Preacher's Hell

The First Mountain Man #32

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

Legendary bestselling western authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone return with the blazing new installment in their long-running series featuring Preacher, the First Mountain Man, in a classic showdown between Good and Evil, as he promises to protect two little angels from one devil of an outlaw . . .

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. For Preacher, that road begins at a remote trading post in the Bitterroot Mountains. At first, it’s a friendly reunion with his old buddies Audie and Nighthawk. But then, a young Indian woman and her grandfather are attacked by a vicious gang of thieves—and all hell breaks loose. When the smoke clears, the gang’s leader, who goes by the name Mack Ozark, .has escaped, the grandfather is dead, and the woman is mortally wounded. Before she dies, she begs Preacher to look after a bundle she is carrying. Inside, wrapped in a blanket, are two blond-haired, blue-eyed babies. They’re clearly twins—and clearly not hers . . .

Who do the babies belong to? And what is a man like Preacher supposed to do with them? The only clue is a pair of gemstone necklaces around the babies’ necks. Preacher’s friend Audie recognizes the stones as star garnets from a nearby valley, where they head off to find the twins’ mother. Along the way, they realize they’re being followed by Mack Ozark.. He knows the babies’ father stole a fortune in jewels. He knows the babies’ blanket contains a map to the hidden gems. But he doesn’t know just how far a man like Preacher will go to protect those little angels—and send a devil like Ozark straight to hell . . .

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction

285 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2026

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

[Brent Towns · Rating 5 out of 5]

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. For Preacher, that road begins at a remote trading post in the Bitterroot Mountains. At first, it’s a friendly reunion with his old buddies Audie and Nighthawk. But then, a young Indian woman and her grandfather are attacked by a vicious gang of thieves—and all hell breaks loose. When the smoke clears, the gang’s leader, who goes by the name Mack Ozark, .has escaped, the grandfather is dead, and the woman is mortally wounded. Before she dies, she begs Preacher to look after a bundle she is carrying. Inside, wrapped in a blanket, are two blond-haired, blue-eyed babies. They’re clearly twins—and clearly not hers . . .
Who do the babies belong to? And what is a man like Preacher supposed to do with them? The only clue is a pair of gemstone necklaces around the babies’ necks. Preacher’s friend Audie recognizes the stones as star garnets from a nearby valley, where they head off to find the twins’ mother. Along the way, they realize they’re being followed by Mack Ozark.. He knows the babies’ father stole a fortune in jewels. He knows the babies’ blanket contains a map to the hidden gems. But he doesn’t know just how far a man like Preacher will go to protect those little angels—and send a devil like Ozark straight to hell . . .

The last thing Preacher and his friends, Audie and Nighthawk, are looking for is trouble. But trouble finds them anyway—twice over—in the form of twin babies. Harmless, you’d think.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Mack Ozark is determined to get his hands on these children and will kill anyone who stands in his way. He’s already murdered their father and is holding their mother captive. Preacher decides this is one damsel who needs rescuing, and soon he’s neck‑deep in danger. As if that weren’t enough, Preacher has made an enemy of an Indian brave to add yet another layer of peril.
It’s another well‑crafted adventure packed with action, keeping the pages turning right up to the explosive finale. I thoroughly enjoyed this story—fresh, unexpected, and built on an exciting premise.
This story will be published on Feb. 24.

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC of this story.

[Doug Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s always a treat to saddle up for another ride through Johnstone country.

Preacher’s Hell delivers everything readers expect from a William W. Johnstone western. The story unfolds in that familiar rhythm that Johnstone fans know well, moving from a quiet opening to a storm of gun smoke and grit. It’s a rugged tale that never loses its footing, staying true to the classic structure that has kept this series alive for decades.

The pacing tightens as the chapters roll by, building toward a sharp, fast finish. Those final scenes race by like a runaway horse, packed with danger, heart, and a few surprises. It’s the kind of ending that reminds you why Johnstone’s name still means something in Western storytelling.

