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Terry Harknett Books in Order

Browse Terry Harknett books in order, from Edge and Apache to Crown, with pen names, short summaries, series notes, and tips on where to start.

Last updated: July 7, 2026

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Terry Harknett books in publication order

173 books

The Scratch on the Surface

by Terry Harknett

1962

Private investigator Steve Wayne sees a routine case crack open into something darker once he digs past the first, misleading clues.

Dead Little Rich Girl

by Terry Harknett

1963

A young wealthy woman's death pulls Wayne into a world of money, secrets, and people who think influence can bury murder.

Invitation to a Funeral

by Terry Harknett

1963

Wayne follows a case that begins with a funeral and quickly turns into a hunt through grief, lies, and old resentments.

Once a Copper

by Terry Harknett

1965

An ex-cop is pulled back into a violent investigation where old instincts help, but old enemies have not forgotten him.

Death of an aunt

by Terry Harknett

1967

An apparently small domestic death becomes a sharper puzzle for Wayne once family interests and hidden motives surface.

The Protectors

by Terry Harknett

1967

What begins as a job about safety and control turns into a tougher, dirtier struggle once loyalties start to shift.

The Two-Way Frame

by Terry Harknett

1967

Wayne works a case with two competing versions of the truth, where every lead points both forward and back.

Stopover for Murder

by Terry Harknett

1970

Los Angeles PI Chester Fortune takes what should be a short stopover and walks straight into a killing.

Softcover Kill

by Terry Harknett

1971

Wayne gets dragged into the publishing world, where reputation, money, and murder make a nasty combination.

W. I. T. C. H

by Terry Harknett

1971

A murky scheme and a dangerous acronym pull Harknett's characters into a brisk, paranoid thriller with violence close at hand.

Apache Death

by Terry Harknett

1972

A town-under-siege showdown tests Edge against Apache violence and the even uglier instincts of the white men around him.

Blood on Silver

by Terry Harknett

1972

Silver country promises profit, but Edge finds the usual mix of greed, ambush, and sudden death.

Dead Set

by Terry Harknett

1972

Hired after a fellow PI is attacked, Fortune investigates a murdered wife, stolen medals, blackmail, and a reckless client family.

Killer's Breed

by Terry Harknett

1972

The series turns back to Edge's Civil War past, where survival, bloodshed, and bitterness shaped the man he became.

One Horse Race

by Terry Harknett

1972

Fortune chases a case that looks fixed from the start, with too many vested interests and nowhere safe to stand.

Promotion Tour

by Terry Harknett

1972

A publicity trip becomes fertile ground for tension, rivalry, and crime once the smiles start to crack.

Ten Grand

by Terry Harknett

1972

Edge goes after ten thousand dollars and the kind of trouble money always attracts in the frontier West.

The Balearic Islands

by Terry Harknett

1972

A brisk travel title that sketches the islands' scenery, atmosphere, and practical appeal in an easy, compact format.

The Loner

by Terry Harknett

1972

Returning from the Civil War to find his brother murdered and his home destroyed, Edge begins the brutal vendetta that makes his name.

Black Death

by Terry Harknett

1973

A dark, fast-moving case pushes Fortune through the city's rough edges as violence keeps closing the exits.

Black Vengeance

by Terry Harknett

1973

Edge crosses paths with a revenge plot dark enough to match the title and deadly enough to trap everyone nearby.

Bloody Summer

by Terry Harknett

1973

Heat, tension, and a rising body count make this one of Edge's nastier seasonal rides.

California Killing

by Terry Harknett

1973

Edge heads west and rides into the kind of California dream that bleeds fast.

Seven Out of Hell

by Terry Harknett

1973

Outnumbered and badly placed, Edge faces a near-impossible survival job with enemies stacked all around him.

Squeeze play

by Terry Harknett

1973

Asked to find a missing young woman, Fortune walks into heroin, blackmail, organized crime, and corrupt politics.

