The Diary of Molly Good

by Michael A. McLellan

New from the author of In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree and The Scout of Wounded Knee.

Late winter, 1880.

A Texas rancher is shot and killed during a robbery at his home. The men involved, known only as The Dutch Gang to authorities, find a dirty and half-starved child in one of the bedrooms, sleeping next to the deceased body of a woman. While searching for valuables, Dutch discovers a hidden diary. Its pages reveal the story of a young woman who fled her past only to become the captive of a violent and deranged man. Pursued by a posse, two U.S. Marshals, and a man set on revenge, Dutch and his partner, Bob, vow to care for the girl, while they use what few clues the diary provides to search for her family.

The Diary of Molly Good is the fourth addition to the The Americans series. This series can be read in any order.

Genres: Westerns, Historical Fiction

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 26, 2025

About the author

Michael A. McLellan is an American author of fiction. To date, Michael has published five novels, including three books in The Americans series: In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree, The Scout of Wounded Knee, and Joe Little and the Indian School.

Reviews

[Andy Marr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read and loved the first three books in this series, I was beyond excited last month when McLellan quietly released this fourth instalment. Now, having devoured the fourth instalment, I'm beyond excited to confirm that it is every bit as exciting and well-written as each of its predecessors. Truly, it's just fabulous, with magnificent characters, incredible adventures, and a picture-perfect portrayal of the Old West's stark and brutal landscape.

A fast-paced, high-stakes thrill-ride from the first page to the last. I loved it!

[Wendy Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the first page of this book, The Diary of Molly Good by Michael McLennan convinced myself I had made a mistake by venturing so far outside what I would normally read. By the last page, I didn’t want it to end because it had been such a stunning read. This book is so much more than your standard “shoot them up for the sake of it” Western. It is the last book in a series and I have not read the first three. It worked well for me as a standalone. If I had read the earlier ones It may have enhanced my enjoyment of this one, but I doubt that is possible. Drawn in by the mystery of Molly’s diary, the story got under my skin. McLennan masterfully tells the fast-paced story with many twists and turns. The descriptive prose and vivid imagery are works of art in themselves. I commend this book to all readers, even those who usually enjoy a different genre.

[Dave Marsland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written with the usual verve and brio that you come to expect after reading the magnificent Americans series, The Diary of Molly Good is another literary triumph.

Everett Ward and Bass Reeves team up to the chase down the killer of a Texan rancher, and end up with more on their plate than expected. A diary found gives them a few clues to the back story of a half starved girl found clinging to her dead mother’s body. And so the tale starts, as usual there’s a lot going on, with great character development, it’s well researched and beautifully paced.

It could be read as a stand alone book, but I recommend you the previous 3 novels in the series first:
In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree
The Scout of Wounded Knee
Joe Little and the Indian School

You will not regret it, stories about the old West do not come better than this.

[Michael McLellan]

This book is now available in ebook format on Amazon. Paperback and hardcover are available on Amazon and most book retailers.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G44H5P7K?...

Thanks for reading.

[Bernhard · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might take my review with a grain of salt because I'm certainly biased.
I consider Michael A. McLellan my friend, even though we only exchanged very few short private messages. I offered him my friendship because of his books. Reading them it seemed to me that whoever wrote this shares the same idea of what really matters in life as I and that only someone with a big heart at the right place could write those.
I refuse to even try to be objective but this is my 100% honest subjective opinion.

The Diary of Molly Good is the fourth novel in the historical fiction series The Americans though any of them can be read as a standalone. That said The Diary of Molly Good contains a few spoilers regarding the second book in the series The Scout of Wounded Knee which in turn contains spoilers for In the Shadow of the Hanging Tree. So I would recommend reading those in publication order.

The Diary of Molly Good might be the easiest digestible novel of Michael A. McLellan yet. It is still far away from a feel good book. It features horrible themes like child abuse. But besides being a tragic story there is a lot to be found about the good side of people, about kindness, love and hope.

Like the other five novels I have read written by him, McLellan succeeded in deeply moving me. I really care about everything happening. That alone might be worth 5 stars to me.

A remarkle achievement is that the story feels incredible authentic. If I didn't new that it is fiction I would have believed everything to be true. It shows that the author did his research to provide a historically realistic setting without turning the novel into a history lesson.

I think the writing style contributes to the authentic feel aswell. There is rarely any advanced vocabulary used and the writing never distracts from the story. There is such a beautiful natural flow to its simplicity. It has just enough description to create a vivid imagery but not too much to force the reader into a specific direction. It reads so smooth that sometimes I didn't realize that I was reading anymore, it felt more like a was remembering the story. Another favorite author of mine is Josiah Bancroft and he often adds some 5 dollar words to his writing. I'm not a native English speaker but I guess even those would have to look up some of the words. As much as I adore Bancroft's writing too I think that style wouldn't work so good with this kind of story. It adds a certain level of distraction which in my opinion would undermine the authenticity a bit.

I don't want to provide anything about the story itself. I want you to find out what this is about yourself. If you do I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[Cheyenne Marika · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Diary of Molly Good, the newest installment in The Americans series, follows a few familiar faces, including Everett Ward and Bass Reeves, as they work to track down the Dutch Gang. The story begins with a murder, a robbery, and the unexpected discovery of a half-starved child, and from that moment on, the tension never lets up. Although this is the fourth book in the series, readers don’t need to have read the previous installments to enjoy it, as each novel stands alone. That said, returning readers will gain greater insight into the characters’ relationships and histories, making the world feel even richer.
I ended up reading this novel in a single day. The pacing is quick, drawing you in with the mystery of Molly’s diary and the morally complex men who find it. The story is exciting, but, as with the rest of McLellan’s work, it certainly doesn’t shy away from the brutality of the old west. McLellan balances suspense with emotional depth, especially as Dutch, Bob, and Everett attempt to care for the girl while piecing together her past.
Overall, whether you’re a longtime fan or new to the series, The Diary of Molly Good is well worth picking up.

[Tracy Challis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not sure why I am drawn to stories about the west, but I am. They are brutal, and this was no exception, but I loved the addition of the child. She helped showcase the humanity (or inhumanity, in some cases) of the men in the story. I was especially touched by the relationship between Cora and Bob.
I think that little girl and the impact she made will stick with me for awhile.

[James Hartmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book and storytelling from Michael McLellan. 1880 and 81 when the west was wilding, sets the stage for the good guys and bad folks to muster up a tale of revenge and heartwarming fondness for a child. Some names from previous books in his Americans Series reminded me of the wonderful characters McLellan has shared over the years. He brings them all to life.

[Lisa N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an average, enjoyable western. Lawman Bass Reeves was a side character which was a fun surprise.

[Randa Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

unexpected

Didn’t realize it was about the Wild West until I got into it. The twists and turns kept me guessing.