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Will Tanner #6
Pray for Death
Johnstone Country. Outlaws Need Not Apply. U.S. Marshal Will Tanner is a man of the law, not a gun for hire. Except when a friend’s in danger and needs the Tanner brand of help that comes out the barrel of a gun. PRAY FOR DEATH There’s serious trouble brewing in the Choctaw nation, and it goes by the name of Tiny McCoy. This small-time cattle rustler is expanding his brand by brewing batches of whiskey in the Chocktaw territory of Muddy Boggy Creek. Tiny and his partner have also turned the illegal brewery into a robber’s roost for outlaws, cutthroats, and killers of every bent. Local lawman Jim Little Eagle is under attack and out-gunned. But when he sends a wire to Fort Smith asking for backup—and the U.S. Deputy Marshal Tanner shows up, Little Eagle knows they’re in for one hell of a bloodbath. If anyone can drive those murdering devils to their knees and saying their prayers, it’s Will Tanner. Live Free. Read Hard. www.williamjohnstone.net Visit us at www.kensingtonbooks.com
- GenresWesterns
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2020
235 people are currently reading
78 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,040 books1,390 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 - 24 of 24 reviews
March 31, 2020
What a great change of pace this American Western novel was. Just plain good vs. bad with no shades of gray to keep the U. S. Deputy Marshall from doing his job. Back years ago I read every western novel I could find by a different famous American author and enjoyed going back to times when decisions seemed to be so much easier to make. Now, with isolation required to help slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus, the availability of this novel depicting different times and places seemed like an opportunity too good to pass up. Sure enough this book went down a treat!
U. S. Deputy Marshall Will Tanner is a man who does the hard work of bringing lawbreakers to justice in the Oklahoma territory. If Tanner has you in custody and he tells you he's going to shoot you if you try to escape, believe him because he will flat out do it. I don't remember ever having read a novel written by William W. Johnstone so had no idea of what to expect. The story is all dialogue; descriptions are held to a bare minimum and it turns out I was absolutely okay with that. Filled with action practically from the beginning this is the tale of a lawman setting out to capture criminals and transport them back to his base so they could stand trial. Single minded and straight as an arrow Tanner knew what had to be done and he made no apologies about doing it. Wonderful escapist reading that kept me glued to the page. I just never knew what Tanner would do next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Pinnacle for an e-galley of this novel.
U. S. Deputy Marshall Will Tanner is a man who does the hard work of bringing lawbreakers to justice in the Oklahoma territory. If Tanner has you in custody and he tells you he's going to shoot you if you try to escape, believe him because he will flat out do it. I don't remember ever having read a novel written by William W. Johnstone so had no idea of what to expect. The story is all dialogue; descriptions are held to a bare minimum and it turns out I was absolutely okay with that. Filled with action practically from the beginning this is the tale of a lawman setting out to capture criminals and transport them back to his base so they could stand trial. Single minded and straight as an arrow Tanner knew what had to be done and he made no apologies about doing it. Wonderful escapist reading that kept me glued to the page. I just never knew what Tanner would do next!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books, Pinnacle for an e-galley of this novel.
April 25, 2020
In Pray for Death (Pinnacle 2020), Book 6 of the Will Tanner Westerns series, Will Tanner, US Marshall, is supposed to get married on Christmas. He loves his fiancee but planning this wedding is like pulling porcupine quills out of his foot so he jumps at the chance to help an Indian policeman, Jim Little Eagle, with ruffians who are shooting up his Nations-based town. It doesn't take long to stop them--
"There was not enough intelligence between the two drifters to fill a whiskey glass."
...but these two are part of a larger group that are themselves part of a town--Muddy Boggy Creek--created by not far from the Nations with the express purpose of supplying the Indians with liquor and owl hoots with a safe place to stay when pursued by the law. Will realizes he must clean out this town--the source of the problem--or he won't have solved anything. That will take longer but Will is sure he can take care of it before his Big Day (well, pretty sure) and that’s what he sets out to do. Being Will Tanner, he won't quit until he succeeds and he always has clever ways to face problems.
The first sentence of this book sets it firmly in the old west genre I love. Read this:
"Jim Little Eagle reined his paint gelding to a halt on the bank of Muddy Boggy Creek about fifty yards upstream of the log building bearing the crudely lettered sign that identified it as MAMA’S KITCHEN."
This is another in the excellent Johnstone Old West saga. I am so happy it is a series.
"There was not enough intelligence between the two drifters to fill a whiskey glass."
...but these two are part of a larger group that are themselves part of a town--Muddy Boggy Creek--created by not far from the Nations with the express purpose of supplying the Indians with liquor and owl hoots with a safe place to stay when pursued by the law. Will realizes he must clean out this town--the source of the problem--or he won't have solved anything. That will take longer but Will is sure he can take care of it before his Big Day (well, pretty sure) and that’s what he sets out to do. Being Will Tanner, he won't quit until he succeeds and he always has clever ways to face problems.