The Blue, the Grey and the Red

by Terry Harknett

1973

Civil War hatred, prison misery, and frontier brutality collide in one of Edge's darkest war-bound adventures.

Upmarket Affair

by Terry Harknett

1973

A polished social circle hides a dirty case, and Wayne has to cut through class manners to find the danger underneath.

A Town Called Hate

by Terry Harknett

1974

Edge rides into a place whose name tells the truth, then has to live through what it means.

Big Gold

by Terry Harknett

1974

The lure of rich strike money draws out greed, treachery, and enough killing to poison the whole camp.

Bounty Hunter

by Terry Harknett

1974

Steele finds himself hunted for profit, turning a manhunt into another bloody test of speed and nerve.

Hell's Junction

by Terry Harknett

1974

A bad town and worse company force Steele into a fight where every road seems to end in gunfire.

Knife in the Night

by Terry Harknett

1974

Cuchillo keeps hunting the sadistic Pinner, knowing luck cannot save his enemy forever.

Macao Mayhem

by Terry Harknett

1974

A murdered girl leads Crown and Chang Po from Hong Kong into Macau and toward a trade in secrets worth killing for.

Sioux Uprising

by Terry Harknett

1974

War on the plains leaves Edge navigating chaos where soldiers and Sioux alike can kill without warning.

The Biggest Bounty

by Terry Harknett

1974

A fortune on someone's head turns the frontier into a feeding frenzy, and Edge is right in the middle of it.

The First Death

by Terry Harknett

1974

Cuchillo Oro, grandson of Mangas Coloradas, begins his war on the men who maimed him and murdered his family.

The Hero

by Terry Harknett

1974

A public image of courage starts to crack as danger, pressure, and private motives collide.

The Sweet And Sour Kill

by Terry Harknett

1974

Chief Superintendent John Crown takes on American mobsters muscling into Hong Kong's rackets and learns fast how expensive turf wars can be.

The Violent Peace

by Terry Harknett

1974

In the violent aftermath of the Civil War, Adam Steele starts a vengeance hunt after his father is lynched and the law turns against him.

Bamboo Shoot-Out

by Terry Harknett

1975

Crown and Chang Po cross into China on a covert mission where secrecy is thin, the stakes are high, and bodies fall fast.

Blood Run

by Terry Harknett

1975

What starts as movement across hard country becomes a full-bore run through blood and gunfire.

Caribbean

by Terry Harknett

1975

A compact travel title that gives readers a quick sense of the Caribbean's places, mood, and sunlit variety.

Death Train

by Terry Harknett

1975

Trapped with wagon-train survivors dying of thirst and hunger, Cuchillo becomes the most expendable man in a desperate camp.

Duel to the Death

by Terry Harknett

1975

Falsely accused and facing the hangman, Cuchillo has to escape, find the real killer, and take justice into his own hands.

Fort Treachery

by Terry Harknett

1975

Entering a white-held fort takes every ounce of Cuchillo's restraint, because one insult too many could start a massacre.

Gun Run

by Terry Harknett

1975

Moving weapons through dangerous territory puts Steele between greedy men, frightened settlers, and an awful lot of lead.

The Final Shot

by Terry Harknett

1975

Edge heads toward a showdown where timing matters more than mercy.

The Killing Art

by Terry Harknett

1975

Steele faces opponents who treat murder like craft, and staying alive means learning their pattern before they finish it.

Valley of Blood

by Terry Harknett

1975

Steele rides into country already primed for slaughter and has to survive the next eruption.

Vengeance Valley

by Terry Harknett

1975

A valley already rich in grudges turns into perfect ground for Edge's kind of justice.

Ashes and Dust

by Terry Harknett

1976

Burned hopes and blasted country frame another harsh ride through aftermath and revenge.

Badge in the Dust

by Terry Harknett

1976

A lawman's badge carries little weight in hard country, and Steele knows justice may have to come the rough way.

