A Luke Jensen book that has him arriving in town with a footing corpse hanging from a tree. He can leave his prisoner in the jail but what he finds in the town is that one man Ezra Hannigan is set on owning everything around in the area and will go to any lengths to get what he wants. He makes friends with Mac a former trail cook and along with a few others they set out to finally put an end to the man’s way. A good story with many different and excellent characters to help the story along. A very good Western.

“Beans, Bourbon, and Blood” by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone is an action-packed, 5-star western! Bounty hunter Luke Jensen finds himself in the middle of trouble upon arriving in the town of Hannigan’s Hill. Luke quickly befriends Dewey McKenzie, the owner of the best restaurant in town. Can these two save the town before it’s too late?

This is only the second western I have read, and I am hooked on the Johnstones’ books! The stories are engaging, with no shortage of action. I absolutely love the vocabulary—who can’t appreciate people being called “varmint” or “double-dang skunk”? There is enough character development to make you feel connected with the characters in the story. I am definitely going to read more by these authors. I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Luke gets into as this series continues!

Thanks to Kensington Books, William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review.

Beans, Bourbon and Blood by William W Johnstone in J a Johnstone find Luke Jensen traveling with his latest prisoner a con artist named Stallings and they need a place to stay for at least the night. Right before reaching Burlington Hill settlement they run up on a weak old corpse. The duo soon sees the sheriff who Luke learned name is Bowen. He’s swiftly let Luke know he’s more than welcome to stow his prisoner and stay in town but to mine his own business. The sheriff and his men also have a prisoner who’s crying that he is innocent and so something tells Luke he’s not lying. Soon after arriving in town everyone who speaks to seems to talk double talk in the main message Lucas is exactly what the sheriff already told him to mind his own business but when the sheriff jumps Luke and what Luke believes is a try at getting the reward for his prisoner the sheriff has just made the business in Burlington Hill Luke’s business. Luke would’ve been stomped into the pavement if not for his new friend and local cook Dewey McKenzie and despite Dewey and his assistant telling Luke to get his prisoner and leave town Luke refuses to, after all he is a Jensen. Before the end of the book Stallings will prove he is more good, than bad, Luke gets a partner, defend the first amendment and by the time he leaves town it will have a new name. This was a great book with once again a great plot I love the way the Johnstones right fight scenes as it is so easy to picture it in the gun fight are usually my favorite part. They write such great heroes in this book and I love the new character Dewey McKenzie although for some reason he seems so familiar to me. If you love great westerns then you definitely should start this new series with Luke and his new partner Mac, he makes the best biscuits and can handle a six shooter.#PelicanAndKensingtonBooks,#NetGalley, #WilliamWNJAJohnstone, #BeansBourbonInBlood,#Luke Jensen,

There is no such thing as a bad Johnstone western. Each series is built around main characters whose belief in the law and family is absolute, even if they've had to be reformed to get there. From Preacher, the original mountain man to the Jensen family to Perly Gates, to.....well, you get the point. Many times, characters from one series will show up in another as supporting hands. The communities are true to the era, clothing, guns, food and troubles are all what you'd find if you looked them up in the history books. No two stories are the same, each character or set of characters is unique and so are their stories. The writing is skillful, readers are pulled into the story and you will laugh and cry right along with the characters. I made the mistake of picking up a Johnstone western my uncle was reading. Ive been hooked ever since. Now I share them with my reading family and will continue as long as new Johnstones are released.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

Another romping good adventure from Johnstone. I look forward to continuing this series with Luke Jensen and friends.

3.75☆

Bounty hunter Luke Jensen has never been my favorite character but here he teams up with Dewey "Mac" McKenzie from the Chuckwagon Trail series in a good western with an old theme. Beans, Bourbon, and Blood by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone is a rather traditional western with a small comunity held in an iron grip by a powerful rancher and his corrupt judge and town marshall. This is supposed tpo be a new series and I think that it will be a good one, not that the Johnstone estate needs more series. Still I am a sucker for westerns and this is one and I will continue reading the work from Johnstone. I thank Pinnacle and Netgalley fro letting me read this advance copy.

In William Johnstone's latest Jensen Universe novel, Beans Bourbon and Blood (Pinnacle July 2024) a Luke Jensen Dewey McKenzie Western, Luke Jensen is the bounty hunter son of Smoke Jensen. Rather than join his father's successful ranch, he wanders the West, bringing the worst criminals to justice for the bounty on their heads. He's highly successful at this and it suits his nomadic personality more than staying in one place working a ranch. In this episode, Luke tracks down a con artist who infuriated a US Senator enough that he offered Luke a massive bounty to bring the man to justice. Luke incarcerates the man in Hannigan’s Hill, Wyoming, planning to move on the next day. The Senator tells him to wait there for further instructions which turns into a week, or longer, giving Luke time to befriend Mac McKenzie, the owner of the town's most popular café, who tells him about a rich rancher doing everything legal and illegal to take over the town and surrounding areas, including killing anyone in his way. Luke hates injustice, but might have left it alone except that Mac's life is threatened. Now, Luke can't stand back.

This is another good story, led by a fascinating character who I enjoy immensely. It is perfect for the Luke Jensen portion of the Jensen Universe.

"Beans, Bourbon, and Blood" seemed like an interesting title but I've got to say that it did not seem to have a lot to do with the story. Even with that little bit of criticism, I found the story of Luke Jensen, bounty hunter, and his adventure with bringing a captured swindler to a little out-of-the-way town of Hannagan's Hill to await further instructions amount him fascinating and fun to read.

Jensen is a relative of the more famous Smoke Jensen and the Jensen men, all of them, seem to have a penchant for getting into trouble. Luke is no different. He befriends Mac McKenzie owner and operator of a delightful café, who has some interesting past history in New Orleans. Add in a crusading newspaper couple, a crooked sheriff, a bought off judge, and overbearing strongman named Hannigan, after which the town was named and you have a heck of a story.

Story starts with Luke and his prisoner coming up on a gallows outside of town where a man was hanged and left for many days to actually rot and be picked apart by the birds. Enter stage left the sheriff and his deputies with another prisoner bound for the noose. The young man professes his innocence but there is little that Luke can do other than be on his way to town; although he feels bad about doing it. He proclaims that the only reason he is here is that Hannigan wants his ranch land and he was unwilling to relinquish it.

The story evolves from there with Luke getting involved with a saloon owner, the café owner, another bounty hunter, the newspaper publisher, and others to attempt to right the wrong that is happening in Hannigan's Hill. The denouement comes to a blazing conclusion with the various factions arrayed against each other. There will be blood in the streets and the opportunity to turn a new leaf for many people. The question is who will take the opportunity? "Gotta" read the book to find out but if you like western stories, this is a very good one and one that will hold your attention. I definitely recommend reading this Johnstone book.