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John Whicher #3
An American Bullet
A marked woman. A thousand miles from safety. One man to get her there alive.
Winter in Colorado. A storm moving in. A passenger train collides with a car. US Marshal John Whicher, returning home to Texas, is called to assist a marshal riding onboard. On arriving, no trace of the man can be found. But a young woman asks to be arrested...
An American Bullet, third in The Whicher Series, is a stand-alone story; as with all the titles, you can enjoy the books in any order.
Winter in Colorado. A storm moving in. A passenger train collides with a car. US Marshal John Whicher, returning home to Texas, is called to assist a marshal riding onboard. On arriving, no trace of the man can be found. But a young woman asks to be arrested...
An American Bullet, third in The Whicher Series, is a stand-alone story; as with all the titles, you can enjoy the books in any order.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 27, 2018
675 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
John Stonehouse
25 books66 followersJohn Stonehouse writes the Amazon #1 bestselling Whicher Series.
His debut, An American Outlaw, gained wide acclaim among readers and reviewers alike - both it and the following books have gone on to become bestsellers at Amazon, Apple i-Books, Barnes & Noble and at Kobo.
A writer who's spent a lot of time traveling, both in the states and overseas, he’s interested in history, literature, music and poetry - and drawn to wide-open spaces; places few people go, inside or out.
For the latest news, updates and special offers sign up to the John Stonehouse mailing list at https:www//johnstonehousewriter.com
follow @JohnStonehouse2
https:www.//twitter.com/JohnStonehouse2
or find him at Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/johnstonehou...
His debut, An American Outlaw, gained wide acclaim among readers and reviewers alike - both it and the following books have gone on to become bestsellers at Amazon, Apple i-Books, Barnes & Noble and at Kobo.
A writer who's spent a lot of time traveling, both in the states and overseas, he’s interested in history, literature, music and poetry - and drawn to wide-open spaces; places few people go, inside or out.
For the latest news, updates and special offers sign up to the John Stonehouse mailing list at https:www//johnstonehousewriter.com
follow @JohnStonehouse2
https:www.//twitter.com/JohnStonehouse2
or find him at Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/johnstonehou...
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
September 11, 2018
Good, but not the best...
I only gave 4 stars because the story line became a bit implausible, to many random crucial points in the plot that were very unlikely to happen, to many times the killer caught the break. Still a very good read and as part of the series of Whicher novels worth buying.
I only gave 4 stars because the story line became a bit implausible, to many random crucial points in the plot that were very unlikely to happen, to many times the killer caught the break. Still a very good read and as part of the series of Whicher novels worth buying.
September 12, 2020
Good but not great. Fast read but just average story. The first two books in the series were much better.
August 31, 2021
Not my cup of tea. Or shot of whiskey, as the case may be. U.S. Marshalls, FBI agents, witness in protective custody with the Chicago mob after them, yeah, lots of shooting, killing, chases through blizzards, stupid witnesses, stupid agents, who reads this trash? I got because it was set in Colorado and I love reading about places I've been. Unless it's this kind of stupid stuff. Did I mention that I thought this was a stupid book? Little to no character building, boring, repetitive plotting, same old, same old as hundreds of other wannabee thrillers which are just people running around waving guns and making stupid mistakes just to keep the chase going on longer than is necessary or desirable.
September 10, 2021
A Question of Suspended Disbelief
Appreciation of any work of fiction depends in part on a willing suspension of disbelief. When one scratches below the surface of Alfred's character as the caretaker of Wayne Mansion (Batman), one quickly catches on that he alone could not keep up with the dusting, much less the Bat Cave, the Bat technology, the meals, the monthly bills ... you get the idea. If Alfred's job description had any impact on the plot of the stories, the reader would begin to question the stretch.
And so it seems the hit man's (Belaski's) mastery of coincidence in securing reliable transportation during the blizzard of a decade that renders most vehicles immobile becomes Alfred in scope. It begins with an accomplice tailing a train on a moonless night in a pickup, trouble free, on a deserted country road that is blanketed with rapidly accumulating snow. Just when the reader predicts an unseen obstruction and bad luck for the bad guys, it doesn't happen.
As the plot unfolds, the assassin is hot on the trail of his target (Lauren DeLuca) who is protected by Deputy US Marshal John Whicher. Belaski is obliged to to acquire new rides periodically. While the marshal has to hitch rides with other law men in a futile effort to stay ahead of the game, the hit man steals, jacks, rents a number of assorted vehicles including SUVs that belong to law officers, all the while not missing a beat in the chase.