Blood Line

by Terry Harknett

1976

After Cuchillo rescues Linda Daughton, a ruthless rich man named Frankie Ettinger comes after him with revenge on his mind.

Comanche Carnage

by Terry Harknett

1976

Frontier tensions explode, and Steele is trapped in a brutal struggle where no one keeps clean hands.

Cross-Fire

by Terry Harknett

1976

Caught between opposing guns, Steele has to outlast both sides before the crossfire closes completely.

Lynch Town

by Terry Harknett

1976

A town quick with the rope and slow with the truth gives Steele every reason to distrust local justice.

Sonora Slaughter

by Terry Harknett

1976

A wounded bounty hunter, Mexican bandits, and a firing squad leave Cuchillo fighting for survival in brutal Sonoran heat.

Sullivan's Law

by Terry Harknett

1976

Somebody thinks his own rules outrank the law, and Edge is bound to test that claim the hard way.

Ten Tombstones to Texas

by Terry Harknett

1976

The trail south is lined with bodies, and Edge knows there is room for more.

The Losers

by Terry Harknett

1976

A ragged group with nothing left to lose makes trouble deadlier than usual, especially once Steele gets involved.

All Blood is Red

by Terry Harknett

1977

Trying to save a woman in Oregon only gets Cuchillo blamed for murder and hunted by men who want him dead.

Blood on the Tracks

by Terry Harknett

1977

Accused of a railroad massacre he did not commit, Cuchillo must survive cavalry brutality and a renegade Apache rival.

Bloody Border

by Terry Harknett

1977

Near the border, divided loyalties and old grudges turn Steele's path into a killing ground.

Death Trail

by Terry Harknett

1977

Steele follows a trail where every stop adds another body and another reason to keep riding.

Delta Duel

by Terry Harknett

1977

Rivalries harden into open conflict, and Steele gets dragged toward a showdown neither side can avoid.

Echoes of War

by Terry Harknett

1977

The war may be over, but its noise still follows Edge into another deadly reckoning.

Rhapsody in Red

by Terry Harknett

1977

Violence comes with a dark flourish as Edge rides into a case where blood keeps setting the tempo.

River of Death

by Terry Harknett

1977

A river crossing becomes a trap when enemies, terrain, and bad timing all turn deadly.

Slaughter Road

by Terry Harknett

1977

The road ahead is straight, ugly, and likely lined with corpses before Edge is done with it.

The Day Democracy Died

by Terry Harknett

1977

Power, fear, and mob rule twist frontier politics into something lethal, and Edge walks straight into it.

The Naked and the Savage

by Terry Harknett

1977

Cuchillo follows Pinner to San Francisco, where the hunt spills from the trail into crowded streets and a desperate escape.

Death Drive

by Terry Harknett

1978

What should be a ride becomes a relentless push through danger, pursuit, and killing.

Eve of Evil

by Terry Harknett

1978

On the brink of disaster, Edge finds men and women already leaning toward the worst.

Fool's Gold

by Terry Harknett

1978

Left for dead by the Doubleday brothers, Cuchillo rises to claim revenge and a deadly share in a treasure hunt.

Nightmare at Noon

by Terry Harknett

1978

Broad daylight brings terror instead of safety, and Steele has to react before panic becomes massacre.

Satan's Daughters

by Terry Harknett

1978

Steele crosses paths with a dangerous female-led threat, and the trouble is sharper than he first thinks.

Savage Dawn

by Terry Harknett

1978

Sunrise brings no peace, only fresh brutality and another hard day's survival for Edge.

The Cruel Trail

by Terry Harknett

1978

Captured by deserters hunting buried treasure, Cuchillo bargains for his life and plots a savage trap of his own.

The Living, the Dying and the Dead

by Terry Harknett

1978

Edge moves through a landscape where no one stays safely in only one of those states for long.

Violence Trail

by Terry Harknett

1978

The trail speaks plainly this time, promising trouble at every stop and delivering it.

Blood Rising

by Terry Harknett

1979

Forced onto the trail with the man who murdered his family, Cuchillo faces ambush, memory, and a revenge plan thrown badly off course.

Born to Die

by Terry Harknett

1979

A dying prophecy says Pinner must have wife and child before vengeance is fulfilled, and Cuchillo waits for the chance to strike where it all began.

Fort Despair

by Terry Harknett

1979

A fort that ought to mean safety proves almost the opposite once fear and violence take hold.

Red Fury

by Terry Harknett

1979

Anger and bloodshed drive this one at full speed, with Edge caught in the center of the storm.

The Best Man

by Terry Harknett

1979

Still sworn to kill Cyrus Pinner, Cuchillo closes in again as prophecy, marriage, and revenge all converge.

The Big Game

by Terry Harknett

1979

When gunslingers gather to prove who is fastest, Steele gets hired to keep order and ends up in the middle of the killing.

The Frightened Gun

by Terry Harknett

1979

Fear makes bad gunmen worse, and Edge has to guess who will break first.

The Guilty Ones

by Terry Harknett

1979

Edge hits a case where blame is everywhere and innocence may not matter much.

The Hard Way

by Terry Harknett

1979

With every easier option gone, Steele is left to do things the only way he fully trusts, the hard way.

The Tarnished Star

by Terry Harknett

1979

A damaged reputation sits at the center of a frontier conflict that tests what honor still means out West.

Wagons East

by Terry Harknett

1979

Wagon travel, exposed country, and hostile company turn a journey into a running fight for survival.

Waiting for a Train

by Terry Harknett

1979

A pause in travel becomes a trap when delay gives violence time to gather.

Wanted for Murder

by Terry Harknett

1979

Steele is either accused, or too close to the accused, and staying free means getting to the truth first.

A Ride in the Sun

by Terry Harknett

1980

Daylight gives no safety when the ride itself is lined with enemies.

Blood Brother

by Terry Harknett

1980

Another Apache is using Cuchillo's name and golden knife, forcing him to hunt an impostor who is staining his legend with murder.

Death Deal

by Terry Harknett

1980

A bargain is struck under deadly terms, and Edge knows the price will rise fast.

Manhunt

by Terry Harknett

1980

Pursuer and prey keep changing places in a hard-running hunt across dangerous country.

Slow Dying

by Terry Harknett

1980

After witnessing a savage attack on a Ute woman and children, Cuchillo turns his anger on a sheriff and deputies who mistake cruelty for law.

Steele's War: The Preacher

by Terry Harknett

1980

Faith and old war scars collide as Steele confronts a preacher tied to his haunted past.

Steele's War: The Woman

by Terry Harknett

1980

Settled life starts to crack when a woman brings back the blood-soaked memories Steele wanted buried.

Where to start with Terry Harknett

If you want his signature violent westerns: The LonerTen GrandApache Death
If you want a revenge-driven frontier saga: The First DeathKnife in the NightDuel to the Death
If you want 1970s Hong Kong crime: The Sweet And Sour KillMacao MayhemBamboo Shoot-Out
If you want his earlier private-eye side: The Scratch on the SurfaceDead Little Rich GirlInvitation to a Funeral

Adam Steele books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Bounty Hunter"

    Bounty Hunter

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Adam Steele, Book 2
  2. Book cover for "Hell's Junction"

    Hell's Junction

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Adam Steele, Book 3
  3. Book cover for "The Violent Peace"

    The Violent Peace

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Adam Steele, Book 1
  4. Book cover for "Gun Run"

    Gun Run

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Adam Steele, Book 5
  5. Book cover for "The Killing Art"

    The Killing Art

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Adam Steele, Book 6
  6. Book cover for "Valley of Blood"

    Valley of Blood

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Adam Steele, Book 4
  7. Book cover for "Badge in the Dust"

    Badge in the Dust

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 9
  8. Book cover for "Comanche Carnage"

    Comanche Carnage

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Cross-Fire"

    Cross-Fire

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 7
  10. Book cover for "Lynch Town"

    Lynch Town

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 11
  11. Book cover for "The Losers"

    The Losers

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 10
  12. Book cover for "Bloody Border"

    Bloody Border

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Adam Steele, Book 13
  13. Book cover for "Death Trail"

    Death Trail

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Adam Steele, Book 12
  14. Book cover for "Delta Duel"

    Delta Duel

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Adam Steele, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "River of Death"

    River of Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Adam Steele, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "Nightmare at Noon"

    Nightmare at Noon

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Adam Steele, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "Satan's Daughters"

    Satan's Daughters

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Adam Steele, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "Fort Despair"

    Fort Despair

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 23
  19. Book cover for "The Big Game"

    The Big Game

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 22
  20. Book cover for "The Hard Way"

    The Hard Way

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 18
  21. Book cover for "The Tarnished Star"

    The Tarnished Star

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 19
  22. Book cover for "Wagons East"

    Wagons East

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 21
  23. Book cover for "Wanted for Murder"

    Wanted for Murder

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 20
  24. Book cover for "Manhunt"

    Manhunt

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Adam Steele, Book 24
  25. Book cover for "Steele's War: The Preacher"

    Steele's War: The Preacher

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Adam Steele, Book 26
  26. Book cover for "Steele's War: The Woman"

    Steele's War: The Woman

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Adam Steele, Book 25

Adam Steele books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Violent Peace"

    The Violent Peace

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Adam Steele, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Bounty Hunter"

    Bounty Hunter

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Adam Steele, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Hell's Junction"

    Hell's Junction

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Adam Steele, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Valley of Blood"

    Valley of Blood

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Adam Steele, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Gun Run"

    Gun Run

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Adam Steele, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Killing Art"

    The Killing Art

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Adam Steele, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Cross-Fire"

    Cross-Fire

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Comanche Carnage"

    Comanche Carnage

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Badge in the Dust"

    Badge in the Dust

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "The Losers"

    The Losers

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Lynch Town"

    Lynch Town

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Adam Steele, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Death Trail"

    Death Trail

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Adam Steele, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "Bloody Border"

    Bloody Border

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Adam Steele, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "Delta Duel"

    Delta Duel

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Adam Steele, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "River of Death"

    River of Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Adam Steele, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "Nightmare at Noon"

    Nightmare at Noon

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Adam Steele, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "Satan's Daughters"

    Satan's Daughters

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Adam Steele, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "The Hard Way"

    The Hard Way

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 18
  19. Book cover for "The Tarnished Star"

    The Tarnished Star

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 19
  20. Book cover for "Wanted for Murder"

    Wanted for Murder

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 20
  21. Book cover for "Wagons East"

    Wagons East

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 21
  22. Book cover for "The Big Game"

    The Big Game

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 22
  23. Book cover for "Fort Despair"

    Fort Despair

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Adam Steele, Book 23
  24. Book cover for "Manhunt"

    Manhunt

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Adam Steele, Book 24
  25. Book cover for "Steele's War: The Woman"

    Steele's War: The Woman

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Adam Steele, Book 25
  26. Book cover for "Steele's War: The Preacher"

    Steele's War: The Preacher

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Adam Steele, Book 26

Apache (Terry Harknett) books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Knife in the Night"

    Knife in the Night

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Apache, Book 2
  2. Book cover for "The First Death"

    The First Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Apache, Book 1
  3. Book cover for "Death Train"

    Death Train

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Apache, Book 4
  4. Book cover for "Duel to the Death"

    Duel to the Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Apache, Book 3
  5. Book cover for "Fort Treachery"

    Fort Treachery

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Apache, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Blood Line"

    Blood Line

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Apache, Book 7
  7. Book cover for "Sonora Slaughter"

    Sonora Slaughter

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Apache, Book 6
  8. Book cover for "All Blood is Red"

    All Blood is Red

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Apache, Book 10
  9. Book cover for "Blood on the Tracks"

    Blood on the Tracks

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Apache, Book 8
  10. Book cover for "The Naked and the Savage"

    The Naked and the Savage

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Apache, Book 9
  11. Book cover for "Fool's Gold"

    Fool's Gold

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Apache, Book 12
  12. Book cover for "The Cruel Trail"

    The Cruel Trail

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Apache, Book 11
  13. Book cover for "Blood Rising"

    Blood Rising

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Apache, Book 15
  14. Book cover for "Born to Die"

    Born to Die

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Apache, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "The Best Man"

    The Best Man

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Apache, Book 13
  16. Book cover for "Blood Brother"

    Blood Brother

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Apache, Book 17
  17. Book cover for "Slow Dying"

    Slow Dying

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Apache, Book 18

Apache (Terry Harknett) books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The First Death"

    The First Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Apache, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Knife in the Night"

    Knife in the Night

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Apache, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Duel to the Death"

    Duel to the Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Apache, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Death Train"

    Death Train

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Apache, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Fort Treachery"

    Fort Treachery

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Apache, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Sonora Slaughter"

    Sonora Slaughter

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Apache, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Blood Line"

    Blood Line

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Apache, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Blood on the Tracks"

    Blood on the Tracks

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Apache, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "The Naked and the Savage"

    The Naked and the Savage

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Apache, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "All Blood is Red"

    All Blood is Red

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Apache, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "The Cruel Trail"

    The Cruel Trail

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Apache, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Fool's Gold"

    Fool's Gold

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Apache, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "The Best Man"

    The Best Man

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Apache, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "Born to Die"

    Born to Die

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Apache, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "Blood Rising"

    Blood Rising

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Apache, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "Blood Brother"

    Blood Brother

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Apache, Book 17
  17. Book cover for "Slow Dying"

    Slow Dying

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Apache, Book 18

Crown books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Macao Mayhem"

    Macao Mayhem

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Crown, Book 2
  2. Book cover for "The Sweet And Sour Kill"

    The Sweet And Sour Kill

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Crown, Book 1
  3. Book cover for "Bamboo Shoot-Out"

    Bamboo Shoot-Out

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Crown, Book 3

Crown books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Sweet And Sour Kill"

    The Sweet And Sour Kill

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Crown, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Macao Mayhem"

    Macao Mayhem

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Crown, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Bamboo Shoot-Out"

    Bamboo Shoot-Out

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Crown, Book 3

Edge (Terry Harknett) books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Apache Death"

    Apache Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 3
  2. Book cover for "Blood on Silver"

    Blood on Silver

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 5
  3. Book cover for "Killer's Breed"

    Killer's Breed

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 4
  4. Book cover for "Ten Grand"

    Ten Grand

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 2
  5. Book cover for "The Loner"

    The Loner

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 1
  6. Book cover for "Black Vengeance"

    Black Vengeance

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 10
  7. Book cover for "Bloody Summer"

    Bloody Summer

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 9
  8. Book cover for "California Killing"

    California Killing

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 7
  9. Book cover for "Seven Out of Hell"

    Seven Out of Hell

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 8
  10. Book cover for "The Blue, the Grey and the Red"

    The Blue, the Grey and the Red

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 6
  11. Book cover for "A Town Called Hate"

    A Town Called Hate

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Edge, Book 13
  12. Book cover for "Big Gold"

    Big Gold

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Edge, Book 14
  13. Book cover for "Sioux Uprising"

    Sioux Uprising

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Edge, Book 11
  14. Book cover for "The Biggest Bounty"

    The Biggest Bounty

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Edge, Book 12
  15. Book cover for "Blood Run"

    Blood Run

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Edge, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "The Final Shot"

    The Final Shot

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Edge, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "Vengeance Valley"

    Vengeance Valley

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Edge, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "Ashes and Dust"

    Ashes and Dust

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Edge, Book 19
  19. Book cover for "Sullivan's Law"

