Dead Broke, Colorado

Dead Broke, Colorado #1

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

Welcome to Dead Broke, Colorado. Where all that glitters is not gold—it’s silver. Where miners and grifters get rich or go broke. And where the money flows like blood . . .

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. COLORADO OR BUST.

The town got its unusual name when a pair of brokedown prospectors accidentally dropped a stick of dynamite in the Rockies—and unwittingly unearthed a massive vein of silver. One of the two men dropped dead from excitement. The other one named the place “Dead Broke” in honor of his dead broke companion and declared himself mayor of a brand-new mining town. Mayor Allane Auchenleck—better known as Nugget—put Dead Broke on the map. But when the silver market takes an unexpected nosedive, the bustling boomtown goes bust . . .
 
And all hell breaks loose.
 
Almost overnight, Dead Broke turns into a lawless hotbed of angry out-of-work miners and out-for-blood merchants. In desperation, Mayor Nugget considers a few hairbrained schemes like bringing in mail-order brides, building ice castles to attract tourists, even planting other minerals in the mines to fool investors. But Dead Broke needs law and order, so Nugget sends for top gun Mick MacMicking. Of course, a notorious gambler named Connor Boyle has other plans—and with his band of hired guns he plans to blow Dead Broke off the map to get what he wants.
 
 For this town to survive, Nugget, Mick, a drunken lawman, and a woman gambler will have to put the dead back in Dead Broke . . . and some cool-hand killers in the ground.
 
Live Free. Read Hard.
williamjohnstone.net
 

416 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published April 1, 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

[Dylan Louderbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best new Johnstone in awhile

[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.

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Johnstone's Dead Broke, Colorado (Pinnacle 2025) is an unusual tale set in old West Colorado in the town of Dead Broke. Before it was even a settlement, two prospectors struck it rich off a vein of silver that attracted lots of other miners. Over time, as silver began to play out in the area, the town tried to maintain, but it became a lawless, struggling environment that would either have to find justice or live up to its name. Enter a fabled lawman past his prime, drawn to the town by a woman he'd thought lost to him. That's enough to make him sign on as Marshall and start the hard work of cleaning up a place that really doesn't want to be cleaned up.

This is a good tale, at times bogged down but not badly enough to even lose a star. Highly recommended to those looking for a bit out of the ordinary in an old west tale.

[Nolan · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I got this eBook downloaded from the local library, I looked at the cover and thought, "That looks like Matt Jensen." If you look at covers of the Matt Jensen series, you will see what I mean. Compare and let me know what you think.

This is a new series and no, Matt Jensen isn't in it. I found the story to be slow paced and had lots of worthless filler in it. Wasn't overly impressed.

[Teresa Queen · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was the worst written book of William W. Johnstone I have ever read. I have read a lot of his books this is the first one I didn't like. I didn't even finish reading it and I never quit a book once I start reading.

[Matthew]

I'm adding this to my audiobook list...and wondering if this is actually based around Leadville...a town I have lived near and travelled to many times in '88.

[Keith Barros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

Some story incancistancies. The story was good but I'm not clear on what it was actually about. Johnstones' older books have been better.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

To confusing

Sorry wasn't making sense to me stop reading after about 25 pages . . . . . . . .

[TC Hardin · Rating 5 out of 5]

so so

Well I gave I a five but it took me almost half way through the book to take a real interest in it. Then it got real and I have to give him credit for a good read.

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's one Johnstone book this is worth it's length. Cover to cover the plot is well laid out, with great writing and great characters.
The ghost writer does a fine balancing act of various typical strong Johnstone characters that are at odds with each other and yet mixes well enough to produce a great tale.

What I most liked is the complexity of the tale. Unusual for a Johnstone book. There's a mining element. A fellow pining after a lady element. Political and corruption element and more. Each very well fleshed out and intertwined to produce one of the best Johnsone books in the past few yeaars.

Bottom line: I recommend this book. ten out of ten points.