck of a good book!

The book started off slowly but don't stop reading! If you do you will miss one one of better
Written stories I have read in years! The characters are fully developed and they will surprise you! The twists in plot will catch you by surprise!

[Joan Waite · Rating 4 out of 5]

This western was a good change of pace. I really like Johnstone's writing style and would recommend his books for an adventurous read.

[Vickie Moody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good characters and plot.

[Kirstin Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this western tale. It had lots of action and a surprising ending. * Goodreads Giveaway

[William Crisp · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story

Great storyline and characters. When money is involved, no one is immune to treachery. A recommended read to be sure.

[Matthew Main · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun story.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A relatively standard western story with a few twists and turns. All in all a good read. not my favorite from Mr. Johnstone but I was satisfied in reading it all the same.