The Frontiersman #3

 The Darkest Winter

By

William W Johnstone

&

J.A. Johnstone

Exiled from the Smoky Mountains for gunning down a man in self-defense, Breck Wallace tries to make a new home in St. Louis, even tries his hand at romance, but some men are too wild to settle down. Breck is soon back on the trail, where a vicious gang of trappers, after his goods, picks up his scent and begins to dog his every step, until Breck’s only choice is to bed down for the winter with a tribe of friendly Indians. In the frigid, brutal cold of a Rocky Mountain winter, he hopes to find peace…but death is not done with Breck Wallace. When the trappers ambush the Indians and leave Breck for dead, the frontiersman must ride deeper into the mountains than he has ever gone before. Peace be damned. The blood will flow until vengeance is his alone…

Breck Wallace and his trusted trapping partner Morgan set out from St. Louis once again, bound for the unforgiving wilderness of the Rocky Mountains. But their journey nearly ends before it begins—someone wants Breck dead.

Deep in the wilds, they stumble upon Carnahan and his crew of trappers, saving them from a brutal Indian attack. Gratitude is short-lived, though. By dawn, one of Carnahan’s men—driven by spite—accuses Breck and Morgan of theft, igniting tensions that threaten to boil over.

And that’s just the start. What follows is a relentless gauntlet: a punishing winter, a vengeful adversary, and a descent into bloody conflict. This season in the Rockies may be Wallace’s most harrowing yet.

This is the second Frontiersman novel I’ve read, and apparently I’m tackling the series in reverse. No matter—the writing is sharp, the action gripping, and the suspense constant. The author’s depiction of the early 1800s frontier is bold and evocative, with broad strokes that bring the landscape to life without bogging it down in detail.

I’ve long been a fan of the Preacher Mountain Man books, but the Frontiersman series holds its own. This installment was a thrilling ride from start to finish—an easy 5-star read.