Venom of the Mountain Man by William W. Johnstone

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This ghost writer of the Johnstone Clan I’ve read in other Johnstone books and is the worse. The narrative is driven with endless questions from all of the characters. Throughout the book characters act or react with a question. Worse, many answers are also questions. Sheesh! Of course, the only way to do this is to have little understanding of the characters and write most all of them the same way. In that the greatest strength of the Johnstone Clan series are distinct characters, this under mines the possibility of a good book.

The poor handling of characters are the worse part of the book. The star of the series is entirely botched in the writing. The inconsistencies are too many to note. The death of a character important to Smoke is written in an off-handed way. Other Mountain Man books, especially one with involvement of Johnstone himself, have been written with a fierce reaction from Smoke. Here he nearly breaks into tears. The greatest failing is when Smoke is told where kidnapped individuals are and then does nothing to get them until much later.

There’s a very surreal turn in which characters are quoting Shakespeare, Longfellow and various other classic writers and playwrights. Others suddenly change character and become brilliant at strategy and negotiation in dialogue not matching insecure dialogue earlier and later in the book.

And what on earth was the writer thinking with just about ever character at some point “chuckling”? Do 14 year olds “chuckle”?

Then there is the obvious plot. The bad guy is known from the start but is written as if a giant surprise occurs at the end. And what a Horrible ending. Over 300 pages wrapped in a few sentences.

There’s a decent story here. It’s recycled from other Johnstone books where it has been done far, far better.

Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book. 3 out of 10 points.



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