His extraordinary luck is underscored by at least three instances in which he is in need of a new set of wheels, and some luckless law man\woman delivers one. Most notable is when Belaski wrecks his current ride on a snow covered mountain trail miles from civilization. Immediately, a female Parks Ranger shows up in a winterized Ford Explorer for him to commandeer. Just what he needed. At this point, the reader has expended so much energy trying to reconcile the hit man's fortune cookie life with reality that he must swallow it whole or, more likely, shove it down the disposal. One is obliged to admit that instead of the hitman's cunning, our hero John Whicher has been stymied by his supernatural gremlin.
Stonehouse has a readable style and page-turner plot development for the most part. He writes in present tense, effective for building suspense. He might want to take the time (along with many of his genre contemporaries) to master the use of the verbs "lie" and "lay," which are consistently interchanged (wrong).
Appreciation of any work of fiction depends in part on a willing suspension of disbelief. When one scratches below the surface of Alfred's character as the caretaker of Wayne Mansion (Batman), one quickly catches on that he alone could not keep up with the dusting, much less the Bat Cave, the Bat technology, the meals, the monthly bills ... you get the idea. If Alfred's job description had any impact on the plot of the stories, the reader would begin to question the stretch.
And so it seems the hit man's (Belaski's) mastery of coincidence in securing reliable transportation during the blizzard of a decade that renders most vehicles immobile becomes Alfred in scope. It begins with an accomplice tailing a train on a moonless night in a pickup, trouble free, on a deserted country road that is blanketed with rapidly accumulating snow. Just when the reader predicts an unseen obstruction and bad luck for the bad guys, it doesn't happen.
As the plot unfolds, the assassin is hot on the trail of his target (Lauren DeLuca) who is protected by Deputy US Marshal John Whicher. Belaski is obliged to to acquire new rides periodically. While the marshal has to hitch rides with other law men in a futile effort to stay ahead of the game, the hit man steals, jacks, rents a number of assorted vehicles including SUVs that belong to law officers, all the while not missing a beat in the chase.
His extraordinary luck is underscored by at least three instances in which he is in need of a new set of wheels, and some luckless law man\woman delivers one. Most notable is when Belaski wrecks his current ride on a snow covered mountain trail miles from civilization. Immediately, a female Parks Ranger shows up in a winterized Ford Explorer for him to commandeer. Just what he needed. At this point, the reader has expended so much energy trying to reconcile the hit man's fortune cookie life with reality that he must swallow it whole or, more likely, shove it down the disposal. One is obliged to admit that instead of the hitman's cunning, our hero John Whicher has been stymied by his supernatural gremlin.
Stonehouse has a readable style and page-turner plot development for the most part. He writes in present tense, effective for building suspense. He might want to take the time (along with many of his genre contemporaries) to master the use of the verbs "lie" and "lay," which are consistently interchanged (wrong).
September 21, 2018
Wow.........This was a spectacular series - each one kept being as good as the last.....I would not be able to say which of the three was the best - THEY WERE ALL GREAT. Finding one good book in a series is ok - two is wonderful but 3 lets you know this writer is terrific with characters, storylines, and telling a good tale with words that keep you hanging on page after page. You won't be disappointed with a single line.......
June 20, 2020
Another outstanding installment in the Whicher Series! I’ve had the pleasure of reading and reviewing the first two books in this series (the second was an advance copy from the author). Stonehouse’s writing style and story lines clicked with me from the get-go – in all three of the Whicher series books I’ve read. I had kind of lost track of the publication dates on the later installments in this series, so when I recently discovered that Stonehouse had indeed published succeeding books in the series, I immediately dove into “An American Bullet.” Wow! Just wow! I read a lot, and I’m a pretty stingy rater. But there are a few authors I follow who truly have the gift, and I feel compelled to come out of my shell and let the world know how I feel. Stonehouse is definitely one of them! “An American Bullet” presents with an intriguing, believable plot, and with an array of equally believable characters who are developed “just right” for the story. As did his first two books in the series, “An American Bullet” kept my undivided attention and interest literally from cover to cover. I’m anxiously looking forward to more from this amazing author!
