Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Trail West | 2013 | J.A. Johnstone | Buy |
| 2 | Monahan’s Massacre | 2017 | J.A. Johnstone | Buy |
| 3 | Hang Him Twice | 2018 | J.A. Johnstone | Buy |
The Trail West is a three-book series centered on the dangers of overland travel across the American frontier. Getting from one place to another in the Old West was an adventure in itself, with bandits, bad weather, rough terrain, and unreliable fellow travelers all conspiring to make every journey potentially fatal.
The series spans from 2013 to 2018, starting with the self-titled The Trail West, followed by Monahan’s Massacre and Hang Him Twice. J.A. Johnstone used the journey format to keep each book moving forward both literally and figuratively. The trail provides a natural structure: problems arise, get dealt with or get worse, and the destination keeps pulling the characters forward. It’s a straightforward approach that works well for readers who want their Westerns on the move rather than tied to one town.