Why do some characters embed themselves so deeply in your psyche, leaving you craving more adventures? That's precisely how I felt after reading The Last Gunfighter: Ambush Valley by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone. If you're curious, you can check out my review by clicking here. The characters that captured my imagination and heart are Conrad and Rebel Browning. Conrad is the son of the legendary gunfighter Frank Morgan, also known as The Drifter from The Last Gunfighter series. Why do father and son have different last names? The twist is that Frank played no role in raising Conrad; in fact, after Conrad’s mother remarried, he adopted his stepfather's surname. Following the murder of his mother, which Frank avenged, Conrad became the heir to the Browning fortune. Think banks, railroads, mines. In short, Conrad is the picture-perfect businessman, while Frank is the rugged gunfighter. They’re two sides of the same coin, that is, until everything crumbles in The Loner, the first book of J.A. Johnstone's spin-off series. I was aware of the series thanks to Western Fiction Review, and had even heard whispers of a certain dramatic death from another blog that I now cannot recall, much to my chagrin. There are fifteen books in The Loner series, and my impatient self scoured for the remainder after settling into the first installment.

In The Loner, Conrad's newlywed bliss is brutally shattered when a wretched group of thugs kidnaps his spirited wife, Rebel, with a ransom demand of $50,000. His immediate instinct is to reach out to his father for assistance, but alas, Frank Morgan's whereabouts are unknown, so it falls squarely on Conrad's shoulders to rescue his beloved. Armed with cash and guns, he plunges into the canyons outside Carson City, Nevada, for a perilous exchange that turns sinister. Just when you think he has the upper hand, the gang leader catches him off guard. Spoiler Alert! Rebel meets her tragic end!

Hello, fellow Friday 56ers! 

For this week's Friday 56 pick, hosted by My Head is Full of Books, I am featuring the 2009 Western novel The Loner by J.A. Johnstone. It is the first book in The Loner series and a spinoff of The Last Gunfighter series by William W. Johnstone, who passed away in 2004. William was the sole credited author until the 12th book, after which Fred Austin finished writing Savage Country, the 13th entry. The rest of the series credits J.A. Johnstone as a co-author, with later installments including a Publisher's Note explaining how the family estate selected authors to complete William Johnstone’s unfinished works and create new ones. I’m curious about the niece's involvement in this process. Could someone with more knowledge clarify this for me?

The hero of The Last Gunfighter series is Frank "The Drifter" Morgan, whose name is feared throughout the West due to his deadly gun skills. He has an adult son named Conrad Browning. You might wonder why they have different last names: Conrad's mother remarried, and he took his stepfather's name. Conrad has a complicated relationship with his birth father. Then Frank Morgan reappeared years later, shortly before leaving to avenge Conrad's mother's death. Conrad has inherited an empire from his mother, including railroads and banks. Unlike Frank, he is a businessman and is newly married to the spirited Rebel. This is where the spinoff, The Loner, begins, being the first of fifteen books in the series. 

Today, I’m venturing into the Ambush Valley, the 17th installment of The Last Gunfighter series, which was kicked off in 2000 by the late William W. Johnstone (1938-2004). The last solo effort in the series from Johnstone was Renegades in 2005. After that, Fred Austin stepped in for Savage Country in 2006, paving the way for J.A. Johnstone, William's niece, to join the fray, starting with the fourteenth book, The Devil's Legion. However, I am unsure about his niece's involvement in the actual writing of the books. A "Publisher's Note" appeared in later installments, detailing how the Johnstone family selected authors to complete unfinished outlines and craft new tales, breathing fresh life into the series.

At the center of The Last Gunfighter saga is Frank "The Drifter" Morgan, a legendary figure renowned and feared across the Wild West. After six tumultuous months, Frank has taken a rare breather, settling into the role of town Marshal in Buckskin. It’s not his first experience donning a badge, but this stint promises to be the longest by far.

Frank’s son, Conrad Browning, is now a man unto himself, married to the spirited Rebel Callahan. Following the death of Conrad's mother, the pair inherited the Browning empire, which includes banks. However, Frank has little interest in the family's business affairs. He prefers to leave those matters in the hands of lawyers to ensure fairness prevails. Yet, the peace is shattered when a gang led by Cicero McCoy pulls a daring heist, making off with eighty thousand dollars from one of the banks. McCoy, in a sinister twist, hides the loot in Ambush Valley before turning on his own men, leaving a trail of bodies behind. Captured by bounty hunters, he’s sentenced to a long, bleak twenty-five years in Yuma Territorial Prison.

It's been a while since my last Western read. Life's little complications can often overshadow the joy of blogging, and my blog, more of a passion hobby than a primary focus, has taken a backseat amid recent events. My father's surgery in late April has been a significant distraction. As he prepares for another operation, my time and energy have dwindled. It has led to a reading slump that’s been quite the unwelcome guest. But here I am, ready to share my thoughts on The Last Ride of the Dirty Creek Gang by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone.

Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: ghostwriters. The new Johnstone’s books are notorious for the mystery surrounding their authorship, and I can't help but wonder—who’s really behind the pen? If anyone has insights, I’m all ears. This particular book hails from the March 2026 release batch. With the decline of mass-market paperbacks, we’re now treated to a trilogy of titles every other month, albeit at a steeper price and larger format. My local Walmart has stopped carrying these books altogether, squeezing their book section to a mere shadow of its former self, prompting me to turn to Amazon ^[*].