William Johnstone's Dead Broke, Colorado (Pinnacle 2025) is an unusual tale set in old West Colorado in the town of Dead Broke. Before it was even a settlement, two prospectors struck it rich off a vein of silver that attracted lots of other miners. Over time, as silver began to play out in the area, the town tried to maintain, but it became a lawless, struggling environment that would either have to find justice or live up to its name. Enter a fabled lawman past his prime, drawn to the town by a woman he'd thought lost to him. That's enough to make him sign on as Marshall and start the hard work of cleaning up a place that really doesn't want to be cleaned up.

This is a good tale, at times bogged down but not badly enough to even lose a star. Highly recommended to those looking for a bit out of the ordinary in an old west tale.

This sounded as if it would be a good story. I, unfortunately, did not find it to be so. For me it was a struggle to follow the story and I just didn’t connect with any of the characters and that is unusual for the many Johnstone books that I’ve has the pleasure to read.

Mayor Allane Auchenleck, better known as Nugget for a large silver nugget he found, tries to make the town of Dead Broke into a bustling place but things just don’t work out. With economics at play and silver slipping in value the town devolves into lawlessness. Nugget sends for a top gunman, Mick MacMicking, to stem the lawless inhabitants.

Well you get the story idea, but for me it was not a good reading book and I have trouble recommending it to any one. But if it sounds good to you maybe it will be to another reader’s liking.

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.