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Down the Dark Streets
From bestselling authors William W. and J.A. Johnstone, comes an all too plausible narrative of how far greed can go, as a shocking wave of mass evictions triggers a national crisis, a media meltdown—and all-out war.
THIS IS NOT THE AMERICA WE LOVE.
From coast to coast, American families are losing their homes. Evicted with little notice and tossed into the streets by predatory bankers, landlords, and real estate developers, these once-proud homeowners have invested their lives in the American Dream—only to see it turn into a nightmare. But one tightknit community is fighting back. They’ve decided to stand their ground, defend their homes, and fight the power—with firepower…
THIS IS WAR.
Enter Joseph Knox, a military veteran whose parents have been targeted in an illegal scheme to turn their quiet but slightly rundown neighborhood into luxury condos. The man behind the project has the backing of greedy investors, sleazy lawyers, and a corrupt police force. But the Knox family has backing, too—a makeshift army of real Americans who refuse to surrender. With some last-minute training from Joe Knox and his brother John—and a small arsenal of weapons—this ragtag team of senior citizens will do whatever it takes to save their homes. Even kill if they have to.
THIS IS NOT THE AMERICA WE LOVE.
From coast to coast, American families are losing their homes. Evicted with little notice and tossed into the streets by predatory bankers, landlords, and real estate developers, these once-proud homeowners have invested their lives in the American Dream—only to see it turn into a nightmare. But one tightknit community is fighting back. They’ve decided to stand their ground, defend their homes, and fight the power—with firepower…
THIS IS WAR.
Enter Joseph Knox, a military veteran whose parents have been targeted in an illegal scheme to turn their quiet but slightly rundown neighborhood into luxury condos. The man behind the project has the backing of greedy investors, sleazy lawyers, and a corrupt police force. But the Knox family has backing, too—a makeshift army of real Americans who refuse to surrender. With some last-minute training from Joe Knox and his brother John—and a small arsenal of weapons—this ragtag team of senior citizens will do whatever it takes to save their homes. Even kill if they have to.
- GenresMysteryMystery Thriller
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published April 26, 2022
24 people are currently reading
2180 people want to read
About the author
William W. Johnstone
1,049 books1,396 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
May 8, 2022
I'm glad that I didn't have anything to do yesterday because once I started this book I couldn't put it down until the end. It's a book about modern day America and is full of twists and turns all the way though as senior citizens in a small community in Virginia fight to keep from being evicted from the homes that they've owned and paid off years ago.
Most of the people in this community are senior citizens in declining health. Joe Knox and his wife Mary have lived in their home over 50 years. Mary has muscular dystrophy and Joe, despite his health problems, is her only caregiver. Their doctor recommends bringing in help and when their neighborhood priest gives them information about a group called We Care who provided home health care workers, Joe finally decides to hire someone to help with his wife and their home. Joe and his friends began to notice that many of the houses in the neighborhood have become empty and when he witnessed one of his neighbors being thrown out of her house by the sheriff because it was in foreclosure, he becomes suspicious because he knows that the house had been paid off years earlier. When Joe gets pneumonia and has to go to the hospital, he's thankful that they had such a wonderful caretaker for his wife. When Joe and Mary's two sons visit, they find a foreclosure notice in their parent's stack of mail. As they begin to investigate they find that there is a conspiracy going on to foreclose on all of the houses in the community and get rid of the elderly residents. What the 'bad guys' don't realize is that the community members may be old but they will fight back with a vengeance to keep their homes.
Thanks to goodreads for a copy of this book to read and review.
