A Coffin for Tomahawk

The Last Wagon Train #2

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

Western legend Luke “Tomahawk” Callahan agrees to lead one last wagon train across the Mexican border—where revolution is brewing, bullets are flying, and all roads lead to death . . .

With just a single journey under his belt, first-time wagoneer Tomahawk Callahan became a national hero. It started as a challenge waged by a railroad mogul—a race between an old-time wagon train and a brand-new rail line—with the whole world watching. Against all odds, Tomahawk led his family business to victory. At the time, he thought it would be his first—and last—wagon train. But at his sister’s urging, he’s agreed to take on one final job, a never-before-attempted trip across the Mexican border . . .

But Mexico is undergoing bloody changes. After a brutal coup, General Porfirio Diaz is determined to bring “order and progress” to the country—while revolutionaries plot against him. Tomahawk’s wagon train could help modernize Mexico, bringing railroad workers, miners, and supplies—across a desert full of rattlesnakes, Apache, and other threats. The deadliest of all is a former priest known as Generalissimo “Padre” Rodriguez, who has his bloodthirsty sights set on the wagon train. Tomahawk’s got to drive his wagons out of this frying pan and into the fire—or they’ll all end up on a wagon trail to Hell . . .

400 pages, Mass Market Paperback

Published October 28, 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

[Laur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narrator Rodney J. Turner makes the audiobook version a true delight to listen too!

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

A Coffin For Tomahawk by William W Johnstone and John J Johnstone is the second book in the last wagon train series. In this book Tomahawk is getting married, but first to help his neighbors he decides to hunt down the biggest bear anyone has ever seen and despite being injured and taking way too much pain medicine He’s there to marry his bride right before passing out he noticed his aunt Claira made the trip for his wedding. it will be after a day or two of healing that he learns him and Becca‘s wedding wasn’t the only reason aunt Clara made the trip to Salem. It seems winning the last wagon train race isn’t going to be the last wagon train after all. His old nemesis Arbuckle has a lucrative job to build a railroad in NorthernMexico by the Arizona border but the only way he can confirm the work is if he gets tomahawk to drive the wagon train. his first resistance is finding out our buckle himself is heading up the job his second is telling his wife of one day Becky that he has to leave town to head up a wagon train his third is learning the guy who should have his back in the wagon train thinks he isn’t qualified and resents him being hired. all that and they haven’t even started heading for Mexico yet soon what Tomahawk has already gone through to do this job that he doesn’t want to do will seem like kids play when left with no horse, nor food in the desert learning he has enemies he knew nothing about and eventually learning getting home may be a much bigger feat than he first believed. The thought of aunt Clara and helping her keeps him with the wagon train although thoughts of Becky and Lizzie makes him want to head back to Oregon Tomahawk on this wagon train will have many enemies not only those in Mexico but some on his own train. This was such a great book I didn’t know how they were going to do another wagon train story but OMG this was a good one I love these westerns in every now and then I run into one that’s not so great but still worth reading this is not that book this book was awesome and a definite sign to the western frontier we rarely see and that is in Mexico this really was a great read. #Galley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,#WilliamWJohnstone, #JAJohnstone, #ACoffinForTomahawk,

[Brent Towns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Western legend Luke “Tomahawk” Callahan agrees to lead one last wagon train across the Mexican border—where revolution is brewing, bullets are flying, and all roads lead to death . . .

With just a single journey under his belt, first-time wagoneer Tomahawk Callahan became a national hero. It started as a challenge waged by a railroad mogul—a race between an old-time wagon train and a brand-new rail line—with the whole world watching. Against all odds, Tomahawk led his family business to victory. At the time, he thought it would be his first—and last—wagon train. But at his sister’s urging, he’s agreed to take on one final job, a never-before-attempted trip across the Mexican border . . .

But Mexico is undergoing bloody changes. After a brutal coup, General Porfirio Diaz is determined to bring “order and progress” to the country—while revolutionaries plot against him. Tomahawk’s wagon train could help modernize Mexico, bringing railroad workers, miners, and supplies—across a desert full of rattlesnakes, Apache, and other threats. The deadliest of all is a former priest known as Generalissimo “Padre” Rodriguez, who has his bloodthirsty sights set on the wagon train. Tomahawk’s got to drive his wagons out of this frying pan and into the fire—or they’ll all end up on a wagon trail to Hell . . .

Callahan had no desire to head south with the wagon train—but he did. And what awaited him was chaos incarnate: Apaches on the warpath, bloodthirsty revolutionaries, a ruthless one-eyed woman with a taste for murder, and a Mexican insurgent known, ironically, as Padre.

The journey alone was a gauntlet of peril, but things only worsened upon arrival. Captured and cast into a dungeon, Callahan found himself fighting not just for freedom, but for survival. In the end, it all boiled down to a desperate last stand—just a handful of men facing off against an entire revolutionary army. The odds were impossible. But Callahan never played by the odds.

This tale moves at a brisk pace, with solid writing that held my attention throughout most of the ride. The narrative splits evenly—half devoted to the perilous wagon train journey into Mexico, the other half focused on Callahan’s capture and daring escape. While I personally found it a notch below the first installment, it still delivers plenty to satisfy fans of the western genre. And the cover art? Absolutely striking—one of the series’ standout features.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC of this book.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

William Johnstone's A Coffin for Tomahawk (Pinnacle Books 2025) is the sequel to The Last Wagon Train. I enjoyed that book, couldn’t imagine a sequel to a story that ended so resolutely. Readers didn't want to let go of the feisty Tomahawk Callahan so Johnstone came up with an intriguing and original plot for Book 2. This also involves a wagon train, this one carrying the personnel and labor to do a specialized job across the border in Mexico at the behest of the Mexican president. While the wagon train is large, read that as defensible by its size, it doesn't stop Indians from testing their defenses or other bad guys going after whatever they carry. The trip itself is dangerous in a predictable way, but the destination involves many more threats Tomahawk can't predict or prepare for, like the Mexican revolutionary forces and the Mexicans fighting against them. The best Tomahawk can do is outthink the bad guys.

The plot is intricate with several separate threads that must eventually come together (and do). That process slows the story a bit because I as reader am not sure how they're connected, nor do I have a vested interest in any characters other than Tomahawk and his crew. Nevertheless, when they finally meet up, it's an explosion of drama, trauma, quick thinking, and unexpected solutions. Recommended for those looking for original plots from the Old West with a tolerance for a bit more confusion than I usually handle.

[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.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

We met Tomahawk in the book Last Wagon Train. You don’t need to read that book. Here, Tomahawk is called by his Aunt once again, and after listening to her, he agrees to go along with the wagon train to Mexico. The rest of the story weaves different characters in and out through their travels and different problems that need to be solved. Some, I would imagine, would have been what took place for that time. Overall, I enjoyed the story, and it had excellent characters. If you are into westerns, a good book to read.