Even if this particular entry was penned by one of the trusted co-authors the Johnstone family has been working with since the passing of William W., it still sounds and feels like authentic Johnstone. The voice, the grit, and the moral backbone all line up perfectly. The series formula works because it doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

There’s also a strong supporting cast here. The inclusion of twin babies and their mother adds vulnerability and stakes that humanize the action. The outlaws are suitably vile, and the good folks have a few flaws that keeps things interesting. It’s a solid mix that gives the story a little extra punch.

Overall, this one earns a full five out of five stars. Preacher’s Hell is pure entertainment from start to finish, with the kind of momentum and heart that keeps readers coming back for more. Thank you to Kensington, NetGalley. and the Johnstone family for the advanced reader copy. With the popularity of the Johnstones, I am fortunate to have been selected to review one of their books.

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

Preachers Hell is the 32nd book in the first mountain man series by William w. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone, When preacher runs across Odi and Nighthawk at a trading Post he couldn’t be happier to see the two men he trust most in the world and his good friends. While there preacher notices an Indian woman who seems very protective over a bundle in her care when they start talking to her and her grandfather they learned her name is night bird but it isn’t until after a fierce gun fight and the death of Songbird and her Gram that they learn the bundle she was protecting were too blonde headed twin babies. with songbirds dying breath she told preacher what to do and preacher gave his word that he would do that. So with Odie, nighthawk and the twins they call Apollo and Artemis they set off to bring the babies back to their mom Annie. This is where the problem lies because before they reach the area they meet a young native American boy named Little Bear who gives them the lowdown and lay of the land. It seems an outlaw named Ocala has taken over a troop from another man named Collins and moved his wife Annie into a little shed and guards her night and day as far as the twins go he wants them back but no one can understand why but by the time they do preacher will have another enemy who may or may not be working with Ocala. Of course there is much more to this book than my brief review because there’s preacher gets caught then there’s gun fights, fist fights, mad dasheses to safety all while trying to keep the two babies safe. This was a great book I love the preacher series but then again I love most books written by the Johnstone. If you love great westerns especially those with the true hero then you definitely want to read preachers hell the most unlikely of babysitters ever. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

William Johnstone's Preacher's Hell, 32nd in the Preacher First Mountain Man series, is as good as all of them. Preacher has been a mountain man since his teens, learned all the skills and never left, now the one everyone who needs help in the Rockies goes to for assistance. He is between events in his life and decides to seek out old mountain man friends Audie and Nightshade. If you've followed this series, you know these two fascinating characters. I was thrilled to see the three re-united and sat back, knowing I was about to be treated to a wonderful story.  They stop at another friend's trading post on their way to who-knows-where (not important in a mountain man's life). A young Indian and her elderly traveling companion are killed by renegades who are themselves killed by Preacher and his friends. The woman elicits a promise from the mountain men to take care of a bag she is carrying which turns out to be twin infants. As the mountain men set out to fulfill their promise--return the children to their tribe or rightful home--they are attacked by a band of ruthless bandits who for reasons unknown to Preacher want the babies. Preacher prevails, but more attacks follow, convincing Preacher that something about these babies puts them in danger, which of course means, they must be protected.

This is a preacher story like no other. You will enjoy every page and discover a side to the rustic mountain man you didn’t know he had. I award it an enthusiastic 5/5.

[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.

[Abibliofob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Preacher's Hell by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone is another good western in the typical style from this author. This time Preacher and his friends will be babysitting in the wild. it was an entertaining story with the usual bad guys. Sometimes you don't need a complicated plot or content, just a stabile story to keep you from the world. I must thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for letting me read this advance copy.

[Terry L. Estep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes you just need a western adventure about badass mountain men doing badass things, which in this case means rescuing some twin infants from an outlaw. Preacher and his companions are a fun group to follow.