Devil's Gulch (A Devil's Gulch Western)

John Holt is a brand new character created by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone. Devil's Gulch is the first book and he will probably stay there a while. He is the new sheriff in town and has a contract for two years. This one was a good western with some new twists and it was entertaining to read. I must thamk Kensington Books Pinnacle and Netgalley for letting me read it.

As an inveterate reader of William Johnstone westerns, I can tell you without a doubt, Devils Gulch (Pinnacle 2023) is one of his best of late. Don't get me wrong. I think all Johnstone's Westerns are good-to-great, but this one topped the list as a good ol' western story and procedural on how to walk into a broken town and fix it. John Holt is a traveling gunslinger hired by people to straighten out problems and towns to bring the law back. He is one of the more interesting old west lawmen I’ve met lately. He’s plain speaking with not a wit of interest in softening words that might anger someone else. He doesn’t care what people think of him and trusts his instincts to get the job done. Devil's Gulch wouldn't have anything to do with John Holt, with the reputation that dogs him wherever he goes, except they're desperate. Holt may not do a pretty job of straightening out their town, but he'll do what he's hired to do. Highly recommended for those who like justice delivered, problems solved, and right winning out.

For me, reading about John Holt in "Devil's Gulch" was good; he seems to be an itinerant gun for hire -- especially focused here on being a marshal in a town where there is a need for something approaching law and order. Devil's Gulch, Colorado Territory is such a place. They have a vigilante committee but the committee seems to be looking out after its self not the town's people. The so called vigilance committee is controlled and run by Joe Mullen. He and the mayor have had some issues and the mayor decides that he needs to make sure people know who actually controls Devil's Gulch. There are some interesting interactions as Holt and Mullen both are playing at being the alpha dog. Often this interaction erupts into violence or nearly so, There are some times when the circuit judge gets involved...but the key point is with Mullen and Holt. Wondering which one comes out on top, who gets hurt or killed, how the houses of the night fare, what about the law-abiding citizens? You'll need to read this novel. It is my first encounter with John Holt in the Johnstone barn but I certainly wouldn't mind reading more stories featuring him.

There is no such thing as a bad Johnstone western. Each series is built around main characters whose belief in the law and family is absolute, even if they've had to be reformed to get there. From Preacher, the original mountain man to the Jensen family to Perly Gates, to.....well, you get the point. Many times, characters from one series will show up in another as supporting hands. The communities are true to the era, clothing, guns, food and troubles are all what you'd find if you looked them up in the history books. No two stories are the same, each character or set of characters is unique and so are their stories. The writing is skillful, readers are pulled into the story and you will laugh and cry right along with the characters. I made the mistake of picking up a Johnstone western my uncle was reading. Ive been hooked ever since. Now I share them with my reading family and will continue as long as new Johnstones are released. As the communities spread closer to teh west coast, crime finds its way into Devil's Gulch, Colorado. This Johnstone hero will work inside and outside his sheriff's badge to clean up the town. An excellent tale of life in another excellent Johnstone western.