The first sentence of this book sets it firmly in the old west genre I love. Read this:
"Jim Little Eagle reined his paint gelding to a halt on the bank of Muddy Boggy Creek about fifty yards upstream of the log building bearing the crudely lettered sign that identified it as MAMA’S KITCHEN."
This is another in the excellent Johnstone Old West saga. I am so happy it is a series.
May 21, 2022
4.5
A saloon has opened up in Atoka and Jim Little Eagle requests the help of deputy marshals outta Fort Smith. Will Tanner and Ed Pine are charged with going up there to deal with 3 men who are disturbing the peace. Will is still engaged to Sophie.
Bob Atkins, Raymond Atkins, and Stump are arrested, and Raymond is killed after trying to kill Ed Pine. They hung around Mama’s Kitchen, which was the illegal saloon that opened up, owned by Tiny McGee who’s trying to start his own city for outlaws on the run. Tanner and Pine order him to shut down his illegal saloon. Tiny hires two men, Harley and Tom to kill the deputies. Tom is killed by Will, and Harley is put into a makeshift jail.
Ward Hawkins (Tiny’s business partner) and Bill Todd show up to Mama’s Kitchen. Tiny tells them about the trouble from the deputy’s. Pete Jessup and Ernie show up to town to deliver whiskey, and Will and Jim arrest them. They then burn up the whiskey at Mama’s Kitchen, and later arrest Tiny and Hawkins. All 5 are thrown in the makeshift jail.
Luke Cobbs, friend of Hawkins, and four others show up to the saloon to find it empty. They try to bust out the prisoners but fail. They retreat to Mama’s Kitchen, where Will kills them all. The four hired workers stay there and plan to run an honest business.
The 5 prisoners escape when Ed Pine comes into town and feeds them. Will and Ed get on their trail and follow them up to The Falls, to the cabin where Fletcher Pride was killed. Once there, Tiny and Hawkins escape, the the three others are arrested. Ed takes them back to Fort Smith, and Will goes after the other two.
They head to the Hawkins Ranch in Texas, where Hawkins’ mom is running the show. Tanner tracks them there and is able to get the two and ride out, but she shoots and kills Tiny by mistake. Hawkins’ three younger brothers go after Tanner for going on their property, but only one escapes, the other two being killed. Tanner is shot in the shoulder.
On the way back to Fort Smith, they stop at Atoka to have the doc look him and Hawkins over. Hawkins tries to escape, but Will guns him down. Will realizes he’s missed his wedding, which was supposed to take place on Christmas Day.
When he arrives at Fort Smith, he stops at the Morning Glory where Mammy offers to marry him if Sophie doesn’t take him, and Lucy genuinely concerned for him about his situation. He goes to the Bennett House where Sophie punches him, but is still willing to marry him, but not willing to leave Fort Smith yet
A saloon has opened up in Atoka and Jim Little Eagle requests the help of deputy marshals outta Fort Smith. Will Tanner and Ed Pine are charged with going up there to deal with 3 men who are disturbing the peace. Will is still engaged to Sophie.
Bob Atkins, Raymond Atkins, and Stump are arrested, and Raymond is killed after trying to kill Ed Pine. They hung around Mama’s Kitchen, which was the illegal saloon that opened up, owned by Tiny McGee who’s trying to start his own city for outlaws on the run. Tanner and Pine order him to shut down his illegal saloon. Tiny hires two men, Harley and Tom to kill the deputies. Tom is killed by Will, and Harley is put into a makeshift jail.
Ward Hawkins (Tiny’s business partner) and Bill Todd show up to Mama’s Kitchen. Tiny tells them about the trouble from the deputy’s. Pete Jessup and Ernie show up to town to deliver whiskey, and Will and Jim arrest them. They then burn up the whiskey at Mama’s Kitchen, and later arrest Tiny and Hawkins. All 5 are thrown in the makeshift jail.
Luke Cobbs, friend of Hawkins, and four others show up to the saloon to find it empty. They try to bust out the prisoners but fail. They retreat to Mama’s Kitchen, where Will kills them all. The four hired workers stay there and plan to run an honest business.
The 5 prisoners escape when Ed Pine comes into town and feeds them. Will and Ed get on their trail and follow them up to The Falls, to the cabin where Fletcher Pride was killed. Once there, Tiny and Hawkins escape, the the three others are arrested. Ed takes them back to Fort Smith, and Will goes after the other two.
They head to the Hawkins Ranch in Texas, where Hawkins’ mom is running the show. Tanner tracks them there and is able to get the two and ride out, but she shoots and kills Tiny by mistake. Hawkins’ three younger brothers go after Tanner for going on their property, but only one escapes, the other two being killed. Tanner is shot in the shoulder.
