Sidewinders

Sidewinders #1

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

In frontier literature, the name "Johnstone" means big, hard-hitting Western adventure told at a breakneck pace. Now, the bestselling authors kick off a rollicking, dramatic new series--with the first novel about a pair of not-quite-over-the-hill drifters winding their way across the American west--mostly on the right side of the law. . .but sometimes, if the situation calls for it, on the wrong side. . .

Meet Scratch Morton and Bo Creel, two amiable drifters and old pals. Veterans of cowboying, cattle drives, drunken brawls, and a couple of shoot-outs, Scratch and Bo are mostly honest and don't go looking for trouble--it's usually there when they wake up in the morning.

Now, in remote Arizona Territory, they're caught up in a battle between two stagecoach lines. The owner of one, a beautiful widow, has gotten both Scratch and Bo hot and bothered--each trying to impress her as they fend off the opposing stage line trying to destroy her. But nothing is what it seems in this fight, and two tough sidewinders are riding straight into a trap.

Genres: Westerns, Fiction, Historical Fiction

314 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

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

[Charles van Buren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining without achieving greatness

My first read of one of the Johnstones' books proved to be a decent but not great western. A little confusion over a .36 caliber Remington revolver which has ivory grips until they become mother of pearl then change back into ivory. Then, even though this type of revolver is cap and ball, it withstands a thorough dunking in a creek and fires without reloading. Reminds me of the old western movies in which the heroes wander around and do good deeds as if they were knights errant of legend.

The main characters, Scratch and Bo are somewhat reminiscent of Gene Shelton's Buck and Dobie in HOW THE WEST WAS LOST and UNWANTED DEAD OR ALIVE but without as much humor.

[Diamond Cowboy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johnstone is an awesome author! This book is about two fiddle footed saddle tramps who ride into Arizona and encounter a heap of trouble. They sign on to help a lady and her two boys in a stage coach rout which delivers the mail. Their rival wants to buy them out and when they were refuzed a war breaks out. I won't tell you how it ends but let me suffice it to say the saddle tramps, Boe, and Scratch are mighty fun to read about. I highly recommend this book.

[Malum · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is my first J.A. Johnstone western, and she (or whoever is ghostwriting these, because they obviously care a lot about the Johnstone name plastered all over them) is a worthy successor to her uncle (also, I wish they would stop putting William W. Johnstone's name on all of the books to sell more copies, though. He's been dead for quite a while now, a fact which they kept secret for three years after the fact while they kept churning his books out).

This has just about everything you would want in a pulp western: a bit of mystery, a bit of humor, and lots and lots of action.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of these westerns by William Johnstone are just good, simple fun. They're not terribly complex, but you enjoy them the whole way through. I know it's the trend lately for books to be overly flowery or overly complex - and I'll read those also. However, it's nice to just get caught up in the emotions of the story rather than the details sometimes.

[Barbara Lee Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

DON'T MESS WITH BO OR SCRATCH

Bo and Scratch friends for almost thirty years riding, drifting through the different towns. They are both riding the trail to wherever it leads. They've worked as lawmen, cowboys and they both fought General Santa Ana and his forty thousand strong army at the "ALAMO,"they truly acted more like brothers than good friends.
Bo and Scratch are great characters and the plot will stomp you; But Scratch and Bo will surprise you with their antics and logic. These two are smart, if they lived in this century, we would call them "street smart." ENJOY EVERYONE😉

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the reason that we like the stories of the settling of the west is because they are always about the fights between the good guys and the bad guys, with the good guys winning of course. This is another. Scratch and Bo admit to being footloose. In this story they can't help getting roped into working for a widow lady to help with keeping her stage coach business running. It's a small outfit and one would not think of them as being a target for robbery, but there are several reasons for it in this case..... the main thing is that the good guys win; as usual.

[Marsha R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of westerns, this story hit all the right notes for me. Bo Creel and Scratch Morton are everything I love about the genre—tough, loyal, and just the right mix of grit and humor. Their friendship is one of my favorite parts, showing the kind of bond forged through dust, danger, and doing what's right. The action was fast-paced, the stakes were high, and the characters felt true to the spirit of the Old West. These two are my ideal men of the frontier—rough around the edges but full of heart. I enjoyed every minute of the ride.

[Lynda Raynor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read!

I love this kind of book. Not that I've read many quite like it. The two leads are men I'd like to meet as long as they didn't bring their penchant for trouble with them. I can't think of anything about the book I didn't like. It's well written and a bit of a "I can't stop reading right now, sleep be dammed" kind of story. I read book 2 1st and am glad I read book 1. Looking forward to reading more about these fellows

[John Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great western tale

A interesting tale with so many twists and turns you never can discover what's coming up next. Plenty of fast-paced action and adventure with a surprising ending that completes the tale . Well written and enjoyable reading.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Book.

[sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed

I couldn't put it down. This book had great characters and story. I can't wait to read the next book.

[Ron Collins · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 Stars. Two older tough-as-nails drifters save the stage coach line in spite high odds.

[Kevin Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Men.

I'll have to admit that I was hesitant about this story, but what a really good story it was. These old cowboys are true American heroes.

[Glenn Schach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another worthwhile read.

This author provides reader with characters that you would like to meet if you were living in the old West. Continuous action throughout the book.

[L. Gefrerer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read

A old West story ,a little hokey but it's still a fun read for young and old alike Happy Trails.

[Felicia Mcginty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read !

Good mix of love andadventure.cow boys rescuing damsels in distress make for a story to hold your interest.lots of different guns In play to kenep your attention.

[Ted Cartier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a new series for me by this prolific author. I enjoyed the book but the characters weren't as interesting as the Jensen and Preacher series.

[Derrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoy the banter of Bo and Scratch. Great chemistry between the characters. The story for this one had some twists which I enjoyed as well. Looking forward to the next one.

[JoyceCharbonneau · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love a good Western,

Johnstone is an author to follow. Each of his series are an enjoyable read. Western good ole boys (and Women) in every one!!!

[Harold Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Betrayal at Red Rock!

This book kept you guessing at who was on whose side! Of course you knew the main characters like most Western movies had to survive for 5he next episode.

[Abbigail Janick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

This was an interesting story that keeps you guessing until the very end. Horses, bad guys, hero cowboys and a pretty woman to make it a true western.

[Gary Seavers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Action all the way through. Great story. Would recommend this book to anyone who likes westerns.
Read it now. Good.

[Ken Sayles · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice easy read

The book creates a nice feel for the geography had interesting and well developed characters and a couple of good plot twists

[Graham Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good western if you're in the mood for a western.

[Beverly Kee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story!

These two old men make a awesome story both good and funny! I hope there's a lot more books about them to follow!

[Luckngrace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good Western and appreciated the old coots who serve as main characters in this first in a series. I read it all in one day, so I must have liked it; however, the plot seemed a little weak. Themes like honesty and family are thrown aside too easily for 1800s America. I'd still watch the movie if Eastwood and Sellick played leads.

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

We have Scratch Morton and Bo Creel in the midst of battles, discussions and life out west. They get involved in brawls, gun fights and meeting people they care about. One of the big items in their lives is the good food served by beautiful women that can make life worth living. I had to smile about their conversations and how they met life head-on. Thanks for a great read about the old west.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great new series by a wonderful writer. Have read others of his books which are mostly about the Old west and mountaineering. This takes a new twist to the western genre with characters who are much older than the usual gunfighters written in the dime store novels. A great read over all.

[Yeva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. The dialogue was great. "Owlhoots" were on the loose, and two old cowboys had to save the day.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a hoot!! Great story-telling, enjoyed every inch of the this "twists and turns" plot. Action filled good character development, can't wait to read the next in the series!