Shot in the Back

Bad Men of the West #5

by William W. Johnstone, J.A. Johnstone

THE GREATEST WESTERN WRITERS OF THE 21ST CENTURYFrom the greatest western storytellers of our time comes a new twist on the legend of notorious outlaw Jesse James—who just might not have died on that fateful April 3, 1882.1942—Granbury, Texas. A ninety-five-year-old man walks into a recruiting office with the crazy idea to enlist—and an even crazier story. He claims to be the one and only Jesse James, the infamous bank robber allegedly shot by Robert Ford sixty years earlier. Using another man’s corpse to collect the reward, Ford allowed James to slip away and start a new life. Changing his name to Dalton, Jesse worked as a cattle broker in Fort Worth and fathered a pair of twins named Bill and Frank. But when one of the boys turns out to be a chip off the old block—a young outlaw in the making—Jesse has no choice but to school the lad in the fine art of bank robbing so he doesn’t get his fool head blown off. Problem is, once Jesse’s son gets a taste of the outlaw life, he decides it isn’t for him after all. Father Jesse, on the other hand, misses it…So begins the wildest story the West has never known, proving that some legends are bigger than life—and a lot harder to kill…

Genres: Westerns, Fiction

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 26, 2015

About the author

William W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.

Reviews

[Bill Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A riveting classic western! You’ll want to believe that Jesse James really did survive the Bob Ford shooting. All in all it’s a tale of high adventure and terrible tragedy that’ll have you turning the pages as quickly as possible.

[Jerry Blackerby · Rating 5 out of 5]

There used to be several people who claimed or were thought to have been Jesse James, who was not actually shot by Bob Ford. I’m old enough I remember some of the cases. One person is buried in Granbury, Texas with the name Jesse Woodson James on his tombstone. This is a story about a person who may have been the real Jesse James and lived through the times of WWII under another identity. He tells his story to the writer who wrote under the name of Max Brand. Who knows, it could be true. Loved the story, well written, a page turner.

[Wendy Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing is amateur, dialogue is stilted. Author tells you the story, doesn't show you. Yet the plot is riveting and I'm not sure if there is an element of non-fiction to it or not. Regardless, the plot makes it worth the read even if the writing doesn't.

[larry brashear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Book!

I did enjoy this book but it was difficult for me to in any way have empathy for Known criminals. I would have no problem if he had not returned to that evil life and even abetting his own son in the criminal life. I suppose it makes for good fiction but I can't see it.

[Yosef Shapiro · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book examines an alternative take on the life and death of Jesse James . What if Jesse James lived to a ripe age and had a second career as a thief ? This book examines that scenario .

[Douglas Fugate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a novel of Jesse James. It was a good read, but I prefer his Preacher, Jensen Boys and Phoenix Rising series better.

[Derrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Bad Men of the West series is amazing. GA picked a great one to do. This is what westerns should be. This is my favorite one for sure.

[William Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok western but played loosely with real events.

[Ethan Nahté · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had heard a lot of great things about Johnstone. People claimed he was the modern Louis Lamour or Zane Grey. So out of several titles to choose from, I chose "Shot in the Back" because it deals with a favorite subject--Jesse James.

Johnstone, and his nephew, enjoy historical fiction. So do I. But the book reads like an eighth grader inputting a Wikipedia article, complete with footnotes. The pacing is slow in places and the dialogue is bland. The plot is pretty obvious. I realize some people think all westerns are that way, but not so.

What's truly amazing is that before his death Johnstone was a best-seller and has 220 published titles. Maybe I simply picked the wrong book and his other work is better, but I don't know if it's worth $7.50 and a few hours of my time to bother trying.

[Debra Jeakins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved SHOT IN THE BACK & I dont read many westerns,but this was great! Picture Jesse James at 95 walking into a recruitment office right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor wanting to join up! Fun, fast paced novel with Jesse James right there telling you how he was "killed" and started over with his new life & wife. Even if you are not a western fan SHOT IN THE BACK will be a fun read for anyone.

i received this book from goodreads in exchange for a review

[Jk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via the Goodreads First Reads program and would like to thank everyone who made that happen.

This book is a fun Western built on a great premise. It was a super fast and entertaining read featuring a great pace with lots of action and excitement. I really enjoyed the historical footnotes sprinkled throughout and the WWII backdrop of the present-day story. If you like westerns and/or have any interest in Jesse James check this one out!

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good. The plot was fairly good. I wasn't overly fond of the dialogue in places but the plot made up for it. Overall I did find this book enjoyable. Fans of western novels may enjoy it as well.



*won on GoodReads First Reads*

[Catherine Milmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novel, this book was a page turner and read it in 7 hrs, could hardly put it down. Great story about Jesse James. Brilliantly written!! Strongly recommend this to everyone that loves a great story that just keeps you glued..

[Jeff]

Jessie James Story

vg

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good story

No. Dought
Jessie James was folk hero to many. Some of this was well known. Man called Frank James toured.

[Keith B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Formulaic but fun. Ends rather abruptly. Story is good but premise for telling it is rather lame.

[Paige Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story. Makes you wonder if it could be true. Typical great Johnstone tale!