Bøker av Johnny Gunn

WESTERN ACTION, OMINOUS STORMS, AND A FIGHT TO THE DEATH.In the rugged terrain of Eureka County, where the promise of gold lures dreamers and opportunists alike, Chief Deputy Sheriff Terrence Corcoran finds himself entangled in a web of deception that stretches far beyond the confines of the Eureka Mine and Mill.When a complex scheme to defraud the mine unravels, leaving the chief assayer brutally murdered, Corcoran's investigation thrusts him into a perilous game where every step forward could be his last. As the tendrils of corruption infiltrate the very heart of the community, false leads run rampant, and Corcoran must navigate a treacherous landscape where the line between ally and adversary blurs.But in a town where trust is a scarce commodity, how can this every-man lawman pursue justice-while also protecting those whose lives are being threatened?To Kill or Not to Kill is a riveting Western tale of crime, corruption, and courage set against the backdrop of a mining town grappling with the allure of riches...and the darkness that lurks beneath the surface.

These cowboy drifters are back in the saddle for another gun-toting adventure, the likes of which they've never seen before.When Snake and Dog-man, owners of a newly acquired ranch, embark on their first cattle drive to market, their path becomes fraught with adversity. After the local sheriff is tragically killed, lawlessness prevails in the area, and-amidst relentless attempts to safeguard their herd-the cattle drive is marred by attacks, resulting in the demise of an outlaw and one of his sons.Consumed by vengeance, the surviving son relentlessly pursues Snake and Dog-man, launching a series of assaults. As the cattle drive teeters on the brink of abandonment, lives hang in the balance, and even Snake's adopted son faces peril.Can Snake and Dog-man successfully navigate troubles at Buzzard Pass with their massive herd? And what awaits them at the end of the trail, with the shadow of a known killer looming large?

Land law, water rights, deeds of ownership? Boring. Unless of course, people are shooting at you because of them. The Civil War has disrupted thousands of lives, including that of Sarah Jackson, whose husband was killed for not joining the Confederate Army in Georgia. Sarah and her daughter flee to Nevada Territory and are eligible for homestead rights. After claiming her one hundred sixty acres in the lush Golden Valley, her world crumbles again.Banker Preston Miller claims he owns the entire Golden Valley and all the water in the Good Hope River. Jackson cries foul in a letter to the U.S. Attorney in San Francisco, and Jacob Chance, U.S. Marshal rides to Preston, Nevada Territory to "settle this little land dispute."He finds many in the town fear for their lives and livelihood, but it takes just a few shots from big guns to convince them to back the marshal. Lives are lost, buildings are burned, the town itself is in jeopardy, and the U.S. Marshal finds himself up against an army. Anarchy is the rule in the Golden Valley.Fighting the bad guys is hard enough, he also finds himself fascinated by the daughter of one of the ranchers whose property he is trying to save. Will the town survive? Will the ranches survive? Is romance in the air? All the answers are inside these covers.

"The rough and tumble US Marshal and his cantankerous deputy are back in the saddle, raring to go in the latest action-packed installment from hard-hitting western author Johnny Gunn! It's late 1862 in Nevada Territory. The bank in Washoe City has been robbed and the man responsible has been high on a list of most wanted by U.S. Marshal Bull Morrison and his deputy Slim Calhoun. They rush from San Francisco only to find the gang has been killed as a part of a gruesome massacre. The investigation is hampered by early winter storms and includes a madam in a house of prostitution, her husband, and a man known for being a sadistic murderer. Along with the brutal murders there is a man who is an architectural genius, a lovely young lady who captivates Calhoun, and a soiled dove who just might run off with the loot from the bank job. Bull Morrison starts and finishes several good saloon fights but who brings forth a side of him unknown before. The man has a heart"--

