The Matt Jensen: The Last Mountain Man Series in Order

About the Matt Jensen: The Last Mountain Man series

Series Premise

Matt Jensen, raised and trained by Smoke Jensen after outlaws slaughter his family, becomes a skilled frontiersman, tracker, and avenger who roams the West dispensing justice with his gun, protecting the innocent, and settling old scores in a lawless land of outlaws, rustlers, and frontier violence. His adventures pit him against ruthless killers, corrupt towns, and deadly threats while he upholds a personal code of honor, loyalty, and righteous vengeance in the tradition of the classic mountain man.

The series can be read in any order. Each book features a self-contained Western adventure with its own central conflict, villains, and resolution, and while Matt's backstory and growth are referenced, there is no overarching plot or major cliffhanger continuity that requires sequential reading. Order doesn't matter significantly—readers can jump in with any title without confusion or missing essential context—though publication order offers a gentle progression in Matt's journey and familiarity with recurring elements.

Main Characters

Matt Jensen — The central protagonist, a tall, deadly accurate gunfighter who was orphaned as a boy, mentored by Smoke Jensen, and now roams the West as a lone protector and avenger. Skilled, honorable, and relentlessly just, he lives by a strict code, carries the weight of his past, and never backs down from a fight.

- Smoke Jensen — The legendary mountain man who raises and trains Matt after his family's murder. A towering figure of frontier lore, he appears in early books and serves as a mentor and recurring influence.

- Supporting figures — Recurring allies like Smoke's wife Sally, friends such as Preacher, or various townsfolk who cross Matt's path provide occasional support, humor, or grounding.

- Antagonists — A wide range of ruthless outlaws, gang leaders, corrupt officials, and deadly gunmen who serve as the primary threats in each story, often driven by greed, revenge, or sheer malice.

Setting

The series is set in the late 19th-century American West during the waning days of the frontier, spanning vast, untamed territories from the Rocky Mountains and high plains to cattle trails, mining camps, small frontier towns, and remote wilderness areas. Landscapes are vivid and unforgiving—snowy peaks, dusty trails, wide-open prairies, river crossings, and isolated ranches—creating a backdrop of raw beauty and constant peril where law is scarce and a man's skill with a gun often determines survival. The era captures the transition from wild frontier to encroaching civilization, with outlaws, rustlers, corrupt sheriffs, and settlers all vying for control.

Tone & Themes

The tone is classic Western—gritty, action-packed, and morally straightforward—with a strong emphasis on frontier justice, rugged individualism, and the triumph of good over evil. The stories are fast-paced and violent—gunfights, ambushes, and showdowns are vivid and frequent—but never gratuitous; they serve the hero's code and the era's harsh realities. There's a sense of rugged optimism and honor: Matt is a skilled, principled man who protects the weak and punishes the wicked, with dry humor and occasional warmth in quieter moments. The overall mood is satisfyingly escapist—cathartic, heroic, and true to the Western tradition of one man standing tall against overwhelming odds.

William W. and J.A. Johnstone's Matt Jensen: The Last Mountain Man series delivers classic, no-holds-barred Western adventure that celebrates the enduring spirit of the frontier and the unyielding code of a true mountain man. Through Matt's relentless pursuit of justice and protection of the innocent, it explores themes of vengeance, honor, survival, and the fading wildness of the American West. The books remain fast-paced, satisfying Westerns—perfect for readers who love rugged heroes, high-stakes gunplay, and the timeless myth of the lone man standing tall against evil. They leave a lasting impression: in a lawless land, one skilled, principled gunfighter can still make things right—one righteous shot at a time.