born wolf DIE WOLF, the Last Rampage of the Terrible Harpes

born wolf DIE WOLF, the Last Rampage of the Terrible Harpes
E. Don Harpe
Publish America
ISBN: 1-4241-2668-1
Fiction, Crime Fiction
Reviewed by Eugen M. Bacon

A poignant dedication sets the scene for re-visiting history in a Wiley and Micajah Harpe close-up. The novel unveils a different perspective on two of the most feral killers in American history. Victims come to know the savagery of unholy Harpe fire when the blood thirst of the Wolf is awakened. Tory or colony: it didn’t matter any more. There is one heritage to protect. The stirrings of unrest grow to one giant rampage as Harpes begin fighting their own battles, and theirs is a razor-sharp rage.

E. Don Harpe does an impressive Southern drawl, and authentic dialogue paces the story. Outside active dialogue, narrative and non active exposition eclipse suspense. The book could have done with a tighter edit, perhaps from the publisher. A proficient touch to iron out, hone and clarify would have raised the novel from the bones of a good story to something exceptional. That said, the gist of the novel is not lost. Wilderness friendships, betrayals. The world of 18th Century described herein is a savage world where people take law into their own hands. Innocents suffer. Survivors carry, in turn, ferocious revenge. Blood for blood, bone for bone, and the ball rolls on. Tension and savagery pick a new tempo towards the end, the lawman on trail in the face of Joseph Ballenger. Aftermath chapters and a ‘coming soon’ sampler whet appetite for the next instalment: “Resurrection: Book Two of the Harpe Saga.”