On the way back to Fort Smith, they stop at Atoka to have the doc look him and Hawkins over. Hawkins tries to escape, but Will guns him down. Will realizes he’s missed his wedding, which was supposed to take place on Christmas Day.
When he arrives at Fort Smith, he stops at the Morning Glory where Mammy offers to marry him if Sophie doesn’t take him, and Lucy genuinely concerned for him about his situation. He goes to the Bennett House where Sophie punches him, but is still willing to marry him, but not willing to leave Fort Smith yet
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2020
This was an entertaining Western, to be sure. I didn't read the books in this series that came before it, and I didn't feel that I'd missed out on anything. But it also didn't spark for me either. I hate to say this, but it was...meh. The plot was well-paced, the writing was visual, but for me, the characters felt flat.
So overall...it was okay.
So overall...it was okay.
November 20, 2020
Pray for Death is just a straight up ‘get the bad guys and lock em up’ type book, but at the same time it’s also about the bad guys trying to get away from him and also trying to outsmart him. But sadly as time goes on, Will Tanner always outsmart the criminals as much as he can, even when he’s just trying to make sure everyone is safe.
But I find it kinda funny that he’s about to miss his own wedding, which when I read that made me go ‘ooohhhhhhh’ because he’s been chasing Ward Hawkins and Tiny MceGee, but I hope once I get done with this book that he does, because I really want him to get married. I also do like the fact that he acts like a marshall of the law and giving people the choice.
And the Hawkins gang...I started to give them the side eye because there’s something about them that I don’t like-I mean, Fanny basically shot Tiny McGee in the back of the shoulder because she couldn’t get a clear shot, and she told her boys to chase down the Marshall and string him up, which is really, really bad, though it was funny when Hawkins tried to maneuver him and tried to overpower him, but it doesn’t even work.
Then when they got back into town (he and Hawkins), and they had to see Doc, Hawkins THOUGHT that he could escape one last time, but at the end, it didn’t work as he got stabbed in the neck by Doc’s cook, and then got shot, which was bad on his part because he didn’t expect the cook to stab him in the neck.. But in the end, he got what he deserves, and Will came home, only to get punched in the face by Sophie when he came back, but at least he got married at the end.
I think this one is my least favorite one because yes there was a lot of action in it, and he was trying to get the bad guys and bring them back home. The last couple books of his were about rustlin’ cattle and fighting the bad guys, but this one changed the pace and I love it so, so much. I liked the lingo that I’ve been hearing almost all my life, like likker (liquor), and other words I can’t remember.
But I find it kinda funny that he’s about to miss his own wedding, which when I read that made me go ‘ooohhhhhhh’ because he’s been chasing Ward Hawkins and Tiny MceGee, but I hope once I get done with this book that he does, because I really want him to get married. I also do like the fact that he acts like a marshall of the law and giving people the choice.
And the Hawkins gang...I started to give them the side eye because there’s something about them that I don’t like-I mean, Fanny basically shot Tiny McGee in the back of the shoulder because she couldn’t get a clear shot, and she told her boys to chase down the Marshall and string him up, which is really, really bad, though it was funny when Hawkins tried to maneuver him and tried to overpower him, but it doesn’t even work.
Then when they got back into town (he and Hawkins), and they had to see Doc, Hawkins THOUGHT that he could escape one last time, but at the end, it didn’t work as he got stabbed in the neck by Doc’s cook, and then got shot, which was bad on his part because he didn’t expect the cook to stab him in the neck.. But in the end, he got what he deserves, and Will came home, only to get punched in the face by Sophie when he came back, but at least he got married at the end.
I think this one is my least favorite one because yes there was a lot of action in it, and he was trying to get the bad guys and bring them back home. The last couple books of his were about rustlin’ cattle and fighting the bad guys, but this one changed the pace and I love it so, so much. I liked the lingo that I’ve been hearing almost all my life, like likker (liquor), and other words I can’t remember.
June 13, 2020
The Johnstone name on a book insures an excellent read as you follow the characters through history to see the settling of the west as it happened. These are undoubtedly some of the best western books ever written.
US Marshall Will Tanner is juggling many duties as he chases criminals all over the territories while his future is being planned at home. A friend and fellow lawman requests Tanner's assistance in breaking up a gang that is causing trouble wherever they can. Will's help could be the difference between winning and losing this battle, so off he goes, even though the day of his wedding is drawing close.
Exciting setting for an entertaining story that is not all "shoot em up" but is still an excellent western. Every Johnstone book can be enjoyed as a stand alone. Reading any of the series only enriches your enjoyment of the stories.