June 29, 2020
New author for me, but #3 in the series, so the good news is, I can go back and read the first two. Whicher is a US Marshall. He is on his way back from delivering a prisoner to a maximum security prison when he receives a call from his boss. There has been a train accident and he is the closest agent to it. There is a very high level witness on the train and the Marshall assigned to her cannot be found. He is now her new protector. It is a crime boss she has agreed to testify against, and she used to keep books for them. The Marshalls want her back in Chicago. The mob does too, but for a different reason. The snow storms in Colorado and Nebraska, which they must travel through. It doesn't help that they have the mob on their tail the whole way.
April 24, 2019
A JS. Mystery Adventure Novel (TWSB - 3)/Colorado/ Raton Pass/A Car Hit by a Train
JS. has. penned the third novel in the Whicher series, which begins with an automobile/train wreck at Raton Pass, Colorado. The descent down either side for a train is hazardous to say the least. There are numerous switchback that go back and forth the highway going through the pass. When the Marshal arrives the car is clear of the tracks, but there are no injuries nor is the driver present. The Marshal knows he has a mystery on his hands. The marshal knows he will have to wait and he patient. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
JS. has. penned the third novel in the Whicher series, which begins with an automobile/train wreck at Raton Pass, Colorado. The descent down either side for a train is hazardous to say the least. There are numerous switchback that go back and forth the highway going through the pass. When the Marshal arrives the car is clear of the tracks, but there are no injuries nor is the driver present. The Marshal knows he has a mystery on his hands. The marshal knows he will have to wait and he patient. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
June 14, 2021
The way to protect them is to let them go "
I rate books by ... was I satisfied, was it worth my time. This one.. yes.The story is strong, going beyond the typical "cops vs villian". Settings and circumstances believable. Interesting side of law enforcement, seldom seen, what happens after the trial.
Recommend to those that like goals to be identified, worked and accomplished. But the who, what, where and how provide the story.
I rate books by ... was I satisfied, was it worth my time. This one.. yes.The story is strong, going beyond the typical "cops vs villian". Settings and circumstances believable. Interesting side of law enforcement, seldom seen, what happens after the trial.
Recommend to those that like goals to be identified, worked and accomplished. But the who, what, where and how provide the story.
January 22, 2024
The narrator, J. Rodney Turner, gets ten stars. Wow! The book is quite edge-of-seat, but Mr. Turner's narration was such that I was able to listen to more than I normally would've in meanness and nastiness... Good story, but man alive that narrator was excellent. I bought this book from Chirp, and am sad to see my library doesn't have a single book narrated by Mr. Turner. Unless I didn't look correctly.
June 24, 2019
Excellent Third Book
John Stonehouse is a master writing a story about a Texas Ranger, a criminal investigator, who becomes a witness protector for a FBI case. Right person in the wrong place that survives a breathless story. Great read.
Keep writing books using this main character.
John Stonehouse is a master writing a story about a Texas Ranger, a criminal investigator, who becomes a witness protector for a FBI case. Right person in the wrong place that survives a breathless story. Great read.
Keep writing books using this main character.
May 5, 2021
Train wreck - last minute call to protect a woman.
Whicher is called to assist when a train carrying a Marshal who is transporting a FBI witness when the train hits a car causing the train to stop. Marshal goes missing the witness desides to try to run, and that's just the first few chapters. One of those books you dont want to put down.
Whicher is called to assist when a train carrying a Marshal who is transporting a FBI witness when the train hits a car causing the train to stop. Marshal goes missing the witness desides to try to run, and that's just the first few chapters. One of those books you dont want to put down.
December 2, 2025
Very solid. I think it was the best of the series so far. It was a very straightforward story that was basically linear in how it rolled out. I really enjoyed the story but wished the ending was a little different for some of the characters, but I think it was really good overall. Fantastic narration on the audiobook! I will read the next in the series.
August 2, 2019
Excellent
Loved the story, characters and writing in general. Fast paced, interesting, great action and fantastic dialog and interaction between the charactetrs. Highly recommend this book.
Loved the story, characters and writing in general. Fast paced, interesting, great action and fantastic dialog and interaction between the charactetrs. Highly recommend this book.
August 16, 2020
Fast, everything happens fast
This is my 3rd John Stonehouse, Whicher series book. To me every book gets me more hooked in to the Marshall Whicher character. When I review a book as a good read, I always mean it.
