Perley Gates Western

From bestselling authors William W. and J.A. Johnstone comes the fiery saga of Perley Gates, a legend born out of the brutality and violence of the American West . . . He's the son of a cattle rancher. A restless young dreamer who, under normal circumstances, would follow in his father's footsteps. Normal, however, is not his style. Like his famous grandfather and namesake Perley Gates-a hell-raising mountain man with a heavenly name-young Perley wants adventure, excitement, and freedom. And like his grandfather before him, he will find his dream-in the untamed wilds of a lawless frontier. That dream though might just become a nighmare . . . After his father's death, Perley strikes out on his own. His first order of business is to track down the grandfather whose name he shares. When he crosses into Oklahoma Territory, young Perley discovers that the trail is full of dead ends-and near-death encounters. Hostile Indians, wanted outlaws, and bloodthirsty killers are just a few of the dangers waiting for him. And the closer he gets to finding the original Perley Gates, the closer he comes to meeting his Maker at the fabled gates they're named for . . .

From bestselling authors William W. and J.A. Johnstone-the explosive adventures of Perley Gates, who's carving out his own legacy in the violent American frontier . . . Restless cowpoke Perley Gates wanted nothing more than to track down the grandfather who abandoned his family years ago. What he found was the crazy old sidewinder barely hanging on after a Sioux massacre. The old man's dying wish was to make things right for deserting his kin-by giving his strong-willed grandson Perley clues to the whereabouts of a buried fortune in gold. Finding his grandfather's legacy will set up his family for life. But it won't be easy. The discovery of raw gold in the Black Hills has lured hordes of ruthless lowlifes into Deadwood and Custer City-kill-crazy prairie rats, gunfighters, outlaws, and Indians-armed with a thousand glittering reasons to put Perley six feet under. All Perley wants is what was left to him, what he's owed. But with so many brigands on his backside, finding his grandfather's treasure is going to land Perley Gates between the promise of heaven and the blood-soaked battlefields of hell . . .

A new kind of hero in the Old West tradition, Perley Gates is as honest and good as his heavenly name. But don't make him mad. Because when Perley Gates gets mad, people get hurt. Once every year, Perley Gates and his brothers lead the Triple-G crew on its annual cattle drive. It's a treacherous journey along the Great Western Trail, with a herd of two-thousand cows on one side and many opportunities for trouble on the other. This year, trouble shows up in the form of a beautiful young woman, her little baby, and her bizarre traveling companion-a colorful old cuss who goes by the name of Possom Smith. They're heading to a settlement called Butcher Bottom, and risking their necks to get there. Perley-being the gentleman he is-offers to escort the trio to their destination. But there are a few minor details they "forgot" to tell Perley . . . The woman is a widow whose husband had enemies. The old man is hiding a small fortune that might get them killed. And Perley is stuck in the middle trying to decide who's good, who's bad-and who deserves to die first . . . Live Free. Read Hard.

Johnstone country. Patriots welcome. The Johnstone hero with the heavenly name-and the hellish task of living up to it-Perley Gates-takes on a gang of cold-blooded killers to save the soul of a small Western town ... They say that home is where the heart is. And no one knows that better than Perley Gates. After helping the lovely Miss Emma Slocum reunite with her sister's family in Bison Gap, Perley can't wait to rejoin his own kin at the Triple-G Ranch. No sooner does Perley settle in when he receives an alarming telegram from Bison Gap. Emma's brother-in-law has been murdered. Her sister wants justice. And Perley is their only hope to get it ... Perley can't refuse a family in need. So he saddles up with his salty cowhand Possum Smith and heads to Bison Gap. He notices that the town's new sheriff is acting suspicious-and likely in cahoots with the local gang of deadly outlaws. In no time at all there's a target on Perley's back-and the vicious gang leader is calling all the shots. Justice may be hard to find in a town this wicked. But vengeance is swift-straight out of the Gates ... Live Free. Read Hard.

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. VENGEANCE IS HERE. A good man like Perley Gates knows that when you race with the devil, you'd better cross the finish line first-or you won't finish at all... They rode into town like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Four armed outlaws bringing their own brand of hell to Paris, Texas. First, they rob the First National Bank. Then they take a woman hostage as insurance. When Perley Gates learns that local waitress Becky Morris is in the hands of these tough customers, he rides alone to get her back. Problem is, the outlaws are heading toward the Red River-straight into Indian Territory. That's where the ranch hands draw the line. But, Perley won't give up. He manages to rescue the girl, but not before killing the gang's leader. Now he's incurred the wrath of the other three... The race is on. Come hell or high water, Perley has to get Becky across the Red River-before three vengeful devils make it flow with their blood ... Live Free. Read Hard.

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. RUSTLERS' PARADISE. An unholy trio of cutthroat rustlers turn a routine horse drive into an epic showdown between good and evil-with a little divine justice from gun fighting legend Perley Gates... At first, the job sounds easy: lead a small herd of horses across the Arkansas—Texas border to the Double-D ranch near Texarkana. No problem-at least not for a man like Perley Gates. In fact, he's looking forward to the 150-mile journey with his old sidekick Possum Smith and young Sonny Rice, and doesn't expect any trouble along the way. Unfortunately, trouble has a way of finding Perley Gates. This time, it's a trigger-happy trio of horse thieves who take one look at old Possum, young Sonny, and the low-key Perley, and decide they're three very easy targets. But in the Old West, nothing comes easy. Except death... So begins one hell of a showdown. On one side are the forces of evil itself, with notorious gunslinger Spade Devlin gunning for blood. On the other side are a few good men, a town under siege-and a merciless angel of vengeance named Perley Gates....

JOHNSTONE COUNTRY. WITH A DETOUR THROUGH HELL. Good Samaritan gunslinger Perley Gates returns for a new action-packed adventure from legendary national bestselling Western authors William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone set in historic Texas. Perley's elder brother, Rubin, who manages the Triple-G Ranch decides to try breeding some Hereford cattle with the ranch's longhorns. He asks Perley to deliver the contract for the Herefords, a simple task. But nothing ever remains simple when Perley is involved. And for the reluctant fast gun, it means a nightmare journey through hell itself . . . The trouble starts when Perley and his sidekick, Possum, meet some damsels in distress-a lovely group of saloon girls with a broken wagon wheel. Being a good Samaritan, Perley feels honor-bound to help them. But when the travelers cross paths with an ornery gang of vicious outlaws, things turn deadly-and fast. It only gets worse from there, for Perley agrees to escort them to Nacogdoches-next to Angelina County, a section of which is infested with a special breed of vermin known as the Tarpley family. And this corrupt clan has a gunslinger-who'd love nothing more than to take down a living legend like Perley Gates . . . Live Free. Read Hard.