Hard Country

A Town Called Fury #2

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

William W. Johnstone, bestselling author of the Mountain Man and Blood Bond series, continues his bold new saga of the American frontier, where a town called Fury is pitted against the rugged and unforgiving wilds of the Arizona Territory.and only one man has the courage to keep fighting for Fury's very survival.

It's hard country, but the pioneers of Fury (Pop. 112) are banding together to make it a home. With barren lands, blinding dust storms, drought, hostile Indians, and violent bands of cutthroat outlaws against them, death is never far away. It's enough to make Jason Fury, whose father the town was named after, ride out for San Francisco. But a fiery young redhead named Megan McDonald keeps him Arizona bound-and just in time. When another Indian attack finds the marshal's badge pinned to Jason's unwilling chest, he turns out to be the right man to do whatever it takes-for.

Genres: Westerns

268 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

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

[Michael T Bradley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Woof. While I enjoyed the sort of ... disjointed, unweighted feeling of the first novel, this felt like just a retread. JA here seems to think adding a NEW person for Matt to have bitchy conversations with somehow counts as treading new water? Here's the book:

-Matt bitches with a new person
-Matt bitches at Jason
-Jason sighs resignedly, bitches at that new person, too
-Jason bitches at Matt some
-town is invaded, women are stolen (again)
-Matt and Jason lead a posse after them. New person comes along. They all bitch at each other, sometimes getting in fistfights.
-Wash, rinse, repeat.

The funniest part of the book was very near the end. I was thinking, man, we haven't gotten ANY of the bizarre sovereign citizen BS the Johnstones love spilling here, and it made me a little sad because I find it so amusing. But then the posse who crossed the border (into Mexico) to save the women come back across a cavalry unit they'd met earlier, and the cavalry leader wants to put the posse under arrest b/c they obviously disobeyed his orders and crossed the border. Thus begins an impassioned speech or two about how true patriots only break laws when they're just there to delay true justice and blah blah blah. It's so out of place and hilarious, and it sounds like something from a defense attorney for one of the J6 insurrectionists. It was a small gem of smiling from me close to the end of the book.

I doubt I'll consider with this series, though, since it's already gotten pretty tiresome.

[Ljohnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read detailing the creation of the town of Fury. More gunslingers, property disputes, kidnapping, Indian attacks and Mexican bandits. Lots of action for Jason Fury to handle using his wits and practical experience. This is book two of four covering the town of Fury and the people who settled there. More hardships ahead when building a new town in the new West.

[Keith B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Westerns are like romance novels for men.... predictable yet entertaining. Good story with plenty of action and not a lot of fluff.

[John Meitner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among the best of the westerns that I have read! It was one of those where you almost don't want it to end. Very Good!

[Carl Grider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good continuation of the series. Solid traditional type western. Probably more like 3.5 stars.

[Vince Waechter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good western. Moved at a good pace.

[Robert Slocum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the gritty little town. Another great western book by the Johnstone's.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong but Maybe I need context from the 1st book

[Courtney Fouquier]

Good winter reading.

[Benjamen Hatton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was better than the first. It had plenty of action that kept me reading for more.

[Dan Panke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book of "A Town Called Fury" series. Lots of good action but this story is a little far-fetched compared to book #1.