"The Oregon Territory village of Brookside sees further violence as the lone constable fights to keep law and order in the second novel in the continuing series of life during Oregon's wild frontier period. The year is 1848. The pace is Brookside, Oregon Territory. The great migration from east to west is just getting underway following favorable comments on Oregon weather, farming, and ranching land in the eastern press. There are those in the Brookside Valley who are dead set against the immigrants. There are those who favor the movement. And there are those who take advantage of the newcomers. Worst of all, good people die. The Brookside constable's office is a one-man affair, and Constable Kennedy is alone as the population explodes, crime explodes, and he is denied the ability to hire deputies. Some of his time is taken up by the delightful Widow Creighton. The one man standing in the way of Constable Kennedy getting help is beaten, robbed, and killed, and Kennedy is blamed. It's a big question whether he will survive this attack on his reputation"--

"A combination of vicious winter storms, ugly and stupid men, and son Rob and his wife coming home turn the holiday period around the Jack Slater ranch to near chaos. Short-handed and facing a winter disaster on the range, Slater also faces a cattle rustler who wants him dead and another cattle rustler who kills the sheriff and runs amok. Normally quiet streams become raging water courses that must be crossed, deep arroyos are filled with wind driven snow, become hidden vaults of danger that men, horses, and cattle can fall into, and below zero temperatures can rip the life right out of a man if he should become wet or stranded. Slater and his crew that he calls family, face an eastern Nevada winter like none other before. When things become almost more than the big man can handle, his wife, Mims, gives birth to twins while he's on the open range desperately trying to save part of his herd. Wood cutters, a blacksmith, and a saloon owner all come together to bring peace and quiet to the Mound Valley. Ugly, mean, and stupid men are responsible for many deaths, for creating an atmosphere of fear and anxiety, and in the final analysis, pay the ultimate price"--

"It's a wet spring in 1870s Eureka, Nevada, when the wife of a leading mine owner is found murdered while on a picnic with her housekeeper. The woman has had numerous romantic adventures with other men, including saloon and hotel owner Gordon Hatfield, Blacksmith Abe Afeldt, and District Attorney William Phelps. Chief Deputy Sheriff Terrence Corcoran believes any one of the men, including the woman's husband, may have been responsible for the crime. While investigating, Corcoran discovers that Hatfield is in serious financial trouble. Enough so, that Hatfield arranges to have his business burned down while simultaneously plotting to rob the Eureka Bank. An insurance investigator named Arthur Bellows joins Corcoran in his effort to solve the crimes which keep stacking up, with seemingly no end in sight..."--

Sol Dorsey would best be described as a throwback to the twenties or thirties. The big man grew up on pulp crime magazines, thought once about being a cop but changed his mind as soon as he heard about things like Miranda and perp's rights. "They got no rights. Bang a head, get an answer," was a continuing philosophy, which only became an issue when he found himself working for the cops. But when he got a message on his new digital answering machine that said, "I'm in trouble, Sol. I got nowhere else to turn" he knew he had to do something about it. After all, he was one of the best PIs on the west coast, hired by some police agencies to help with high profile crimes, disdained by others, well, because he was Simon Sol Dorsey.

Simon Sol Dorsey is a renegade private investigator with close ties to a big city police department. That's why he's asked to investigate the disappearance of the teenage daughter of a disgraced cop. The cop is married to a Ukrainian "find-a-bride," who is a major source of imported drugs, big guns, and money-laundering. When the girl's body washes up on a beach along with an international hitman's body, Dorsey finds himself in the middle of an international gangland war. He can certainly use the help of a Ukrainian State Police investigator, one who just happens to be young and vivacious. But he's making enemies fast. Question is, who will be left standing?

"Snake and Dog-man, two foot-loose young men enjoying the freedom of adventuring in the 1870s, fight their way through the great Mojave Desert, one of the deadliest places on earth, as they try to make their way to the Pacific Ocean. Mojave and Paiute Indians, ruthless outlaws, and desert dwelling loners are just some of the problems they must defeat. Snake is faced with an even more difficult problem, and her name is Louise. Their quest was to be from Arizona to San Diego but they turned north to follow an emigrant trail along the fabled Mojave River. From water hole to water hole, from mining camp to mining camp, Snake and Dog-man encounter the dregs of humanity on the one hand and some of its finest on the other hand. It's when they find a young girl, injured and alone, that Snake's real troubles begin... TAGLINE: To make it to the Pacific, they have to beat the Mojave..."--