This is my 3rd John Stonehouse, Whicher series book. To me every book gets me more hooked in to the Marshall Whicher character. When I review a book as a good read, I always mean it.
October 27, 2020
I'll give it a four this guy has a very different way of writing - I thought some of the important part of the story were left out - it was a fast read. I did not like the ending - maybe he will continue with the storyline - I'm not sure if I'll be checking out his previous books
May 11, 2021
It is an interesting plot: the US marshal leads a witness under the witness protection program to the trial in the middle of a major snow storm across the US central states. What is odd is the fact the main character acts like a robot and has the personality and charisma of a wet rag.
February 16, 2022
The suspense almost killed me!
This story was a rollercoaster. It was fast moving and I was all in before the first chapter was done. The protagonist isn't perfect and that adds to the believability of the story. If you're wondering, it does snow like that in the Rocky Mountains!
This story was a rollercoaster. It was fast moving and I was all in before the first chapter was done. The protagonist isn't perfect and that adds to the believability of the story. If you're wondering, it does snow like that in the Rocky Mountains!
April 19, 2022
Very interesting all the way through
Like his other books in the Whicher series i could not put it down. I learn quite alot
with each book. Nice use of the locales , different in each book.
Read them. You will enjoy them.
Like his other books in the Whicher series i could not put it down. I learn quite alot
with each book. Nice use of the locales , different in each book.
Read them. You will enjoy them.
September 30, 2022
Another chase / detective story
I was expecting more plot, more detective inquiry details. That is just a chase with no too many details on the background story. Most of the characters story are superficial so reading about a chase in the snow was rather boring in the end.
I was expecting more plot, more detective inquiry details. That is just a chase with no too many details on the background story. Most of the characters story are superficial so reading about a chase in the snow was rather boring in the end.
March 31, 2023
Outstanding!!!
I learned a lot about the witness protection program that I didn't know. Mr. Stonehouse is very good at ending chapters, making the reader curious as to what's getting ready to happen in the next chapter. One may find out 2-3 chapters later.
I learned a lot about the witness protection program that I didn't know. Mr. Stonehouse is very good at ending chapters, making the reader curious as to what's getting ready to happen in the next chapter. One may find out 2-3 chapters later.
November 21, 2023
suspenseful
The suspense and surprise of the different law agencies - coupled with the weather and sinister workings of the organized crime network. Makes for great characters and plots. A great read read!
The suspense and surprise of the different law agencies - coupled with the weather and sinister workings of the organized crime network. Makes for great characters and plots. A great read read!
April 23, 2024
good stuff.
I love that there is a lot of dialogue rather than description of the scenes. I can pretty much tell if I am going to like a novel by fanning the pages and this passed the test..
I love that there is a lot of dialogue rather than description of the scenes. I can pretty much tell if I am going to like a novel by fanning the pages and this passed the test..
October 30, 2024
I wanted to like it more
Characters were not developed... Maybe I was expecting much?
Perhaps books should be read chronologically? This was my first
(and probably my last,all things considered).
Characters were not developed... Maybe I was expecting much?
Perhaps books should be read chronologically? This was my first
(and probably my last,all things considered).
April 14, 2018
Great book. Only put this book down to eat and sleep. Stan Simpson
May 7, 2018
Another great Marshall Wicher story. Fun, enjoyable and spellbinding. The only thing wrong with this book is that it is NOT set in Texas. I look forward to reading more exploits of my favorite lawman.
May 25, 2018
This is my 3rd Stonehouse book to read and I was captivated all the way through. These are tough characters, believable crime drama and the settings are wonderful. I am a fan.
January 18, 2019
Good
I thought it was good, but nothing outstanding. Actually it started to get a little boring. His other one was better. I'll read more his.
I thought it was good, but nothing outstanding. Actually it started to get a little boring. His other one was better. I'll read more his.
March 31, 2019
Gripping
Well written and difficult to put down. Excellent characterisation and plot. Cannot wait for the next book in the Whicher series.
Well written and difficult to put down. Excellent characterisation and plot. Cannot wait for the next book in the Whicher series.
May 10, 2019
Excellent!
Love this series, so sorry to reach the last page. Whicher's character has such depth, that you want to meet him. Action, suspense, it has it all!
Love this series, so sorry to reach the last page. Whicher's character has such depth, that you want to meet him. Action, suspense, it has it all!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews