Johnny Colt

Blood on the Wire

Johnny Colt #1

by

James Reasoner 

The open range is dying, strangled by fences, greed, and men willing to slaughter homesteaders for what was never theirs. Johnny Colt rides into the middle of that bloody battleground carrying a reputation he didn’t ask for—and a gun he knows how to use. He’s fast, deadly, and determined to live by his own rules, but fate has other plans for him.

When rustlers, hired guns, and merciless land barons take over land and cattle, Johnny finds himself pulled into a brutal struggle as sharp as the barbed wire cutting across the plains. Every fence post hammered into the ground leaves another body in the dust. And the powers behind it believe killing and intimidation will clear the way for their empire.

Problem is, they’ve underestimated Johnny Colt.

As the killing escalates and alliances fracture, Colt is forced to choose between riding away clean or standing his ground against enemies who won’t stop until the range is flowing with the blood of innocents. With towns caught in the crossfire and lives at stake, Johnny discovers that survival in the new West demands more than speed—it demands an immunity to fear and terror. And Johnny Colt can deliver both to his enemies.

Hard-hitting, fast-paced, and steeped in classic Western grit, Blood on the Wire launches a hard-driving series about a man forged by violence and driven by his own unrelenting code of honor.

The story opens with Johnny Colt and his friends riding out to cut the wire Vince Atkinson’s Flying A hands have strung across open range. Instead of a simple night job, they ride straight into an ambush. Gun‑thunder rips the dark wide open, Johnny is wounded, and suddenly he’s running for his life.

Just when it seems he’s finished, salvation comes out of the shadows in the form of his uncle—Captain Esau Parker, known to his men as Captain Brimstone for the fire and brimstone he can sling from a Bible. Before Johnny can catch his breath, he’s sworn in as a Texas Ranger and sent straight back into the rattler’s nest. His mission: learn who murdered his friends and, if the trail leads that way, haul Verne Atkinson in to face the law.

What Johnny doesn’t expect is Atkinson’s sharp‑tempered daughter, or the foreman, Blake Trask, a man with secrets of his own.

Something’s rotten on the Flying A, and Johnny Colt will need every ounce of grit and gun‑sense he’s got if he aims to stay alive.

James Reasoner delivers a terrific opening chapter to the Johnny Colt series. It has the flavor of the classic westerns of the ’50s and ’60s—very much in the spirit of Bradford Scott’s Walt Slade—backed by a strong cast of characters.

I enjoyed every page, and by the end I was already eager for the next installment. Hopefully it’s the first of many. The story is action‑packed, fast‑moving, and Reasoner’s prose goes down easy—like slipping into a well‑worn shirt and settling in by a warm fire.

Left me wanting more. 5/5.

The Hangman

 The Hangman

by

Brent Towns

My trembling finger poked the sepia photograph. It was either the grog or the frigid Bourke night air causing the tremor. 

‘That’s me and him. November ten, eighteen eighty. The governor wanted a picture of us together the day before he hanged. Strange, isn’t it? A criminal hanging another criminal.’

The young woman beside me leaned in, the orange light from the flickering fire illuminating the picture enough for her to see. ‘Are you sure? It doesn’t look much like him.’

‘That’s him. His beard was longer, and his hair was all prettied up, but that is him.’

‘And you were the one who hung him?’

‘I hung men, flogged more. Ghastly.’ It was something you never forgot. I grabbed my bottle of whiskey. ‘You want a drink to warm your bones?’

‘Sure.’

I passed her the bottle after popping the cork. I staggered to my feet. 

‘Where are you going?’

‘Not far, Lassie.’

I disappeared into the darkness, leaving her alone. When I returned, I took my place beside her.

She held up the photograph. ‘Tell me more.’

‘He was a scoundrel and a murderer, Lass. That’s all you need to know. He got what was coming to him.’

‘Many saw him as a hero,’ the young woman suggested, raising an eyebrow.

My head tilted to one side. ‘Did you, Lass? Did you see that black-hearted Ned Kelly as a hero?’

‘I—’

I snatched the whiskey from her hand and took a long pull. Its bitter burn chased the cold away. Holding the bottle out, I offered her more. She shook her head. ‘No, I’ve had enough. I must leave tomorrow.’

As the liquor made its way down my gullet, the tremor in my hand began to subside. She passed the photograph back to me and I held it up. The image blurred. Blinking my eyes, it came back into focus. 

‘Tell me more,’ she requested once again.

I shook my head. ‘No. No more. I’ve told you all I’m willing.’

‘But the picture…’

A sudden urge came over me and I threw it into the fire. ‘Damn the picture.’

‘No,’ she gasped and leaned forward, plucking it from the greedy flames. She patted the burning tongues out and held it close to her chest like it was a prized possession.

Staring at her, I asked, ‘Who are you, Lass?’

‘My name is Kate.’

My laugh was dry. ‘He had a sister named Kate.’

‘So, I heard,’ she replied. Getting to her feet she said, ‘Goodbye, Elijah.’

Her words had a finality about them.

She faded beyond the firelight like an apparition, the photograph gone with her.

I turned in. I was tired and the burning in my guts was growing as the poison-laced whiskey started to bite. 

Hard time

 Hard Time

by

Logan Ryles

Mason Sharpe #13

Everyone wants him caught. Someone wants him dead.

On the frozen backroads of upstate New York, Army veteran Mason Sharpe picks up a hitchhiker stranded in the cold.

Minutes later, a sheriff’s deputy pulls them over. Three gunshots ring out, the deputy collapses into the snow, and the hitchhiker disappears into the woods.

Joining local cops on the manhunt, Mason learns the truth: the hitchhiker is Shane Hagan, an escaped federal inmate and fellow special forces veteran.

But when a second encounter erupts into a gunfight in the winter forest, Mason sees what the cops are missing - someone wants Hagan silenced.

Caught in the middle of a deadly web, Mason must choose—trust the system that convicted Hagan or believe a fellow veteran’s desperate story and help him save his family. Make the wrong call, and Mason could end up in prison.

But some bonds are worth any risk. And Mason Sharpe has never been afraid of Hard Time.

Another high‑octane thriller from Logan Ryles, with Mason Sharpe once again stumbling into trouble he never asked for. After picking up a hitchhiker in a freezing Upstate New York, Sharpe is pulled over moments later—and everything erupts. Gunfire shatters the quiet, and the hitchhiker vanishes into the snow.

Sharpe can feel the wrongness in his bones. Why would a fugitive break out of prison after just thirteen months? And when he had a clear chance to kill, why didn’t he take it? The deeper Sharpe digs, the clearer it becomes that nothing about this situation is what it seems—and he’s right in the middle of it.

A taut, action‑packed read from start to finish. The writing is sharp, (sorry) the mystery compelling, and Mason Sharpe continues to shine as a rugged, engaging hero. Ryles proves once again that he knows exactly how to keep readers hooked.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

 

Ray Hogan

 The Outside Gun

by

Ray Hogan

(An Ace Double)

Dan Wade left Big Bill Krask's Double K Ranch because there was little chance for advancement when everything Big Bill did was to benefit his son and heir, Little Bill. Then a letter comes to Wade in Abilene from Marshal William Krask, asking him to come back and help out. Wade returns to find that much has changed: The marshal is not Big Bill, but his son Little Bill. And the great enemy to law and order is Big Bill and his gang of hardcases.

Dan Wade returns to Burnt Springs after receiving a call for help—but not from the man he expected. Instead, it’s Big Bill Krask’s son, Little Bill, who’s reached out. Newly married and now wearing the town marshal’s badge, Little Bill has derailed his father’s plans for him to take over the family ranch. In response, Big Bill hires a crew of hardcases and sets out to make his son’s life miserable. But the hired guns have their own agenda, and none of it bodes well.

Ray Hogan delivers another engaging Western. It’s shorter than many of his novels, but he still manages to pack plenty into the story. It’s not his strongest work, if I’m being honest, but it’s well written and keeps the pages turning.

Dan Wade makes for a solid protagonist, caught squarely between a feuding father and son—though the real villains are the men Big Bill brings in.

Entertaining overall, even if not Hogan’s best. A solid 4/5.

Trailsman #89

 Target Conestoga

Trailsman #89

by

Jon Sharpe

(Jon Messman)

Skye Fargo figured the best thing to do for the wagon train of greenhorns was to stop it in its damnfool tracks. If the marauding Cheyenne didn't get them, white raiders would. Add to that the fact that the U.S. cavalry was spurring them on to their doom instead of riding to their rescue, and you had a covey of Conestogas on a one-way trip to hell. To make things worse, the wagon train was led by a hot-headed female too smart for her own good and twice as stubborn. No way could the Trailsman turn her around, and the one way to save her people was with every bullet in his belt...

This adventure sends Skye Fargo out to guide what appears to be a routine wagon train—only for him to discover it’s actually a decoy on two different fronts. The cavalry are using the settlers as bait to lure out the rampaging Cheyenne and break their resistance. At the same time, the expedition’s organizer has his own agenda: he wants the wagon train to draw attention away from a separate wagon loaded with stolen treasury bonds he plans to smuggle into Canada.

Adding to the fun, these pages also feature Jon Sharpe’s other western hero, Canyon O’Grady, and the two protagonists team up to take on the forces of evil. The story is well written, with plenty of action to keep the pages turning right through to the end.

As for the trademark erotic scenes found in the entries, they’re present here but noticeably less explicit than in later volumes—perhaps a sign of how the series evolved over time.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to choosing my next installment.

First Mountain Man

 Brutal Night of the Mountain Man

First Mountain Man #44

by

William W. Johnstone

&

J.A. Johnstone

Kate Coldane has sweated blood for this saloon, and she won't let it go down without a fight. Silas Atwood may be the richest rancher in Hudspeth County, but that doesn't give him the right to push her around. When Atwood sends one of his goons to cause trouble at her watering hole, Kate's son, Rusty, guns him down. It may have been self-defense, but Atwood is the law, and that means Rusty has to run.

The law's got nothing on justice

Rusty flees to the home of his uncle, Pearlie, who straps on his six-gun, intending to return to Hudspeth County and clear his nephew's name. But Smoke Jensen, the mountain man, won't let his friend ride into certain death. With a handful of brave souls, Smoke storms the town, ready to wage war against more than two dozen of Atwood's blood-hungry killers. Drunk with power and afraid of no man, Silas Atwood believes Smoke Jensen can be stopped with brute force alone.

Problem is, Silas Atwood doesn't know Smoke Jensen.

Smoke Jensen returns in fine form, delivering another fast‑paced, bullet‑riddled adventure.

When Pearlie’s nephew is framed for murder and sentenced to hang, he breaks free—only for his mother to be jailed in his place. If he doesn’t turn himself in, she’ll face the noose.

Word of the injustice reaches the Sugarloaf, and it isn’t just Pearlie who rides out. Smoke, Sally, and Cal saddle up as well, ready to take on Silas Atwood and the hardcases backing him.

The story follows the classic Smoke Jensen rhythm: one showdown leads to another, and when the villain runs out of hired guns, he simply brings in more. It’s familiar territory, but it’s exactly what fans come for and it makes for an entertaining, satisfying read.

The writing keeps the pace tight and the tension steady. As the plot unfolded, I found myself wondering when the townsfolk would finally find their backbone. All they needed was someone to show them the way and eventually, they do.

An enjoyable entry in the series, even if not the strongest I’ve read. Solid entertainment. 4/5

Rio Bravo

 Rio Bravo

by

Gordon D. Shirreffs

eBook and Paperback available here

They sent Sergeant Gorse back - lashed aboard his own mount.

They bay carried him - upright and staring - across the parched, hostile wasteland to the very gates of Fort Bellew.

He had six arrows in his back. They had slit him open from neck to thigh, filled him with a stinking, unspeakable mess, and sewed him back together with gut.

This was the savage challenge of Asesino, warrior chief of the Chiricahuas.

Before the sun rose again the gates of Fort Bellew would swing open and its men would ride out after Asesino - down the trail that led to glory - or death!

Lieutenant Niles Ord has more trouble than he can handle. His new commanding officer at Fort Bellew is a tyrant, the man’s wife is a problem of her own, the father of the woman he loves stands in his way, and now Ord finds himself accused of murdering the fort’s former commander.

And that’s only the beginning.

A patrol is wiped out by the Apache warrior Asesino, two women are kidnapped, and the cavalry is lured into a deadly trap beyond the safety of the fort. Pressure mounts from every direction, pushing Ord to the breaking point—so much so that desertion starts to look like his only escape.

Shirreffs delivers another lean, hard‑hitting tale packed with action and memorable characters. Ord makes a compelling protagonist, and the multiple antagonists circling him keep the tension high from start to finish. There’s no wasted space here—just sharp storytelling and relentless momentum.

To see how it all unfolds, you’ll need to grab a copy yourself. A solid 5/5.

The copy I read was from Five Star Paperbacks