Most of the people in this community are senior citizens in declining health. Joe Knox and his wife Mary have lived in their home over 50 years. Mary has muscular dystrophy and Joe, despite his health problems, is her only caregiver. Their doctor recommends bringing in help and when their neighborhood priest gives them information about a group called We Care who provided home health care workers, Joe finally decides to hire someone to help with his wife and their home. Joe and his friends began to notice that many of the houses in the neighborhood have become empty and when he witnessed one of his neighbors being thrown out of her house by the sheriff because it was in foreclosure, he becomes suspicious because he knows that the house had been paid off years earlier. When Joe gets pneumonia and has to go to the hospital, he's thankful that they had such a wonderful caretaker for his wife. When Joe and Mary's two sons visit, they find a foreclosure notice in their parent's stack of mail. As they begin to investigate they find that there is a conspiracy going on to foreclose on all of the houses in the community and get rid of the elderly residents. What the 'bad guys' don't realize is that the community members may be old but they will fight back with a vengeance to keep their homes.
Thanks to goodreads for a copy of this book to read and review.
February 22, 2022
Down the Dark Streets by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone is a great thriller. For those that don't know it some of the best books from these authors aren't the westerns, it's the current stories about the ordinary man who takes up the fight against injustice. That is just what this great book is all about. Someone is evicting old folks from their homes, why? Thankfully there are those that don't take this very well and resists. Well read this amazing story and find out. It is a very thought provoking plot. I am thankful that @kensingtonbooks @netgalley and #Pinnacle gave me this advance copy and @williamw.j.a.johnstone for writing it. #NetGalley #Kensington #DownTheDarkStreets #WilliamWJohnstone #JAJohnstone
April 18, 2022
trigger alert: violence
I had absolutely no idea when I picked this up after winning it on Goodreads what I was in for. I have a number of Kindle books by Johnstone but I admit they wandered down the TBR over time.( Admit it, we've all got the same stories 😊)
After looking at the back cover, the teasers intrigued me. I had no clue I was stepping into a community fighting for it's life. The Knox family is the center of the story, but it's the close knit group of seniors that drive the "bad guys".As a retired minister I am a pacifist but I was gobsmacked how big the onion of this story was and how fast I read it - literally the better part of two days ( the book is 400 pages long).
The storyline? People not sitting back as their world is being torn apart by other greedy people. I was all over the place with emotions but...if I say much more this will become a spoiler review. I will say I have to look for me other Johnstone books now ...
Highly recommended 5/5
I had absolutely no idea when I picked this up after winning it on Goodreads what I was in for. I have a number of Kindle books by Johnstone but I admit they wandered down the TBR over time.( Admit it, we've all got the same stories 😊)
After looking at the back cover, the teasers intrigued me. I had no clue I was stepping into a community fighting for it's life. The Knox family is the center of the story, but it's the close knit group of seniors that drive the "bad guys".As a retired minister I am a pacifist but I was gobsmacked how big the onion of this story was and how fast I read it - literally the better part of two days ( the book is 400 pages long).
The storyline? People not sitting back as their world is being torn apart by other greedy people. I was all over the place with emotions but...if I say much more this will become a spoiler review. I will say I have to look for me other Johnstone books now ...
Highly recommended 5/5
May 8, 2022
This reads as a drama. While marked thriller, nothing overt happens. The first half is engaging. A beautiful love story between an elderly couple. And then the story falls apart.
Illness brings one son home, then the other, both around 50 years old with dialogue of 10 year olds at best. There is a group of people attempting to abuse an elderly neighborhood. I still am stymied as to the genre thriller being attached.
The war that is mentioned is a street fight.
Encouraged by the first half, the latter and subsequent ending were irrevocably disappointing. Narrator Cody Roberts was okay. I suppose one can only be as good as the material given.
Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for accepting my request to read and review Down the Dark Streets.
Illness brings one son home, then the other, both around 50 years old with dialogue of 10 year olds at best. There is a group of people attempting to abuse an elderly neighborhood. I still am stymied as to the genre thriller being attached.
The war that is mentioned is a street fight.
Encouraged by the first half, the latter and subsequent ending were irrevocably disappointing. Narrator Cody Roberts was okay. I suppose one can only be as good as the material given.
Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for accepting my request to read and review Down the Dark Streets.
