Partners
by D. M. McGowan
Strategic Book Publishing
2008
ISBN: 978-1-934925-81-2
Trade Paperback
256 pages
Historical Fiction/Western
Buy now
1866 and 1867: dramatic years for Canada. All the politicking in the East will come to a head, and in July of 1867, Canada will become a federation. How does this affect Tom Brash and his partner Frank Clement? Well, a fellow who goes by the name of Colonel Coleman is determined to carve out an empire for himself in Southern Saskatchewan and Southern Alberta. The Mounties do not yet exist, the territory is still under the rule of The Hudson’s Bay Company (and there isn’t enough fur trade in that part of the country for them to invest in protecting it). The only thing standing between Coleman and his dreams are Brash, Clement and a rag-tag village of Blackfoot Indians.
Tom and Frank are headed for the gold fields, near Wild Horse Creek, New Caledonia (which will eventually become British Columbia). Along the way they must fight murderers, scoundrels like Coleman, a jealous Blackfoot warrior and the unknown and tricky customs of the Blackfeet themselves.
Once they make it to the gold fields and build up a stake, Tom and Frank and a few new acquaintances move on to the booming city of Barkerville. Determined to build something lasting, the men take advantage of the government’s plan to encourage settlers to move into the country, and they stake out some land. But the past has a way of catching up with you: Frank’s father, whom everyone believed was dead, shows up and breaks apart the Frank and Tom partnership. Then the Colonel, hell bent on revenge comes after the two, ending this saga in a good old-fashioned gunfight.
Partners is the second historical novel by D. M. McGowan that I’ve read. The first was set in the 1880′s and had less of a “Western” feel than does Partners. There were also fewer proofing errors in this book than in the first book (Homesteader).
One of the things I really enjoy about McGowan’s writing is the research he does and then puts into his books. For example, in Partners, he knowledgeably and comfortably writes about a vast array of weaponry, he moves his characters through real landscapes that had fluctuating borders (between Canada and the U.S.) and which history tells us was littered with criminals and whiskey pedlars. He even dealt with one of my grandfather’s pet peeves. Gramp’s used to say (when reading or watching a western) “Look at all that runnin’ their doing. Anybody runs a horse that way and it’s going to be dead.” Well, McGowan has his horses (when speed was necessary) run for only 15 minutes out of any hour. And then there’s my favourite part: Tom appears to solve the problem of Colonel Coleman with a clever trick, but I’m quite sure it was solved another way. Any Freemason reading the book will know what I mean. Others should do a little research.
As I said when I reviewed Homesteader, if you enjoy westerns or historical yarns, Partners will offer a unique and refreshing read. Visit the Canadian west: you might like it.
Copyright © Clayton Clifford Bye 2009
