Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
William Johnstone's bestselling The Last Gunfighter novels have become a new classic in frontier adventure. Now, Frank Morgan, the last of a dying breed, sets off from the Pacific Northwest for Alaska--and into a raging blizzard of violence and death.A Hail Of Lead. . ..It was a favor to a dead Frank Morgan is shepherding a group of mail-order brides to a brawling Alaska boomtown called Skagway. A bushwhacking, a storm-racked sea voyage, and an anything-but-friendly reception isn't enough to stop Morgan and his blushing brides. But a beautiful woman has a lucrative plot on her mind--in the wild, wild north where men are mad with greed and loneliness. Now the last gunfighter will need skills he didn't know he had--plus a few he knows he does. Because this Alaska winter has turned into a death trap. And only the brave, the fierce and the lucky will be alive to see the winter thaw. . .

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

73 people are currently reading
142 people want to read

About the author

William W. Johnstone

1,040 books1,392 followers
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.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
226 (56%)
4 stars
114 (28%)
3 stars
49 (12%)
2 stars
7 (1%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
2,490 reviews47 followers
May 27, 2010
Frank Morgan was just honoring the dying wish of an old friend, killed in a shootout with three brothers, when he agreed to finish his mission.

He didn't know what for he'd volunteered until he learned it was to accompany twelve mail-order brides, first on ship to Skagway, Alaska, then on into Canada, the town of white horse, where miners were waiting for brides.

An ambush follows and an early storm causes the ship to pile up on rocks, sinking. Of the seventy people aboard, only twenty survived. Two of the brides drowned and most of the crew and passengers.

On foot they start toward Skagway. A band of outlaws attack them. When they get to Skagway, Soapy Smith controls the town and wants the women to populate a whore house. Several battles later they are on their way to Whitehorse, only to be attacked by Smith's men once more.

And one final battle awaits Morgan in Whitehorse.
623 reviews
October 23, 2017
A spellbinder, from beginning to end. Frank Morgan is known around the west as a gunfighter but in this story he is a pushover for those in trouble and a real superman when it comes to defending them. I love that the story takes place from Seattle to Alaska and there is lots of action. A great read.
862 reviews2 followers
June 15, 2017
Wonderful Story!

Another great book by William Johnstone! I have not read one of his books that was not a masterpiece of the western life.
486 reviews
March 15, 2021
A fun read. I enjoyed the characters he put in the story. Fun.
Profile Image for Malum.
2,841 reviews168 followers
January 10, 2023
Frank faces of against scumbags and the wrath of nature. This one felt very old school adventure novel and it was better for it.
12 reviews1 follower
July 4, 2024
Jim

The 23 books in this series were the best Western series I have come across..thanks so much for the entertainment and the ability to take me to another time...Jim
Profile Image for Yankey.
170 reviews7 followers
December 28, 2012
Boy I love a Western. There are No more originals like Zane Gray, Louis L'Amour or Max Brand but William W. Johnstone follows the original formula quite well. I've piled another half dozen of his offerings into my To-Read list.
46 reviews
September 21, 2015
This is my favourite 'Last Gunfighter' book I've read so far. Frank Morgan is a true friend and he nearly pays the price for it. The story has a very unique twist to it and it's very exciting. I really enjoyed it.
213 reviews1 follower
May 8, 2013
This was a pretty easy, fun read. Frank felt like a combination James Bond, Indiana Jones and MacGuyver, with a 19th century twist. This isn't normally my type of book, but it was entertaining.
Profile Image for Dean Smith.
49 reviews4 followers
January 13, 2014
One of the best westerns I have read in a long time. Actually one of the best books I have read in a long time.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.