Rage of the Mountain Man

The Last Mountain Man #13

by William W. Johnstone

Smoke Jensen is the most powerful man on the Sugarloaf frontier - and he's all that stands between a greedy group of Eastern slickers and their schemes for a criminal empire in the Rockies. When Smoke heads back to Boston with his wife, it gives his enemies the opening they'd been waiting to kill the mountain man and take over the West. But even on the unfamiliar turf of back alleys and teeming docks, Smoke is more than most men can handle...until his wife is kidnapped. Now Smoke is in a fury and in this fight all the way from Boston back to Dodge City and up to Yellowstone, where a brutal showdown with a gang of hired guns awaits...and where, in a blazing hail of bullets and blood, the legend of the big man is about to grow even bigger...

Genres: Westerns, Fiction

288 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

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

[Gregory Macallister]

This book remined me of some of the old westers my grandfather s would make me watch and I acctually like some of them like this book I wasn’t sure how I was going to like it. But, after statring it I found out it wasn’t bad at all and that it was almost like watching one of those movies . I kept reading this book because the farther you got in to the book the more exciting stuff happened like the avalance at the beginning of the book. My favoriet caractoer in this book was Smoke Jensen the mountain man . because he is a big guy that no one normally would mess with.the emotions I got from this book where excitement and anger , as if I was smoke jensen . the character that was my list favorite were the the group of people who wanted the mountain mans range. I think the author wrote this book because there are those people out there that like western type books I mean we have everything else why not this it was a book that told about a way of life that is gone . if you tried to do anything in this book some people would call you crazy and you would end up in jail.the portion of the book that captivated me the most was all the gun fights that’s just one thing Im drawn too. I kinda predicted the ending because most wesntern based stuff ends the same but I tried not too just to keep the end a suprize. I would recommend this book to my grandfathers a few friends that like this type of stuff and maybe my parents if this movie was made into a movie I would have had to have john wayne play the mountain man im not sure about the others but because john wayne is out of the question I would have the guy thst remade one of his movies do it.

[rick incremona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was good and I still love Smoke, but this felt a little all over the place. Smoke's personality wasn't the same in this story as it was in the others. I liked a lot of the side characters. I feel like I can never predict how the Reynolds family will be in these stories. At this point I feel I am rambling but I still really enjoyed this book

[Protectionpaladin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It started a little slow in the beginning, but then rocketed off to a good fun story. I really like this book

[Jeffery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Mountain Man book was definitely written at a higher grade level than the previous ones. Words such as folderol and torpid were used and I enjoy books written at a higher grade level. Also, I noticed the use of the word alacrity used more often in this novel. I enjoyed this as well as the previous books in this series.

[Lmcglynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as compelling as in prior episodes. Maybe too much travel? Colorado, New York, Boston, Dodge City and Yellowstone!? Or could be eastern baddies just not mean enough!
After 5 quick reads I am taking a Smoke break!😄

[Richard Guerrero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoy the 13th book of the smoke Jensen series.

[Joshua Derden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book as usual

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe this is the best of the Smoke Jensen series, so far, and one of the best of the few dozen Johnstone Clan books i've read.

One thing is for sure - This book was not written by William Johnstone.

It was obvious by the early '90s Johnstone was using ghost writers. This entry in the Smoke Jensen series is so far off from most all of the Johnstone Clan books before and after Johnstone's death, that someone else had to have written this. One major detour here is the extensive use of various curse words. This book has as much as any Johnstone book I've read. I believe it's the first in the Smoke Jensen series (I'm reading them in order) that uses even one. Though, the language is peppered throughout.

'Rage' is a extremely well plotted tale of another guy wanting to be a land baron. I first thought I was in for another repetitious story. I found out quickly I was wrong. This tale veers from the land baron to Smoke's 2nd trip in the series to the eastern shore of the US. The writing of Smoke's encounters at various locations in the northeast US are very well done. The settings of each also very well done. This tale travels from west to east to west to more west. Throughout there is plenty of action and a neat travelogue of America in the early 1900s. All reading accurately to me, though I'm sure better experts could point this and that in errors.

Something else pops up and never specifically pointed out - This book takes place later in Smoke's life. One reference I picked up was regarding Oscar Wilde in the past tense. Now, this this could be a writer's mistake, but Wilde died in 1900. There's also mention of the nearly never mentioned Jensen children being all grown up.

The characters are of a wide variety, all written very well. Tricky with so many of such distinct backgrounds. Love the inclusion of Preacher's mountain men pals.

Something included that does reflect William Johnstone is the overt conservative political issues woven throughout the entire book in all sorts of ways.

Bottom line: I recommend this book: 9 of 10 points.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good western series. The story of Smoke Jensen, trained by the last of the mountain men as a boy. If you like men's adventure and westerns then you will enjoy the series. Recommended

[Martha Peebles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, i have never read a book by the Johnstone's i didn't like. as usual Smoke gave them a run for the money. I really like reading these books. Thank you for a great read.