Ben Stillman Books In Order

Publication Order of Sheriff Ben Stillman Books

In the Ben Stillman Series, Peter Brandvold builds a fascinating story that gets readers sitting at the edges of their seats. Since the first book in the series was released in 1998, titled Once a Marshal,’ Peter Brandvold went from strength to strength, developing a tale of twists and turns that has intrigued readers for eighteen years. The first time we meet Ben Stillman in the first book of the series, he is a retired US Marshal who is wasting away in a binge, smoking, and poker. His life takes a sharp turn when he receives the news of the death of his Pa, Bill Harmon, who he had not seen for twenty years. In the latest book of the series, Once More Into the Breech’ released in 2015, the book starts with the kidnapping of Dr. Clyde Evans. Same way, Ben Stillman’s problems begin.

Drama unfolds…

Ben Stillman was shot mistakenly by a whore, an incident that turned his life southwards. But that lifestyle is halted by the bad news of the death of his friend, Bill Harmon. The old marshal he is, Ben sets off to find out what was the trouble with the place called Hi-Line. He finds himself in some thick drama, where a new rich man named Donovan Hobbs was stealing cattle from local farmers, pushing them off the ranch. Hobbs grows vile, and some farmers are found dead, prompting Ben Stillman to report to the sheriff that he suspected that Hobbs killed Harmon, only to find that the Sherriff is Hobbs pocket. It gets complicated when he finds that Fay Beaumont, once a dear love to him, is married to Hobbs.

Ben Stillman spends two years in the countryside trying to get to the bottom of the matter. He goes back to Montana, only to find that some new trouble has been cooking and there are new boys who claim ownership of the town. The marshal of the town, Matt Dillon is injured and his deputy, Festus, is in charge of the town. There is a gang of cowboys that is ruffling the people feathers, and the fury of the townspeople if boiling. Ben Stillman has to play the fixer in the cocktail’ of drama, in the second book of the series, Once More With a .44.’

The third book in the Ben Stillman series came out in the year 2000, few months after the Once More With a .44’. Ben Stillman had done his fair of a good job in Clantic, Montana by helping the marshal and deputy marshal to deal with the wayward cowboys. He is set to revert to his normal lifestyle of fun and calmness, but there emerge trouble and danger. The local courtesan and his client are found dead, butchered through the throat, causing unrest among the people of Montana. They demand action, and Ben Stillman has to deliver a solution because he was Once a Lawman.’

The Once a Lawman’ was followed by yet another intriguing book, Once Hell Freezes Over,’ and as the idiom suggests, Ben Stillman came across one of the most unexpected events ever. He was settled to enjoy the winter with his wife, but, in a twist of fate, some bloodsucking outlaws take people hostage in the Montana Mountain Cabin. Like always, the people look up to Ben Stillman, and they tell him that they know he was the only person who could get the refugees alive from the hands of the murderous outlaws so far.

Once a Renegade’ came out in 2002, and it disrupts the life of Ben Stillman. There was some friction between the white people of Montana and some Indians. One day, Metis Indian Shambeau killed a white man and broke loose. Ben Stillman had to find him, and resolve the murder. Once Upon a Dead Man’ is the sixth book in the series, and it is filled with grip-wrecking grief, for the murder Marshal Boomhauer in a manner that indicated foul play from the community. The people are hiding some facts from Ben Stillman, but he has to serve justice to Marshal Boomhauer. Ben stumbles into deep secrets that led to the murder of the Marshal, and the discovery is surrounded by murder, gunfights, and hatred.

Once Late With A .38’ released in 2003 takes the trouble elsewhere. While Ben Stillman was solving the problems of Clantic town, the murder of the white man and the Marshal, something was happening in his backyard. Matt Parish had inherited the Circle P Ranch from his father after he died, and he used the opportunity to trouble other ranchers. Ben did not have many options but to intervene and solve the problem. As usual, it was never going to be easy.

The Ben Stillman series took a much-deserved break from 2003 to 2006, and that just served to increase the hunger for Peter Brandvold books, especially among the westerners. In this particular book, Hell on Wheel,’ the enemies of Ben Stillman combine efforts and commit to teaching him a lesson. The situation is not helped by the fact that some ex-Confederates are hunting the judge. The drama is filthy and threatens death, making for a perfect thriller story for someone who has been following the Ben Stillman Series so far.

The latest of the Ben Stillman Series came in 2015, Once More into the Breech’ a gripping tale that starts with the kidnapping of Dr. Clyde Evans to treat an injured outlaw. Ben Stillman traces Dr. Clyde to a remote cabin deep in the Two Bear Mountains. He outmaneuvers the outlaws, takes their loot and arrests one of them, Hettie Styles. An old enemy of Ben Stillman is released from prison. Ben Stillman had shot him, and a steel hook now replaced the arm. Hell breaks loose when someone shoots through Ben Stillman’s house, and from the set, he is sure that the man is out to settle old scores. Ben Stillman has to grapple with the threat of death by teaching Battles a lesson. Like the other books in the series, the last one, Once More into the Breech’ spins the reader’s memory to where it all began.