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Matt Jensen: The Last Mountain Man #2
Deadly Trail
He'd done the old man proud. By leaping into the path of danger, Matt Jensen foiled a train robbery in Colorado, and the governor himself presented him with a public reward. But what started on the rails has stayed on the rails - and taken on a life of its own. Now, a frustrated outlaw and his murderous posse have struck again - this time kidnapping the governor's niece. With the power of the law behind him, Matt Jensen, the last mountain man, is riding toward a town called Braggadocio. That's where Matt will learn how to put a bad man down - and to make sure he stays that way.
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First published September 1, 2007
90 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,055 books1,409 followersWilliam 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.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 15, 2021
A very poor plot, totally overwritten by Johnstone. At just under 200 pages, way too much space taken up by repeated dialogue and prose from the first book.
February 16, 2022
William W Johnstone and his niece JA who acted as his assistant and literary heir have written over 200 westerns of which the Oakville Library stocks over 100. I lost interest after reading one book that was pieced together from bits and pieces from at least three others. Self-plagiarism. Unlike so many westerns these are frequently violent action/adventures that often don’t involve romance.
Matt Jensen is a gunslinger. The problem with being the best is there always being some young buck who wants to prove he is better. The losers have relatives and friends who are often out to seek revenge. Fast draws and duels are the stuff of legend, Hollywood Westerns and popular novels.
Towns such as this where bandits could not be tried and cattle rustlers made ranching in Wyoming unprofitable unless you had a private army.
In this book a sniper is out to get Matt and leaves behind his calling card, a bullet wrapped in paper tied with rawhide with his name on it. Matt is a drifter and whoever is gunning for him cares little who becomes collateral damage.
This is the era of stage coaches and early steam trains. Plus outlaw towns where bandits ran the show.
The copy I’m reading is rather riddled with editing errors.
Matt Jensen is a gunslinger. The problem with being the best is there always being some young buck who wants to prove he is better. The losers have relatives and friends who are often out to seek revenge. Fast draws and duels are the stuff of legend, Hollywood Westerns and popular novels.
Towns such as this where bandits could not be tried and cattle rustlers made ranching in Wyoming unprofitable unless you had a private army.
In this book a sniper is out to get Matt and leaves behind his calling card, a bullet wrapped in paper tied with rawhide with his name on it. Matt is a drifter and whoever is gunning for him cares little who becomes collateral damage.
This is the era of stage coaches and early steam trains. Plus outlaw towns where bandits ran the show.
The copy I’m reading is rather riddled with editing errors.
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August 1, 2019THEY SHOOT SPIRIT
Matt Jenkins going somewhere but no where in particular ends up on a train headed for Denver. Of course, the dumb dumbs decided to rob the train..not a good idea..Matt foiled the robbery and saved the passengers and one of the passengers was the nieve of the Governor of Colorado.
Action Action, kidnapping, ambushes you know the typical life of settlers, pioneers, town folks.
Fast you get to meet the characters and they are your typical psychotic disorders, fueled by rock gut alcohol or sometimes called "rattlesnake poison" all typical accepted life in the west.
Besides it's Matt Jensen and you know those
Jensen Boys, they don't play, you pull a gun on them that'll be your last, next time you'll wake under a "dirt blanket."
Adios Amigos
Matt Jenkins going somewhere but no where in particular ends up on a train headed for Denver. Of course, the dumb dumbs decided to rob the train..not a good idea..Matt foiled the robbery and saved the passengers and one of the passengers was the nieve of the Governor of Colorado.
Action Action, kidnapping, ambushes you know the typical life of settlers, pioneers, town folks.
Fast you get to meet the characters and they are your typical psychotic disorders, fueled by rock gut alcohol or sometimes called "rattlesnake poison" all typical accepted life in the west.
Besides it's Matt Jensen and you know those
Jensen Boys, they don't play, you pull a gun on them that'll be your last, next time you'll wake under a "dirt blanket."
