LoveReading Says
Gabriel Stokes has fled his life in London to join his friend in Oregon, hoping to leave behind the violence and corruption he’s seen as member of Metropolitan Police. But once he arrives, he discovers that Oregon provides the same violence and corruption he saw in London, just with a different accent.
Dark Frontier by Matthew Harffy takes the reader on a journey through the nascent American west, where land grabs were common, guns were prolific and justice is served by force, rather than the courts. Like all great westerns, this one has the usual cast of characters: a beyond reproach rancher who has been murdered, his stoic widow, a corrupt local sheriff, a land-grabbing cattle baron and even a faithful dog.
This is the fourteenth novel from Harffy, who is best known for his Bernicia Chronicles, an action-packed historical series set in seventh century Anglo-Saxon Britain. Dark Frontier benefits from his attention to detail and extensive research, as well as his ability to write a page-turning mystery.
In his author’s note, Harffy writes that he always wanted to write a Western, but he waited until he saw that the themes of nineteenth-century Oregon conflicts were similar to those of seventh-century Britain. He also outlines all of the research he did in order to ensure accuracy, including reading historical accounts, firing both revolvers and rifles, as well as riding horses around Oregon.
For those who’ve enjoyed this foray into the American west, Harffy writes that there will be more novels in this series.
Maureen Stapleton
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Dark Frontier Synopsis
A thrilling historical western set in 1890s Oregon. An English soldier turned policeman escapes to the American West for a new future, but life on the frontier proves far harder than he ever imagined...
'Slipping into Dark Frontier is like pulling on a comfortable pair of old cowboy boots. Matthew Harffy knows how to write a real western.' C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Three-Inch Teeth
'A modern western with grit in its teeth. A European soldier and man of the world finds the Wild West to be wilder than he might have expected. Much to the reader's delight.' Joe R. Lansdale
A man can flee from everything but his own nature.
1890. Lieutenant Gabriel Stokes of the British Army left behind the horrors of war for a role in the Metropolitan Police. Though he rose quickly through the ranks, the squalid violence of London's East End proved just as dark and oppressive as the battlefield.
With his life falling apart, and longing for peace and meaning, Gabriel leaves the grime of London behind and heads for the wide open spaces of the American West.
He soon realises that the wilds of Oregon are far from the idyll he has yearned for. The Blue Mountains may be beautiful, but with the frontier a complex patchwork of feuds and felonies, and ranchers as vicious as any back alley cut-throat in London, Gabriel finds himself unable to escape his past and the demons that drive him. Can he find a place for himself on the far edge of the New World?
'An incredibly satisfying novel.' Theodore Brun
'The best adventure novel I have read all year - in any genre.' Angus Donald
'Harffy breathes new life into the Western genre with all the sureness of a maestro. Dark Frontier is set to become an instant classic.' Richard Cullen
'What a terrific read this is! Well-written and well-paced.' Griff Hosker
'A phenomenally well-written and twisty fusion of classic western and tense Victorian detective thriller, with a bit of Jack Reacher thrown in.' Mark Knowles
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781804548615 |
| Publication date: |
16th January 2025 |
| Author: |
Matthew Harffy |
| Publisher: |
Head of Zeus an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK) |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
464 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Action Adventure
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| Other Genres: |
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Matthew Harffy Press Reviews
What a terrific read this is! A western combined with a sort of whodunit - perfect for someone who grew up watching all the cowboy shows on TV and then morphed into someone who loves detectives. This is a well-written and well-paced book. Gabriel Stokes and Jed White are wonderfully round and crafted characters. The landscape through which they move, Oregon, is both well-drawn and accurate. It feels like the frontier. The attention to detail is something we come to expect from a skilled writer such as Matthew but in this book, he excels himself. I finished the book in three days and it is a book that I know I will return to. - Griff Hosker
About Matthew Harffy
Matthew Harffy grew up in Northumberland where the rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline had a huge impact on him. He now lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters. Matthew is the author of the critically acclaimed Bernicia Chronicles and A Time for Swords series, and he also presents the popular podcast, Rock, Paper, Swords!, with fellow author Steven A. McKay.
More About Matthew Harffy