Life in the Oregon Territory frontier village of Brookside is drastically changed when schemes and frauds turn violent. Families are split apart, and good citizens die in this first novel in a continuing series of life in Oregon's frontier period.Brookside, Oregon Territory in the late 1840s is a ranching and timber producing village made up of those willing to face the dangers and hardships of frontier life. Some are honest, hardworking, and family oriented while others become criminals, killers, and opportunists.Farmer and rancher Jacob Hoagland works through a rough period and, into the new year, is faced with a growing family relying on him, an opportunity for farm growth, and a community that finds it needs him, too.Irene Creighton is married to an animal of a man who believes it is a man's right to beat on his wife at will. After years of abuse, she fights back with a cast iron pan. Her husband's death leads to the discovery of his participation in land fraud within the territory.Ben Thorndyke is the village's most successful businessman. His company builds the tools and appliances needed by the timber industry and by the farmers and ranchers in the little valley. In turn, his retail farm and ranch supply emporium sell what he builds along with seed and other needed supplies. He is a community leader and friend of the governor.The county constable, Tobias Kennedy, came to America from Ireland and landed in Brookside. He gets his information through the menacing use of an oak walking stick, a constantly questioning mind, and a distinct desire for Irish whisky and Oregon brandy.These lives, along with the loves, joys and hardships accompanying them, will bring questions of criminality to a conclusion. But not everyone's life will take a turn for the better...

Thrilling action from page to page, from the valley floor to the granite spires of the Ruby Mountains.

SADDLE-UP FOR GUNFIGHTS, SALOON BRAWLS, A TOUCH OF ROMANCE, AND MAYHEM IN THE OLD WEST. The southeastern Nevada mining camp of Pioche was known as one of the most corrupt and dangerous communities in the silver state. When it was rumored that a federal judge might be involved in schemes dealing with water and land issues, U.S. Marshal Bull Morrison and his deputy, Slim Calhoun were sent to investigate. They discovered rampant lawlessness led by a corpulent mine owner and allegedly backed by a federal judge in Salt Lake City. The marshals were outnumbered and outgunned, but when they called for help from the local citizens, they got it. Schemes to control the waters of Lincoln County, to illegally acquire existing ranches, and to sell non-existent mines or phony stocks were among the crimes taking place. "Five stars and more, is all I can say about this amazing story of realistic old American western folklore!"

LOVELY LADIES, EXTREME WEALTH AND INCREDIBLE DANGER IN THE AMERICAN OLD WEST!An outlaw gang is ravaging the small White Pine County mining camp of Ward, Nevada. The sheriff is grievously wounded in a battle with the gang and puts out the call to near-by counties for help.Eureka County Deputy Sheriff Terrence Corcoran responds. Corcoran finds a community needing help but not helping and discovers far more criminal activity than he rode to help with."You will find yourselves completely engrossed from beginning to end, and unable to put the story aside until the final paragraph has been read."

Nomadic cowboys, drifters, troublemakers - Snake and Dog-man have heard it all, but they are more than that, they're strong, determined, and never back down from a fight.Continuing their trek to California by guiding a freight wagon train to Tucson, Arizona Territory Snake and Dog-man run into trouble when they meet a family along the way. From there, the trouble never stops, and gun fights, injuries, and death ensue. Once in Gila Bend, Dog-man learned that steamboats ran between Yuma, Arizona Territory and Guaymas, Mexico. Since it was on the way to California, they made the ride to Yuma, only to find themselves in more trouble.The drifters knew they had to continue their trek to California - it was then they realized it was the open road, the unknown over the horizon that was most important to them.