April 27, 2022
"What kind of animals prey on the elderly?"
This is the question posed by Joe, one of our main characters in this book. In conjunction with his brother, mother and father, and many neighbors, thrilling action makes the reader cheer for the good guys.
Given the scenario in this work, I found that I was making an emotional connection with the protagonists - particularly the more senior characters. Is it too much of a stretch to imagine this same sort of scam happening in cities and towns today?
I am no stranger to William W. Johnstone and his nephew J.A. Johnstone. They are prolific authors who continually produce some of the most enjoyable of today's western reads. The Johnstone bibliography also contains a number of other traditional thriller works like this title.
My thanks go out to Pinnacle and to Goodreads for the ARC.
This is the question posed by Joe, one of our main characters in this book. In conjunction with his brother, mother and father, and many neighbors, thrilling action makes the reader cheer for the good guys.
Given the scenario in this work, I found that I was making an emotional connection with the protagonists - particularly the more senior characters. Is it too much of a stretch to imagine this same sort of scam happening in cities and towns today?
I am no stranger to William W. Johnstone and his nephew J.A. Johnstone. They are prolific authors who continually produce some of the most enjoyable of today's western reads. The Johnstone bibliography also contains a number of other traditional thriller works like this title.
My thanks go out to Pinnacle and to Goodreads for the ARC.
April 17, 2022
I got this book through Goodreads and I’m glad I won it. I have never read from these authors before. When I read the description I was getting Red Dawn vibes. The book was excellent and preys on fears that so many have these days. People working so hard everyday doing the right thing they get to retire and rest and then everything is taken away from you. The characters were believable and probably remind you of someone you know. I read the whole book in less than 24 hours because it flows perfectly and you want to know what happens in the end.
May 9, 2022
This volume from the Johnstone Clan is one of the annual non-westerns that are released. I've found the bulk of the lot to be preposterous nonsense. The format is typically a few people find themselves getting cornered by some over powering outside effort. The last quarter is a wild battle of those attacked.
This entry, attained early through NetGalley, is no different, except, this time, the whole works. The structure of the story aids this above the on-going series of non-westerns. Unlike the bulk before this, this one has a building mystery. The direction is obvious but how all will be revealed is a mystery. Also how the threads might weave all together.
A gold star part of the book is typical for all Johnstone novels: Great characters. This has a larger variety that are better written and defined. Trouble with previous books are very similar characters. This lot is a wide variety of characters that are more original.
The book is strong for the first 3/4ths. The last quarter is the typical outlandish battle.
There are also all kinds of continuity and plot holes. The most irritating is that the problems written reached a level for the F.B.I. to be involved. At least, state police, but all is written as if a limited local force would only be involved.
Nevertheless, the whole was a page turner with satisfying results.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 out of ten points.
This entry, attained early through NetGalley, is no different, except, this time, the whole works. The structure of the story aids this above the on-going series of non-westerns. Unlike the bulk before this, this one has a building mystery. The direction is obvious but how all will be revealed is a mystery. Also how the threads might weave all together.
A gold star part of the book is typical for all Johnstone novels: Great characters. This has a larger variety that are better written and defined. Trouble with previous books are very similar characters. This lot is a wide variety of characters that are more original.
The book is strong for the first 3/4ths. The last quarter is the typical outlandish battle.
There are also all kinds of continuity and plot holes. The most irritating is that the problems written reached a level for the F.B.I. to be involved. At least, state police, but all is written as if a limited local force would only be involved.
Nevertheless, the whole was a page turner with satisfying results.
Bottom line: I recommend this book. 7 out of ten points.
April 21, 2022
Down the Dark Streets by William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone is a gripping listen. I was intrigued by the premise of the book, and know that greed is a huge motivator. The authors wrote vivid descriptions and I could envision many graphic details. Some of the details went too far for me and seemed unrealistic. Cody Roberts did a good job performing this book. He added the right emotions to his voice. I want to thank #NetGalley and #Tantor Audio for allowing me to listen to this pre-release audiobook. I really enjoyed it. Without giving away spoilers, the ending was great!
