I'm sorry--this is the rare book by this author I didn't finish. So I won't review it. Something about the MC didn't pull me in.. I've liked most of the other Johnstone books.

If you love westerns, you are a Johnstone fan. The many different character based series in the Johnstone library are all written with loyal readers in mind. Their series span many historical eras, from the mountain men to western bound families to more current political battles. Many times, characters from one series cross over to assist when needed, not to mention series like the Jensen's that cross many generations of a single family. These authors are well known for lots of action and their colorful characters.

Red Ryan and Buttons Muldoon are partners who have a reputation for delivering their cargo. As stage coach drivers they face many hazardous obstacles, but always seem to get through. In Bullet for a Stranger, they face their most difficult delivery ever. Driving cross country, they have human cargo to deliver to New Orleans, 700 miles of fighting off those who would rather stop their journey quickly. As always in a Johnstone book, we have lost of action with some pretty fine sharp shooting thrown in for good measure. A story written so well, you'll suspend everything else to read through to the end.

Another 5 star read for me from some of the best western authors around.

I thought Bullet for a Stranger was a pretty good read. I am giving it four stars. I will be looking for more from the Red Ryan Western series.

This was a different story mostly tied up around the subject of being a coward. Red Ryan are charged with transporting an Englishman on his way to a court martial across the wilderness. There are dangers out there and boy do they encounter some. This time the have some help from Hannah Huckabee adventuress. As alway a good western from William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone. Thanks to #Netgalley #Pinnacle and #KensingtonBooks for letting me have this book titled Bullet for a Stranger.

I really enjoyed reading this, this book is very much an adventure with great characters. Overall I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more in the Red Ryan series.

I received this from Netgalley.com for a review.

Third in the Red Ryan series. "They've been hired to escort a cowardly traitor facing an army court martial in New Orleans. "

And with this one, I'm done reading the series. Although a fairly quick read, it rambled here and there, taking too long to explain the secondary characters and their background. I lost interest.

2☆

This was my first Johnstone book and boy oh boy was it an adventure. Filled to the brim with unique characters coming and going throughout the story, it was a wild ride for me. I probably won't be reading any more of his books because they are so far fetched for me, but I do see how adventure seekers would like the plot and the menagerie of characters thrown into the same book! That in itself is note worthy. Outlaws, a china-man, an adventuress, stage coach drivers, a paleontologist, British soldier, Indians, Rangers, steam engines, hot air balloons- you name it! If this is your thing, ENJOY!

In “Bullet for a Stranger,” what do you get when you combine a stagecoach, a Texas Ranger, two criminals, an adventuress, an alleged coward, and numerous other colorful characters? A rip snorting story that is played out across the Texas plains on the way to New Orleans. The requisite, typical bad guys are in evidence as well as British “gentlemen” wanting revenge. Stir this up add a dash of electrical story, a woodburning steam engine car and you add more intrigue to this story as it unfolds. Did I forget to mention that there are some paleontologists and a love story playing in the background? If you are looking for a rapidly changing cast of characters who do some rather unusual things then this is a book for you. You can also throw in a little voodoo in New Orleans and perhaps a British naval ship firing off its guns to scare the locals.

If that first paragraph didn’t grab you in a positive way, you can rest assured that the book itself by William Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone will pull you in. It is well written and is fast moving. Each chapter beings an almost unbelievable set of situations. Some Westerns move along in rather traditional ways. About the only thing that is traditional about this is that there are good guys and bad guys but not always are they as clearly delineated as you might hope. They are human with their attendant foibles.

Good characters like the adventuress, Hannah; Buttons, the stage driver; Red, the shotgun guard; John, the coward; and many others play out across the 700 mile journey that takes many twists and turns on the way to New Orleans. A definite must read if you like westerns and in particular if you like the stories that the Johnstone franchise turns out.