Adios Amigos
March 1, 2021
Started better than the first, it even has a someone fleshed out female character. Not that she had real agency, as none of the characters seemed to. The main character even just seems to happen to be everywhere he needs to be to confront the baddies and progress the plot. But while the action was enjoyable and the set pieces a bit more unique from the norm, the historical anachronisms really stood out to me. The main villain leaves his calling card as a note tied to a .50cal rifle round, and later uses this gun to attack our protagonist from a kilometer away. This weapon wouldn't be available for another half century. I wanted to like this more as I do think westerns need a modern revisit, but this hardly seems it.
May 14, 2021
Once you start following the exploits of Mat Jensen you are hooked. This story follows from the first book in the series and continues to follow Matt as he is off just roaming from town to town and along the way he encounters bad people to engage and arrest or kill. The description of the towns and the saloons with lots of villains who come alive under the pen of William Johnstone. This tale adds a little feminine touch with the introduction of the Colorado Governor's niece. Besides other adventures the abduction of her and the new addition of a love relationship makes this read one of the best stories I have read and look forward to more.
February 12, 2023
Matt has to invade an unknown killer throughout this one. Smoke makes a brief appearance and is able to tell Matt that the killer is from a mostly peaceful India Tribe. Matt befriends a niece of the governor of Colorado while on a train, he stops an armed robbery from happening. From there the fun begins in this one with a dramatic climax.
February 11, 2021
Carding on the legend
A great way to introduce a new Jensen. Good storyline, lots of action with a touch of romance--almost. Perhaps the governor, and his niece, will appear in another tale.
A great way to introduce a new Jensen. Good storyline, lots of action with a touch of romance--almost. Perhaps the governor, and his niece, will appear in another tale.
May 22, 2023
Excellent story. I know it's pulpy and cliche, but I mean what western isn't?! This had everything. A speeding train, a failed robbery, a revenge backstory, a kidnapping, an outlaw town...all I need is Ennio Morricone and it's perfect!
May 25, 2017
Very Good!
I really enjoyed this story because it is good winning over evil. It is a thrill a minute type of tale!
I really enjoyed this story because it is good winning over evil. It is a thrill a minute type of tale!
July 24, 2019
Enjoyed it, starting going to little too far sometimes. Glad on the outcome, going to the next one.
January 14, 2020
It is nice when the hero of a western is constantly saved by women.
September 5, 2020
The Best In The Old West!!!
Once again the greatest western/action writing duo of all time William W. and his nephew J.A. Johnstone deliver the absolute best in western adventure fiction. This the second book in the Matt Jensen/The Last Mountain Man series delivers all of the goods we've come to expect from the greatest western authors of all time.
Once again the greatest western/action writing duo of all time William W. and his nephew J.A. Johnstone deliver the absolute best in western adventure fiction. This the second book in the Matt Jensen/The Last Mountain Man series delivers all of the goods we've come to expect from the greatest western authors of all time.
May 16, 2021
Enjoyed
August 3, 2021
I think I've read a Matt Jensen before and he fits right along with the Smoke Jensen tails. Pretty standard western, so if you enjoy those, you'll enjoy this one.
November 13, 2021
Very exciting story
Hard to put down
Great writing
To the next I go
Hard to put down
Great writing
To the next I go
September 16, 2022
Could’ve been her better book if the author did not recap so many portions of the previous book
December 4, 2022
Good story.
June 12, 2025
Listened to this book on a road trip. It is very well written and keeps you engaged. A fun western novel that is extremely entertaining.
January 31, 2015
This may be the best of all of the Johnstone Clan books I've read. It's a very complex story with various threads that go in all kinds of directions and pulls in elements of the book before it. This was a heck of an accomplishment just to get the book out, but especially in light, for me, of the couple dozen I've read of the Johnstone Clan that never get to this point. This ghostwriter obviously wrote the first book in the series and this one, the second. Wonder if the writer wrote the third?