    Sullivan's Law

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Edge, Book 20
  20. Book cover for "Ten Tombstones to Texas"

    Ten Tombstones to Texas

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Edge, Book 18
  21. Book cover for "Echoes of War"

    Echoes of War

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Edge, Book 23
  22. Book cover for "Rhapsody in Red"

    Rhapsody in Red

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Edge, Book 21
  23. Book cover for "Slaughter Road"

    Slaughter Road

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Edge, Book 22
  24. Book cover for "The Day Democracy Died"

    The Day Democracy Died

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Edge, Book 24
  25. Book cover for "Death Drive"

    Death Drive

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 27
  26. Book cover for "Eve of Evil"

    Eve of Evil

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 28
  27. Book cover for "Savage Dawn"

    Savage Dawn

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 26
  28. Book cover for "The Living, the Dying and the Dead"

    The Living, the Dying and the Dead

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 29
  29. Book cover for "Violence Trail"

    Violence Trail

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 25
  30. Book cover for "Red Fury"

    Red Fury

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Edge, Book 33
  31. Book cover for "The Frightened Gun"

    The Frightened Gun

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Edge, Book 32
  32. Book cover for "The Guilty Ones"

    The Guilty Ones

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Edge, Book 31
  33. Book cover for "Waiting for a Train"

    Waiting for a Train

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Edge, Book 30
  34. Book cover for "A Ride in the Sun"

    A Ride in the Sun

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Edge, Book 34
  35. Book cover for "Death Deal"

    Death Deal

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Edge, Book 35

Edge (Terry Harknett) books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Loner"

    The Loner

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Ten Grand"

    Ten Grand

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Apache Death"

    Apache Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Killer's Breed"

    Killer's Breed

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Blood on Silver"

    Blood on Silver

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Edge, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "The Blue, the Grey and the Red"

    The Blue, the Grey and the Red

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "California Killing"

    California Killing

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Seven Out of Hell"

    Seven Out of Hell

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Bloody Summer"

    Bloody Summer

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Black Vengeance"

    Black Vengeance

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Edge, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "Sioux Uprising"

    Sioux Uprising

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Edge, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "The Biggest Bounty"

    The Biggest Bounty

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Edge, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "A Town Called Hate"

    A Town Called Hate

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Edge, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "Big Gold"

    Big Gold

    by Terry Harknett

    1974Edge, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "Blood Run"

    Blood Run

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Edge, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "The Final Shot"

    The Final Shot

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Edge, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "Vengeance Valley"

    Vengeance Valley

    by Terry Harknett

    1975Edge, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "Ten Tombstones to Texas"

    Ten Tombstones to Texas

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Edge, Book 18
  19. Book cover for "Ashes and Dust"

    Ashes and Dust

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Edge, Book 19
  20. Book cover for "Sullivan's Law"

    Sullivan's Law

    by Terry Harknett

    1976Edge, Book 20
  21. Book cover for "Rhapsody in Red"

    Rhapsody in Red

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Edge, Book 21
  22. Book cover for "Slaughter Road"

    Slaughter Road

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Edge, Book 22
  23. Book cover for "Echoes of War"

    Echoes of War

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Edge, Book 23
  24. Book cover for "The Day Democracy Died"

    The Day Democracy Died

    by Terry Harknett

    1977Edge, Book 24
  25. Book cover for "Violence Trail"

    Violence Trail

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 25
  26. Book cover for "Savage Dawn"

    Savage Dawn

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 26
  27. Book cover for "Death Drive"

    Death Drive

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 27
  28. Book cover for "Eve of Evil"

    Eve of Evil

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 28
  29. Book cover for "The Living, the Dying and the Dead"

    The Living, the Dying and the Dead

    by Terry Harknett

    1978Edge, Book 29
  30. Book cover for "Waiting for a Train"

    Waiting for a Train

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Edge, Book 30
  31. Book cover for "The Guilty Ones"