Amos Warren, a ranching neighbor of Jack Slater, is eaten up by envy, jealousy, and a lack of ability to run his own ranch. He blames Slater for all his failures and often threatens to burn Slater out.Warren's foreman, Sonny Belafleur, is an outlaw using the Warren ranch in a cattle rustling operation tied to feedlot owner Blake Wilson. Wilson has found a flaw in Nevada's laws concerning brands and when ownership is transferred and is using that flaw to rustle considerable heads of beef. One rustling attempt brings the operation into focus for Jack Slater and his highly intelligent adopted son, Rob. An inept sheriff begs Slater to end the rustling but continues to get in the way.Warren's anger and hatred get the best of him and he sends hired gunslingers to burn out the Slater ranch and kill the family. The former Orphan Train boy is driven by love of family and responds with overwhelming ferocity, ending any further threats.

HOT ACTION, TERRIBLE CRIMES AND JUSTICE SERVED.A series of fires, robberies, and assaults escalate quickly into killings in the small central Nevada community of Eureka. Deputy Sheriff Terrence Corcoran believes that two brothers along with a friend of theirs, are involved. Those robbed and assaulted are being physically intimidated into not revealing who did the dirty deed.The young outlaw brothers attack a rancher leaving the auction yard after selling his herd and kill him and his coach driver. Several weeks later, they attack a stagecoach, which leads to death and an escape.

In the early 1870s, from the Rocky Mountains to northern Mexico, a couple of drifters discover their true purpose-in the form of hard-hitting western adventure!When Snake and Dog-Man are "asked" to leave Deadwood and travel south to what they think will be gold country, the nomadic cowboy pair manages to stir up trouble, help others, and attempt to locate the hard money they set out for in the first place.And while their adventures are always rollicking fun, they're also incredibly dangerous. But at least they're able to maintain their dignity-most of the time.Join these daring drifters as they navigate the rugged terrain of the Wild West, where danger lurks around every corner and the pursuit of gold is only surpassed by the bonds of friendship forged in the crucible of adventure.

The third Jack Slater novel is an ever-present fight between good and evil… Jack Slater, once an orphan boy on a train trip west, is facing incredible danger and introducing a new generation of the Slater family. An outlaw with suitcases full of ill-gained money buys his way into Elko County, Nevada politics. He threatens Jack Slater's family and friends, something Slater will not tolerate. The fight to rid the county of corrupted office holders is also a good lesson in civics for his adopted son, Rob, who fights right alongside Jack Slater. Despite his young age, Rob becomes a man. There were good men who allowed themselves to be corrupted and others who looked to be.

Corcoran takes some time off as Eureka County Deputy Sheriff to visit an old family friend and stumbles into a land fraud scheme. It gets mighty dangerous as a conspiracy develops, one layer at a time, and bodies begin to pile up. A rancher leaves his foreman in charge in order to get medical help for his daughter and the foreman claims the man abandoned his homestead claim.Corcoran being Corcoran, he meets a charming young lady whose father is an Oregon County Sheriff. He seriously contemplates giving up his badge and settling down.

Terrence Corcoran, recovering from injuries he received breaking up a cattle rustling gang, stumbles onto a grisly scene high in the Monitor Range of central Nevada. That discovery nets him a charming teenage girl from a ranch in the valley, an old army scout who has never lost his abilities, and some wild rides through the Nevada desert in pursuit of Humboldt Charley and a gang of murderers, bank robbers, and kidnappers. Town marshals protect criminal elements, three county sheriffs become involved, and Corcoran discovers at least one more person from his past is looking to put him six-feet under. It was the robbing of a bank in Belmont that started the problems and the pathetic end to the gang that ended them. Terror on Flat Top Ridge is a Terrence Corcoran western thriller sure to please.

A CAPTIVATING, NON-STOP ACTION TALE OF THE OLD WEST A stage coach hold-up turns into a federal judge's wife being abducted, brutalized, and murdered. Federal marshals Bull Morrison and Slim Calhoun are called in and in that moment everything goes downhill. Outlaw Gus Emerson and his partner Hawknose Mackenzie lead the Marshals deep into the Walker River Canyon where they fight off Indians in at least three battles, but the even more devastating crimes are being committed by Federal Judge Chastain back in Mormon Station, Nevada Territory. A simple robbery, Indian fights, small town riots, and A Judge Gone Wrong - Johnny Gunn delivers the second Slim Calhoun, Bull Morrison Western.