With his monumental Mountain Man and Eagles series, William W. Johnstone has become America's most popular Western writer. Now, with J.A. Johnstone, he unleashes the Sidewinders, two honest Texas cowboys with an uncanny knack for lighting wildfires everywhere they go…
Home Sweet Deadly Home
If there's anything better than coming home to Texas, it's getting paid to do it. For Scratch Morton and Bo Creel, always on the hunt for funds, the job is taking three vicious criminals from Arkansas to Tyler, Texas for trial. Little do they know that one of the criminals, the one that's a beautiful woman, is the most dangerous of all. Soon the journey home turns into a race for buried treasure, a shoot-out, and another double cross--until Scratch and Bo are making one last mad, bullet-sprayed dash through the land of their birth… or the land of their death…
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.
In this instalment our favorite saddle tramps Bo and Scratch find themselves in Arkansas. They are hired as deputies to guard three prisoners through Texas to there trial to be hanged. One of them is a littlle hellcat named Kara. They end up finding the money they had stolen on there way to there trial. This is a very good book and series. Highly recommended.
Bo Creel ans Scratch Morton arrived in Fort Smith just in time to help one of Judge Parker's deputies stop an escape attempt by three members of the Gentry gang, one of them a woman named Cara LaChance, the girl friend of the outlaw leader,
Judge Parker calls on them to help the deputy deliver the prisoners to another Federal judge in Texas who had a prior claim. Forty dollars apiece plus miles. He wasn't happy, but as long as they were going to be hung for their crimes...
They knew Gentry would make a try for them somewhere along the way. But that gang wasn't the only danger. The prisoners were vocal everywhere they went about what Gentry would do for them if they were helped to escape. That brought a hillbilly family after them and started a feud when the three lawmen had to kill a couple. The old man was after them as well.
Also, they ran into some Cherokee Lighthorse, tribal policemen, that were pursuing an outlaw Cherokee and are attacked by that bunch.
They already knew that Cara LaChance had a mouth on her and suspected, rightly, that she was the most dangerous of the three outlaws.
The two partners and the deputy soon become embroiled in a race for the hidden loot of the Gentry gang, a raging wildfire all around them, and a last doublecross.
Another winner from the "J.A. Johnstone" that writes this series.
Bo and Scratch are two of my favorite characters from the Johnstone line. They’re humorous, courageous and moral, and have a strong bond that fortifies their friendship. Their tales are always loaded with action, too, and this entry is no exception. In fact, it’s pretty much all action and I loved every page of it. I won’t even say what it is as to not spoil anything, but there’s a disaster in this book that provided some of the tensest scenes I’ve ever read! Thrilling and fun, to say the least.
Johnstone is not as good as Louis L'Amour but better than Zane Grey with a more modern approach to the adult western. Not with sex and such but a story with real plots, well developed characters and good writing. He come close to L'Amour in all aspects but after many reads, I just do not think I will follow anymore.
I like these characters and the way they get in and out of various "fixes". Fine plot, very descriptive of situations and locations. Look forward to the next book.
This was a good one from Mr. Johnstone. I liked that it all didn't take place in one small area. The addition of the prairie fire was really interesting. Having a woman as a bad person was welcome also. I give this one 2 thumbs up!
I have been reading the Johnstone books for several months and find them very entertaining. All good clean stories and am looking forward to the next one.
My reading of westerns is diversionary reading. They are like potato chips. I cannot consume just one. This is a good recreational read and for those who like westerns it is good. Will it every be on the classic list? No, but you identify with the characters and there is an interesting evil woman involved.
What an incredible book! Each of Johnstone's books gets better - better plot development, better character development - what a great writer! Leaves you hangin' to almost the last paragraph, all ends neatly tied at last, can't get over how masterful a writer he is!