The fifth installment in the bestselling prequel series about Smoke Jensen's life and adventures before he became the legendary Mountain Man, is a satisfying tale of revenge—especially for Johnstone die-hards—as Smoke seeks vengeance after outlaws ambush his old friend and crossover series star, Preacher, in the town of Desolation Creek deep in the Montana Territory . . .

Smoke Jensen settled in Colorado to build a legacy for his wife Sally and their family. In the days before their Sugarloaf Ranch would become legendary across the western frontier, the Jensens fought not only to succeed but to survive in an untamed land full of wild, often barbaric men who sought fortune and glory while killing with violent glee…

Building a ranch takes heart and grit. Smoke and Sally Jensen are more than capable of meeting the challenges of shaping the land, raising the livestock, and establishing their brand. But Smoke wasn’t always an entrepreneur. He’s more apt to settle accounts with a fast draw than a checkbook. And when he learns his old friend Preacher has been ambushed by outlaws, he wastes no time saddling up and hitting the vengeance trail with his fellow mountain men Audie and Nighthawk.

Preacher’s attackers have taken over the town of Desolation Creek deep in Montana Territory. Their scurrilous leader, Vernon “Venom” McFadden, has his men harassing terrified homesteaders and townsfolk to get his hands on nearby property that’s rumored to be rich with gold. Smoke and his friends—and Sally, who refused to be left behind—drift into town one by one with a plan to root out Venom’s gang of prairie rats and put the big blast on each and every one. 

Johnstone Country. Where Dying Ain’t Much of a Living.