Everybody Has a Gun

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY.  WHERE LIGHTNING STRIKES ANY PLACE IT WANTS.

“The Fastest Gun in the Territory ” returns—and the ultimate showdown begins—in the latest, greatest Jon Gage adventure from the bestselling Johnstones . . .

     Like any gunslinger with a bloodstained past, Jon Gage needs to keep moving to stay alive. Too many people know the legend of “Texas Lightning”—and too many people want him dead. Trying to keep a low profile, he stops at a supply post in Utah Territory to stock up before hitting the trail. There, he meets a wagon train of farmers from Kansas doing the same. They seem like good, decent folks, but they’re about to make a very bad decision. The route they’ve chosen leads straight through the Chosen Valley. Which is like walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death . . .

     Ruled by a notorious and powerful cult—known for their cruel and unusual punishments—the Chosen Valley is worse than a dead end. It’s a trap. Especially for a wagon train of farmers, who are easy targets in a brutal ambush by black-robed zealots. Alerted by the gunshots, Gage tries to help the farmers by donning a robe and infiltrating the cult. What he learns shocks him. The cult plans to kill the farmers, steal their supplies, and force their children into slave labor. Gage is not about to let that happen—even if has to take on the entire cult himself.

     Every one of them has a gun. But none of them are as fast—or as deadly—as Texas Lightning . . .

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published July 29, 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

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody Has A Gun is the second book in The Texas Lightning book series by J and William Johnstone’s. In book 2 we find Jonathan Gage still trying to outrun his past or is he really just resigned to his future? He knows the death of the girl who he thought was a boy will haunt him the rest of his life and he will spend that life making up for it by helping those in need and this includes a wagon train he runs across being gunned down by a group called the Brethren. although some of the group don’t trust him and even believe him to be part of their adversaries when a baby is taken gauge will put everything on the line to help. despite the group started with their religion the leader who they call Deacon is purely out for selfish reasons and we quickly learn he has no problem taking out members of his own group that tried to question him. He believes he is untouchable and that the wagon train is outnumbered but he also has no clue that they now have Jonathan gauge on their side and even though he has promised not to solve problems with gunfire you can believe there is violence in deacon’s future. i’m not gonna lie when Gage kept eavesdropping on the other group and even when he could’ve taken Deacon out after killing shank I thought when is the good old boy justice going to begin and after a few chapters it definitely did I do wish there would be more gun fighting but that’s not to say I don’t like Texas lightning because I really do I love his attitude his moral compass his demeanor and his happy outlook despite the dark things he believes about himself. There is a lot of great things to love about this book and if you’re not like me and would love a western would not so much violence then you will definitely love this book I do like gun fight and I still enjoy the story immensely. #NetGalley,#PelicanBooks, #MyHonestReview, #BlindReviewer, #TheJohnstone’s, #EverybodyHasAGun, #TexasLightning,

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, the title does not relate to the book. In fact, the main character shies away from guns. Guns and gun fire are not prevalent in this Johnstone book.

Next is my common complaint of recent Johnstone Clan books: These are too long. This book could be less than half and work. Again, Pinnacle needs to consider to stories a book or a digest style. Pinnacle is doing such with older Mountain Man books. I don't understand the recent expansion of about 100 pages, but almost never works out well.

This is a simple tale drawn out for pages and pages, A number of times a character walks in the woods for 3 to 5 pages. It's not written as a long walk. The story is fine, but the excessive writings bogs the plot. In this case, the pivotal character on the bad side, I don't think was given enough pages of back story of how his 'Brethren' settled in and separately existed with a town not far from it.

The Gage character is fine, but this could've been a Smoke Jensen book with a few alterations. This book is a combination of a few earlier Jensen tales I remember.

Bottom line: I don't recommend this book. 4 out of ten points.
I had access to this book via NetGalley.com

[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 4 out of 5]

In William Johnstone's Book 2 of the Texas Lightning Western series, Everybody Has a Gun (Pinnacle 2025), it picks up where Texas Lightning's Book 1 (Hanging Party) left us. The story's hero, Jon Gage, is trying pretty hopelessly to leave his past as "Texas Lightning Fastest Gun in the Territory" behind while making amends within himself for all the men he killed. The only way he knows to do this is help those in need while avoiding use of his gun. That means no relationships, no roots, and constantly on the move. In this book, Gage is riding his loyal horse, Rig, from here to there, and runs into a wagon train under attack by a religious group called the Brethren intent on stealing their wealth to set themselves up, place their children in slave labor and their women in worse. Gage can’t walk away, not when he sees a way to help, not even though they distrust him and call him a murderer for all the kills in the past.

Overall, it’s a good story based on the strength of Gage's conviction to avoid gunfights which he seems to regularly fail doing (otherwise, it wouldn't be much of a Western). The action is a little slow as the author provides endless interesting details about the times and trials of the old west circa mid 1800. If I were to put this review in one line, it would be: More action less detail.

[Kat♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is such an interesting western. I love the plot line a lot. However the character. I LOVE Jonathan Gage, okay? His story is so interesting and I love how we see him struggle with his past but try to move forward from it. He's not running, he's accepting it and trying to live anyway.
In the first book in this mini series: The Hanging Party, we see this character concept executed SO much better. I feel like they watered Jon down so much in this book.
Overall though, the plot of the book was fire and the less than excellent character depth didn't ruin it. If you liked this one though definitely read The Hanging Party. I feel like you'd like it a lot more.

[Paris Carnegie · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time reading a Western, and this is a 10/10 book. The main character is funny, and the author's writing style is the perfect pace with just the right amount of descriptions. Love how the story is based around one big event! I was on the edge of my seat, nose glued to the pages, always wanting to read more!

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in this series finds Gage arriving in a town where the settlers who want to move through the pass never make it. He sees a man named Deacon who has set a group of people up to rob and kill the ones who come through. Gage now wants to make things right. A really good book.

[Nolan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 2.5 rating. Slow for about half the story, the last 50% of the story is better.