There is far extra care taken to develop characters. The dialogue of so many is very well handled. the settings are also well literally illustrated. Clearly the writer was well researched involving many subjects. One that especially stands out is a knowledge of trains that places the reader in a train and what happens on it. Outstanding work there.
Both the first in the series and this one also do something else out of the ordinary in a Johnstone Clan book: Include a number of newspaper stories, notes, letters, etc. This really ads to the legitimacy of the story.
One complaint would be the horrible cover. Seems the person in the photograph on the cover is to be the main character, Matt Jensen. But this photo is of a fellow in a costume and coonskin cap that Jensen never wears in the books. There are plenty of illustrators out there that could a dynamite job providing a powerful selling cover. Wish the Johnstone Clan would consider different covers.
Bottom line: i recommend this book. 9/10
There is far extra care taken to develop characters. The dialogue of so many is very well handled. the settings are also well literally illustrated. Clearly the writer was well researched involving many subjects. One that especially stands out is a knowledge of trains that places the reader in a train and what happens on it. Outstanding work there.
Both the first in the series and this one also do something else out of the ordinary in a Johnstone Clan book: Include a number of newspaper stories, notes, letters, etc. This really ads to the legitimacy of the story.
One complaint would be the horrible cover. Seems the person in the photograph on the cover is to be the main character, Matt Jensen. But this photo is of a fellow in a costume and coonskin cap that Jensen never wears in the books. There are plenty of illustrators out there that could a dynamite job providing a powerful selling cover. Wish the Johnstone Clan would consider different covers.
Bottom line: i recommend this book. 9/10
August 13, 2016
This reminds me of the old spaghetti westerns: there are good guys and bad guys. And the good guys always win. Matt Jensen (Good Guy) just roams around aimlessly and shoots bad guys. This time he also repeatedly rescues a particular damsel in distress. There's little character development and plenty of repetition from the prior book. My main gripe is that there's too much violence. And I don't mean gunning a guy down in the street. The outlaws are shallow, dumb and predictable, but they are also have the brutality of a modern psychopath.
April 4, 2016
Matt Jensen, The Last Mountain Man: Deadly Trail
The Matt Jensen book by William W. Johnstone is a very exciting book to read. It is full of action and adventure from the start to last page. If you are a western book fan or of the writer William W. Johnstone than this is the book for you to read.
The Matt Jensen book by William W. Johnstone is a very exciting book to read. It is full of action and adventure from the start to last page. If you are a western book fan or of the writer William W. Johnstone than this is the book for you to read.
April 6, 2016
The Last Mountain Man
Cowboy fans, they don't come any better than this. All of you gun slicks will thoroughly enjoy this book.. the author, William W. Johnstone, has a new fan.. I am headed to the computer now to find another of his works. So, "Giddy Up."
Cowboy fans, they don't come any better than this. All of you gun slicks will thoroughly enjoy this book.. the author, William W. Johnstone, has a new fan.. I am headed to the computer now to find another of his works. So, "Giddy Up."
April 13, 2017
Another winner from the master of the western.
Matt Jensen adopted protégé of legendary Mountain man Smoke Jensen in another rip roaring adventure where he has to rely on his wits and his guns, rescue the damsel in distress.
A well written adventure story for grown up boys.
The Mountain Man series along with The Drifter are the best westerns from this writer followed by the superb McAllister series.
It's a long way from the Fargo and Edge series that I loved as a younger man. The author has updated the genre and brought the magic back.
Matt Jensen adopted protégé of legendary Mountain man Smoke Jensen in another rip roaring adventure where he has to rely on his wits and his guns, rescue the damsel in distress.
A well written adventure story for grown up boys.
The Mountain Man series along with The Drifter are the best westerns from this writer followed by the superb McAllister series.
It's a long way from the Fargo and Edge series that I loved as a younger man. The author has updated the genre and brought the magic back.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews