Johnstone Country. Try Not to Get Killed. In this explosive Hank Fallon thriller, the justice-seeking ex-con goes undercover and behind bars to expose a plot as big, as bold, and as deadly as the American Civil War . . . GET OUT OF JAIL FREE—OR DIE
Doing time in Texas is no picnic. But getting sent to The Walls in Huntsville is a fate worse than hanging. If the guards don’t kill you, the prisoners will. And if it weren’t for the fact that the man who framed Hank Fallon and murdered his family could be inside The Walls, Hank would never step one foot in that heinous helltrap—let alone go undercover as an inmate. But this isn’t just another assignment. This is his chance for revenge . . .
Inside The Walls, Hank quickly discovers who’s boss—as well as judge, jury, and executioner. The only relief from the gang fights and guard beatings is a prison work program that allows inmates to leave The Walls to work for plantation owner J.J. Justice. Hank figures it can’t be any worse than jail. But it is. Seems that Justice is ordering the men to commit robberies and murders. He’s stockpiling weapons. Building an army. And planning to restart the Civil War—all in the name of Justice . . . Live Free. Read Hard.
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.
This was the best of the three Hank Fallon books. Hank is a great main character as a former deputy marshal serving years in jail for a crime he didnt commit. Then starts all of his adventures in finding out who set him up and who killed his wife and kid. The ending of the trilogy was satisfying. I know a fourth book is coming soon and it will be nice to see his adventures continue.
Highly recommended to read all three in order, though this one does fine in filling in the gaps if just read as a stand alone.
For the third time Fallon goes undercover as a prisoner, this time in the Huntsville hellhole known as The Walls. The mission - to stop the planning and execution of a second American Civil War and possibly find those who may be responsible for the murder of his wife and daughter. Full of tense western action from prison yards to graveyards and train robbery to high seas adventure as Hank travels from Huntsville, TX to Louisiana, Mexico and back.
Hank Fallon was tricked by the LAW such as it was. They murderous wife Renee and baby girl Rachel. This distasteful murder scheme was dreamed up by a lawyer who was in love with Hank Fallon 's wife. Evidently this lawyer felt it I can't have her brother would Hank, so it happened and Hank was blamed for their deaths. Horrible what Hank had gone through, ten years at Joliet and in those days there wasn't any "prison reform" the guards and the Wardens of those prison were beyond " mercy " or fair treatment. Those prisons were truly "hell holes." Hank was offered a full pardon, his records sealed if he would go under cover as a prisoner, the prison would be "Huntsville aka The Wall" also the man asking this proposal was the owner of The American Detective Agency of Chicago his name was Sean MacGregor. The job proposal was also posed to Hank, that he might find the other man who killed his family. Hank has been in some of the worse prisons/jails in the country. The conniving lawyer was hoping that Hank would be murdered in one of these prisons. In those days it was nothing getting men/women into prison or asylums, all you need to know is whose palms you had to grease to get what you wanted. This included governors,senators it was called corruption, bribery just plain and folks. I like Hank Fallon he's been through so much, it seemed there was no end to the road, only stops when he went under cover in those prisons. Really rough circumstances surrounded his life past and present..
Give me any book that has the Johnstones as an author and I know I'll have a GREAT reading experience as the character or characters get into and out of trouble while making their own corner safer for everyone. Almost all of the Johnstones books are western and each has a very distinctive character at the core. This is the newest installment of the Hank Fallon series. If you haven't read the prior stories, don't worry, you can catch up after you finish this one. Hank's backstory includes the fact that he used to be a lawman but was sent to prison for something he did not do. His wife and child were killed. This causes Hank to have a hollow/ hard heart when it comes to criminals. Hank has tracked the killer of his family to a prison that is particularly known for it's harsh treatment of the inmates. So what does he do? Yes, he did get himself placed in the prison, seeking revenge. But along the way, Hank will find himself in the unique position of having to choose between vengeance for his family and saving the surrounding community from the plans of a local man who is endangering everyone in the town. Enter our hero to save the day after he gets a few more bruises and scars.
The main character is an undercover detective in Huntsville Texas State Prison trying to ferret out information of an attempt at a second Civil War in the 1890s. Harry has already gone undercover at several other prisons. In this one he faces the nuttiest set of adversaries a man could face. Corrupt prison guards, crazy prisoners, corrupt politicians, and several others along the way. Body count is high, but not necessarily caused by the protagonist. Full of violence, but a decent plot.
The plot of the story could have been a good read, however, JA spent a half dozen chapters meticulously describing fist fights that ultimately ended with a knee to the family jewels contributing very little to the story.
Great change of pace from my normal reading. This is probably only the 2nd Western book I have read since the 1960s. I enjoyed both. This book, Dead Time, is fast paced and very descriptive.