January 16, 2022
It was really strange to pick out a Johnston novel not populated by cowboys. But fear not, the cowboy values are quite evident in this “good overpowers evil” story of the unscrupulous and greedy trying to take advantage of the weak. Our cowboys coming to the rescue may not be riding in on horses, nevertheless they continue to fight for what’s right. I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and voluntarily provided an honest review.
May 8, 2022
First read from this author and I absolutely love his writing style. I received this book in a giveaway and boy am I glad I did! It started out with a bang and didn't slow down. I really liked the different characters and could picture them in my mind. Very good with just enough detail but not so much so that you get bored. I can't wait to read another one of his books. I won't say more because I hate spoilers.
August 19, 2022
The first 50% of the story is pretty boring, then it finally wakes up and gets interesting, although there are still some really off the wall stupid things that are done.
I’m not sure the author of this story knows much about older people; I live in a 55 plus community where the average age is 80. They are playing tennis, pickleball, go out hiking, dancing, out on their ATVs and Razors. Yes a few are home bodies, but not as many as there are in this book.
I’m not sure the author of this story knows much about older people; I live in a 55 plus community where the average age is 80. They are playing tennis, pickleball, go out hiking, dancing, out on their ATVs and Razors. Yes a few are home bodies, but not as many as there are in this book.
December 20, 2024
The Johnstones write some of the best westerns published and have a loyal following when they decide to branch off into the world of political thrillers. Their communities and the characters who live in them are true to life. No magical superpowers needed when they are protecting their homes and families against those who would see them disappear from the only life they've ever known. Settle in for a great story with a satisfying ending.
August 12, 2025
This was- and still is- the best book I have picked up in my adulthood. Characters so creatively descripted you can almost reach out and touch them. I've cried with this book. The first I've read of these authors, and although westerns aren't my go to- I can honestly confess that I have searched the Johnstone catalog after this read with intention.
May 3, 2022
*I won this book from GoodReads giveaways*
This book just wasn't my cup of tea. It played out as a western in little town America. Just not what I expected it to be. It was simply written and the emotion just wasn't there
This book just wasn't my cup of tea. It played out as a western in little town America. Just not what I expected it to be. It was simply written and the emotion just wasn't there
Read
June 29, 2023Fact: people steal from the elderly.
Fact: there is a lot of greed in this world.
Personal Truth: The newspaper is depressing and I personally don't like anything that could be this realistic. I couldn't finish reading because this is not entertainmet for me.
Fact: there is a lot of greed in this world.
Personal Truth: The newspaper is depressing and I personally don't like anything that could be this realistic. I couldn't finish reading because this is not entertainmet for me.
April 27, 2022
Interesting mystery that keeps the reader highly entertained.
May 28, 2022
Outstanding book amazing storytelling, but I am not a fan of his westerns, I just don’t mosey that way. His action and thrillers are his best work, I think. 6 stars out of 8.4 stars.
June 9, 2022
Slow story start but ended well
This book started slow,boring. But ended well. Not one of his better books. I plan not to rush in buying the next book.
This book started slow,boring. But ended well. Not one of his better books. I plan not to rush in buying the next book.
June 9, 2022
Definitely a timely read in today’s world. The basic plot is about a developer who is trying to bilk seniors out of their generational homes. This book was part thriller and extremely engrossing
Read
June 10, 2022DNF
October 1, 2022
Very good book
April 16, 2023
Meh!
Interesting idea, with a decent ending.
The modern stories are a bit hit and miss. This was kinda sorta meh!
Interesting idea, with a decent ending.
The modern stories are a bit hit and miss. This was kinda sorta meh!
May 19, 2024
Pretty average thriller/action novel. Good change of pace if that is what you are looking for.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews