Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Jackals | 2019 | J.A. Johnstone | Buy |
| 2 | Stand Up and Die | 2020 | J.A. Johnstone | Buy |
| 3 | Every Mother’s Son | 2021 | J.A. Johnstone | Buy |
| 4 | Dead River | 2022 | J.A. Johnstone | Buy |
| 5 | The Fires of Hell | 2023 | J.A. Johnstone | Buy |
The Jackals series is built around a family torn between the law and the outlaw life. The patriarch is a tough old bounty hunter, and his sons have gone in very different directions. One rides on the right side of the law; the other has joined up with criminals. That family fracture gives the series its emotional core, even as the action keeps things moving at a typical Johnstone pace.
Running five books from 2019 to 2023, the series starts with The Jackals and continues through Stand Up and Die, Every Mother’s Son, and beyond. The family dynamic adds a layer of personal stakes to the gunfights and chases. Johnstone uses the father-son conflict to explore questions about loyalty, redemption, and whether blood ties can survive when one family member is hunting the other. It is one of the more character-driven entries in the Johnstone Western catalog.