US Marshall Will Tanner is juggling many duties as he chases criminals all over the territories while his future is being planned at home. A friend and fellow lawman requests Tanner's assistance in breaking up a gang that is causing trouble wherever they can. Will's help could be the difference between winning and losing this battle, so off he goes, even though the day of his wedding is drawing close.
Exciting setting for an entertaining story that is not all "shoot em up" but is still an excellent western. Every Johnstone book can be enjoyed as a stand alone. Reading any of the series only enriches your enjoyment of the stories.
July 20, 2022
"It was okay." - 2 out of 5 stars.
Very much so on par with book #5, Pray for Death while still decent wild west content... is just on the weaker side than the rest of the series and does not deserve the same rating as the other 3 star books or the best in the series so far coming in as a 4.
Outlaw refuge in the making, a not so hidden in plain sight illegal alcohol business, and more coffee poetry than you can dip your biscuits and bacon in to.
Looking forward to the grande finale (book #7) next to finish off this very fun old west series.
Very much so on par with book #5, Pray for Death while still decent wild west content... is just on the weaker side than the rest of the series and does not deserve the same rating as the other 3 star books or the best in the series so far coming in as a 4.
Outlaw refuge in the making, a not so hidden in plain sight illegal alcohol business, and more coffee poetry than you can dip your biscuits and bacon in to.
Looking forward to the grande finale (book #7) next to finish off this very fun old west series.
August 1, 2022
I love westerns. I haven’t read any of the rest of this series, but may in the future.
It’s hard to believe all the killing that when on in the book, but based on family stories, that’s just the way things where when people carrying out justice had little outside support. It’s easy to get caught up in the good is good and bad is bad, but I certainly am grateful I’m only reading the book and not living it.
Potential spoil. My one issue with the writing was you never really felt that Will was ever in any real danger.
It’s hard to believe all the killing that when on in the book, but based on family stories, that’s just the way things where when people carrying out justice had little outside support. It’s easy to get caught up in the good is good and bad is bad, but I certainly am grateful I’m only reading the book and not living it.
Potential spoil. My one issue with the writing was you never really felt that Will was ever in any real danger.
March 19, 2021
A HAPPY ENDING
The Will Tanner series was great and although the last book was not my favorite, it provided further insights into the character of Will and his strong moral code and dedication to his job. There are lots of arrests and escapes which cause Will to miss his wedding but he finishes his job and returns to find Sophie mad and wanting to still get married as well as accepting his continuing his job as a Marshall.
The Will Tanner series was great and although the last book was not my favorite, it provided further insights into the character of Will and his strong moral code and dedication to his job. There are lots of arrests and escapes which cause Will to miss his wedding but he finishes his job and returns to find Sophie mad and wanting to still get married as well as accepting his continuing his job as a Marshall.
August 11, 2021
Fun, typical outlaw western; chasing bad guys; lots of shootin' and a few people getting killed.
September 2, 2020
I like this character, Will Tanner, U. S. Deputy Marshall. He is off going after the hard bad men of the west. Will he make it back in time to marry Sophia Bennet? Enjoyed the story and the ending.
May 30, 2020
Excellent
Another fine book by this great Author, As always it well written and edited. It is as ever exciting,, interesting and enjoyable .
Another fine book by this great Author, As always it well written and edited. It is as ever exciting,, interesting and enjoyable .
June 8, 2020
Pray for Death
As always a awesome read. I look forward to many more books by the Johnstone’s I so enjoy their 📚. Thank you for another great read.
As always a awesome read. I look forward to many more books by the Johnstone’s I so enjoy their 📚. Thank you for another great read.
June 19, 2020
Great western adventure
As good as it gets western hero adventure. Smartly executed with some historical context.
A good read and will read more from this author
As good as it gets western hero adventure. Smartly executed with some historical context.
A good read and will read more from this author
September 7, 2020
Pray for Death was a perfect addition to the Will Tanner series. I thought it was great and am giving it five stars.
September 12, 2020
Great read,,,,hoping there's a number 7 in the series....
October 20, 2020
I love how many turns it takes. Absolutely phenomenal storytelling.
January 31, 2021
Another in the series of a deputys determination for the law.
November 8, 2021
Will Tanner novel, well written with some tongue-in-cheek humor.
November 27, 2021
It's a good read
I enjoyed reading this book. I think other readers will enjoy it also. I would recommend this book to everyone.
I enjoyed reading this book. I think other readers will enjoy it also. I would recommend this book to everyone.
January 28, 2022
A little far fetched. Will just too good.
March 2, 2022
This was my first non GA audio of Will tanner. It was ok, but in my head the ones GA did were amazing and this was just so so. Funny to have Eric from the Dice Tower reading it though.
February 24, 2024
Fun, entertaining book. Great western story and characters. Would definitely read more in this series
December 2, 2024
Tiny McGee and Ward Hawkins were fun villains as they try to evade capture by the marshal. Another quick and enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews