Bill Brooks Books in Order
Explore Bill Brooks books in order, with concise summaries, series background, and simple suggestions for where to begin with his Western fiction.
Last updated: July 14, 2026
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Bill Brooks books in publication order
39 books
The Badmen
by Bill Brooks
1992
In a lawless West, a bank heist in Deadwood brings desperate outlaws and dangerous consequences together. The novel sets the tone for Brooks's frontier fiction, where violence and ambition leave no easy escape.
Buscadero
by Bill Brooks
1993
A gambler and killer named Johnny Montana pulls Katie Swensen into a life she never expected. Their path crosses a Texas Ranger, a ruthless tracker, and other people chasing justice, freedom, or revenge.
Longing for Home
by Bill Brooks
1994
A Western drama about people caught between the freedom of the trail and the need for somewhere to belong. Loss, love, and hard choices shape their search for a life that can finally feel like home.
Moon's Blood
by Bill Brooks
1994
Legendary gunfighter Ben Moon is tired of killing when dying Jane asks him to find the daughter she gave up years before. His search sends him back among enemies who still want him dead.
Old Times
by Bill Brooks
1995
Retired lawman Nate Love turns back to violence after his son is murdered. With old comrade Monroe Hawks beside him, Nate follows the killer into a painful reckoning with grief, friendship, and revenge.
The Last Law There Was
by Bill Brooks
1995
After an outlaw kills Ivory Cade's father, Ivory and his friend Albert Sand seek revenge. Their only hope may be Augustus Monroe, a legendary lawman whose reputation could be greater than his ability.
Deadwood
by Bill Brooks
1997
Three prostitutes are murdered in the rough town of Deadwood, and the killer remains free. The investigation unfolds among frontier legends including Doc Holliday, Wild Bill Hickok, and Calamity Jane.
Dust on the Wind
by Bill Brooks
1998
Quint McCannon reaches Cheyenne to learn that his best friend and partner has been murdered. Torn between love and revenge, he follows a mad-dog killer across the frontier with an unlikely band of companions.
Leaving Cheyenne
by Bill Brooks
1998
Quint McCannon buys a ranch hoping to leave detective work behind after his partner's murder. When a deputy marshal seeks his help locating a former lover accused of killing a judge's son, he rides again.
Pistolero
by Bill Brooks
1998
A hard-edged Western about a man shaped by the gun and the reputation that comes with it. Old enemies, dangerous choices, and the cost of survival press him toward a final confrontation.
Return to No Man's Land
by Bill Brooks
2000
Grieving the loss of his family, Quint McCannon accepts a near-suicidal mission in lawless Oklahoma Territory. To stop a killer beyond federal reach, he must cross No Man's Land and confront his own bitterness.
The Stone Garden
by Bill Brooks
2001
Twenty-seven years after Billy the Kid's supposed death, old rumors say Pat Garrett shot the wrong man. This alternate-history Western follows Billy and Manuella as the past, and Garrett, catch up with them.
Bonnie and Clyde
by Bill Brooks
2003
Bonnie Parker dreams of something bigger than her Texas life until she meets Clyde Barrow. Their devotion turns into a violent crime spree across the Southwest, with lawmen and fate closing in.
Defending Cody
by Bill Brooks
2003
Buffalo Bill Cody needs protection while leading a hunting party for prospective investors. An assassin's threat turns the expedition into a dangerous test of nerve, skill, and who can be trusted outdoors.
Pretty Boy
by Bill Brooks
2003
This fictional portrait follows Charles Arthur "Pretty Boy" Floyd from poverty toward the fast, violent life of a Depression-era outlaw. Bank robberies, family ties, and fame all pull him toward an inevitable reckoning.
Protecting Hickok
by Bill Brooks
2003
Wild Bill Hickok's name may inspire fear, but it also attracts trouble. When danger closes in, hired protection becomes essential in a frontier world where old grudges and quick guns can settle any score.
Saving Masterson
by Bill Brooks
2004
Bat Masterson finds himself at the center of a dangerous frontier assignment where reputation offers little protection. Hired defenders must sort allies from enemies before an old-style Western conflict turns deadly.
Killing Mr. Sunday
by Bill Brooks
2005
Jake Horn wants to disappear in Sweet Sorrow until gunfighter William Sunday arrives with a price on his head. Bounty hunters and killers follow, forcing Jake to stand beside a man already marked for death.
Last Stand at Sweet Sorrow
by Bill Brooks
2005
Fugitive healer Jake Horn reluctantly becomes marshal of Sweet Sorrow, a town drowning in crime. As violence rises, a bounty hunter arrives determined to claim the reward on Jake's own head.
The Big Gundown
by Bill Brooks
2005
Jake Horn knows murder when he sees it, but asking questions in Sweet Sorrow draws the wrong attention. Skilled killers close in as a lawman with a past fights to uncover the truth.
Rides a Stranger
by Bill Brooks
2006
Drifter Jim Glass reaches Coffin Flats looking for work and agrees to help its marshal. A ruthless rancher threatens to destroy the town unless his runaway wife is returned, leaving Jim to find another way.
A Bullet for Billy
by Bill Brooks
2007
Dying Texas Ranger Gus Rodgers asks Jim Glass to free his grandson from a Mexican prison. The general holding the boy wants Billy's head, and Jim must uncover the truth before a border war erupts.
Vengeance Trail
by Bill Brooks
2008
Texas Ranger Henry Dollar must escort killer Johnny Montana across Indian Territory to Judge Parker's court. Other pursuers want Montana dead, turning the journey into a deadly contest over whose justice will prevail.
The Horses
by Bill Brooks
2009
Jim Glass finds his hard-won peace destroyed when someone slaughters the horses in his corral. Tracking the culprit pulls him toward a town threatened by murderous brothers and a fresh wave of violence.
The Messenger
by Bill Brooks
2009
After his son's death breaks his family apart, rancher Royce Blood becomes a drifting, drunken man. A job guarding a stage line puts him on the trail of a killer and offers one last chance at purpose.
Blood Storm
by Bill Brooks
2012
Frontier detective John Henry Cole heads to Deadwood after three young women are murdered. Surrounded by corrupt interests and dangerous suspects, he uncovers a case that makes every lead a possible death sentence.
Frontier Justice
by Bill Brooks
2012
When Ike Kelly is murdered and his detective agency burned, John Henry Cole wants answers. His pursuit of a suspect leads through Cheyenne and beyond, where revenge, betrayal, and a deeper mystery collide.
Ride the Man Down
by Bill Brooks
2013
Fifteen years after being badly wounded in Indian Territory, John Henry Cole is summoned by Judge Parker. A gang is murdering Indian law officers and their families, and Cole must return to the place he nearly died.
Winter Kill
by Bill Brooks
2013
A devastating Cheyenne winter destroys John Henry Cole's ranch and plans for a settled life. Then a Texas Ranger asks him to find Ella Mims, Cole's former lover and a suspect in a Denver murder.
Go and Bury Your Dead
by Bill Brooks
2014
John Henry Cole leaves his quiet life to find a rancher's young wife, taken by the outlaw Lucky Jack. Traveling with the rancher's sons, Cole enters a pursuit complicated by greed, cruelty, and old wounds.
Men of Violence
by Bill Brooks
2014
John Henry Cole opens an agency with former lawmen in the outlaw-ridden Cherokee Strip. Their hunt for Sam Starr and his gang tests whether Cole's small team can bring dangerous men to justice.
The Righteous Revenge of Lucy Moon
by Bill Brooks
2015
Lucy Moon abandons her honeymoon after learning her mother has been murdered in Oklahoma's Pistol Barrel country. Determined to find the killer, she enters a violent world where even her closest ally may be guilty.
American Tragedy
by Bill Brooks
2016
Tom Dooley returns from the Civil War to a tangled affair that draws in several women from the Melton family. When Laura is murdered, Tom and Ann are arrested, and a tragic case begins.
Bill Doolin
by Bill Brooks
2016
In the fading days of the Old West, outlaw Bill Doolin and his Wild Bunch are hunted across Oklahoma Territory. U.S. Marshal Bill Tilghman closes in as Doolin fights for freedom and survival.
Stolen Horses
by Bill Brooks
2016
An aging outlaw catches John Paul stealing a horse, then joins the troubled young man on a dangerous scheme. A Texas Ranger follows close behind, convinced John Paul is running from a far worse crime.
The Girl With the Flamenco Tattoo
by Bill Brooks
2017
A dead young woman is found on the shore of a Montana lake, marked by a distinctive tattoo. Sheriff Billy Ray Blanco must solve his first real murder before the town's secrets swallow the investigation.
The Young Desperados
by Bill Brooks
2018
Young friends Albert Sand and Ivory Cade set out to bury a murdered friend, then chase an outlaw gang for a banker's reward. Their risky journey brings them face-to-face with frontier legends and danger.
Catch Me, Kill Me
by Bill Brooks
2019
Nina kills the man holding her after her boyfriend uses her in a drug deal. Boxer Bobby Lee refuses to throw a fight, and the two fugitives race across the country with killers behind them.
The Pistoleros
by Bill Brooks
2021
This Western trio follows three men who live by the gun: soldiers pulled into danger, a fading gunslinger facing a challenger, and an ex-desperado forced to confront his murderous brother.
Where to start with Bill Brooks
For frontier detective mysteries: Blood Storm → Frontier Justice → Winter Kill → Ride the Man Down.
For a drifting Western hero: Rides a Stranger → A Bullet for Billy → The Horses.
For troubled lawmen in Dakota Territory: The Big Gundown → Killing Mr. Sunday → Last Stand at Sweet Sorrow.
For historical outlaw fiction: The Stone Garden → Pretty Boy → Bonnie and Clyde.
Bill Brooks sub-series and character series
Dakota Lawman books in order
Explore this seriesIvory and Albert books in order
Explore this seriesJohn Henry Cole books in order
Explore this series
Blood Storm
by Bill Brooks
2012John Henry Cole, Book 1
Frontier Justice
by Bill Brooks
2012John Henry Cole, Book 2
Ride the Man Down
by Bill Brooks
2013John Henry Cole, Book 4
Winter Kill
by Bill Brooks
2013John Henry Cole, Book 3
Go and Bury Your Dead
by Bill Brooks
2014John Henry Cole, Book 6
Men of Violence
by Bill Brooks
2014John Henry Cole, Book 5
John Henry Cole books in chronological order

Blood Storm
by Bill Brooks
2012John Henry Cole, Book 1
Frontier Justice
by Bill Brooks
2012John Henry Cole, Book 2
Winter Kill
by Bill Brooks
2013John Henry Cole, Book 3
Ride the Man Down
by Bill Brooks
2013John Henry Cole, Book 4
Men of Violence
by Bill Brooks
2014John Henry Cole, Book 5
Go and Bury Your Dead
by Bill Brooks
2014John Henry Cole, Book 6
Journey of Jim Glass books in order
Explore this seriesLaw For Hire books in order
Explore this seriesBill Brooks collections, short stories, and related book types
Standalone Bill Brooks books

The Badmen
by Bill Brooks
1992
Buscadero
by Bill Brooks
1993
Longing for Home
by Bill Brooks
1994
Moon's Blood
by Bill Brooks
1994
Old Times
by Bill Brooks
1995
The Last Law There Was
by Bill Brooks
1995
Deadwood
by Bill Brooks
1997
Dust on the Wind
by Bill Brooks
1998
Leaving Cheyenne
by Bill Brooks
1998
Pistolero
by Bill Brooks
1998
Return to No Man's Land
by Bill Brooks
2000
The Stone Garden
by Bill Brooks
2001
Bonnie and Clyde
by Bill Brooks
2003
Pretty Boy
by Bill Brooks
2003
Vengeance Trail
by Bill Brooks
2008
The Messenger
by Bill Brooks
2009
The Righteous Revenge of Lucy Moon
by Bill Brooks
2015
American Tragedy
by Bill Brooks
2016
Bill Doolin
by Bill Brooks
2016
Stolen Horses
by Bill Brooks
2016
The Girl With the Flamenco Tattoo
by Bill Brooks
2017
Catch Me, Kill Me
by Bill Brooks
2019
Author bio
Bill Brooks was born in 1943 and came to writing by a long, indirect route. He grew up in a home without books, then discovered what libraries could do. They gave him a way to travel far beyond what his family could afford, and he began writing stories when he was eight.
The West got to him early, too. Brooks has spoken about growing up with the cowboy heroes of old films and television, including Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, and Lash LaRue. The history, the tall tales, and the hard choices behind the legends stayed with him.
At seventeen, he left home and spent time moving from place to place. He worked a string of ordinary jobs, including shoe salesman, gas station attendant, and shipyard worker. Those years gave him plenty of material, and a sense that a person's life can change quickly when money, weather, luck, or one bad decision gets in the way.
Before publishing fiction, Brooks built a career in health care. He worked as a respiratory therapist and later managed cardiopulmonary departments for sixteen years. Writing remained part of his life, but becoming a novelist still felt like a distant possibility.
Then he published his first novel at fifty. The Badmen arrived in 1992, beginning a career centered largely on Western and historical fiction. His books often bring together lawmen, outlaws, drifters, gamblers, and people trying to make a decent life in places where the law is thin and violence is never far away.
Brooks also likes to take well-known names off their pedestal and put them back into the mess of daily life. The Stone Garden imagines another possible fate for Billy the Kid, while Pretty Boy and Bonnie and Clyde turn to Depression-era criminals. His interest is usually in the people beneath the legend, their loyalties, fears, mistakes, and hopes.
For readers who prefer a continuing hero, the John Henry Cole novels follow a frontier detective and former lawman through murder cases, corrupt towns, and dangerous territory. The Jim Glass books take a more wandering route, following a tough but thoughtful Western man pulled into trouble wherever he lands. Brooks's stories tend to mix mystery, pursuit, revenge, and a strong sense of place.
Teaching has been another important part of his working life. Brooks has led novel-writing and fiction workshops at conferences and writing programs around the country, and he has also published short fiction and poetry. He has lived in several places, including Sedona, Arizona, and northeast Indiana.
His path was not a tidy one. That seems to be part of the point.
Brooks writes about people who keep going when the easy road has disappeared, whether they are holding a badge, running from one, or simply trying to get home.
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