    The Guilty Ones

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Edge, Book 31
  32. Book cover for "The Frightened Gun"

    The Frightened Gun

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Edge, Book 32
  33. Book cover for "Red Fury"

    Red Fury

    by Terry Harknett

    1979Edge, Book 33
  34. Book cover for "A Ride in the Sun"

    A Ride in the Sun

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Edge, Book 34
  35. Book cover for "Death Deal"

    Death Deal

    by Terry Harknett

    1980Edge, Book 35

Fortune (Terry Harknett) books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "Stopover for Murder"

    Stopover for Murder

    by Terry Harknett

    1970Fortune, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Dead Set"

    Dead Set

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Fortune, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "One Horse Race"

    One Horse Race

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Fortune, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Black Death"

    Black Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Fortune, Book 4

Fortune (Terry Harknett) books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Stopover for Murder"

    Stopover for Murder

    by Terry Harknett

    1970Fortune, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Dead Set"

    Dead Set

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Fortune, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "One Horse Race"

    One Horse Race

    by Terry Harknett

    1972Fortune, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Black Death"

    Black Death

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Fortune, Book 4

Steve Wayne books in order

Explore this series
  1. Book cover for "The Scratch on the Surface"

    The Scratch on the Surface

    by Terry Harknett

    1962Steve Wayne, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Dead Little Rich Girl"

    Dead Little Rich Girl

    by Terry Harknett

    1963Steve Wayne, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Invitation to a Funeral"

    Invitation to a Funeral

    by Terry Harknett

    1963Steve Wayne, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Death of an aunt"

    Death of an aunt

    by Terry Harknett

    1967Steve Wayne, Book 5
  5. Book cover for "The Two-Way Frame"

    The Two-Way Frame

    by Terry Harknett

    1967Steve Wayne, Book 4
  6. Book cover for "Softcover Kill"

    Softcover Kill

    by Terry Harknett

    1971Steve Wayne, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Upmarket Affair"

    Upmarket Affair

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Steve Wayne, Book 7

Steve Wayne books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "The Scratch on the Surface"

    The Scratch on the Surface

    by Terry Harknett

    1962Steve Wayne, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Dead Little Rich Girl"

    Dead Little Rich Girl

    by Terry Harknett

    1963Steve Wayne, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "Invitation to a Funeral"

    Invitation to a Funeral

    by Terry Harknett

    1963Steve Wayne, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Two-Way Frame"

    The Two-Way Frame

    by Terry Harknett

    1967Steve Wayne, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Death of an aunt"

    Death of an aunt

    by Terry Harknett

    1967Steve Wayne, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Softcover Kill"

    Softcover Kill

    by Terry Harknett

    1971Steve Wayne, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Upmarket Affair"

    Upmarket Affair

    by Terry Harknett

    1973Steve Wayne, Book 7

Terry Harknett collections, short stories, and related book types

Non-Fiction

  1. Book cover for "The Balearic Islands"

    The Balearic Islands

    by Terry Harknett

    1972
  2. Book cover for "Caribbean"

    Caribbean

    by Terry Harknett

    1975

Standalone Terry Harknett books

  1. Book cover for "Once a Copper"

    Once a Copper

    by Terry Harknett

    1965
  2. Book cover for "The Protectors"

    The Protectors

    by Terry Harknett

    1967
  3. Book cover for "W. I. T. C. H"

    W. I. T. C. H

    by Terry Harknett

    1971
  4. Book cover for "Promotion Tour"

    Promotion Tour

    by Terry Harknett

    1972
  5. Book cover for "Squeeze play"

    Squeeze play

    by Terry Harknett

    1973
  6. Book cover for "The Hero"

    The Hero

    by Terry Harknett

    1974

Author bio

Terry Harknett was born in Rainham, Essex, in December 1936, and he grew up in the kind of postwar England that taught people to get on with things. Before books took over, he wanted to be a car mechanic. Then he left Rainham Secondary Modern School in 1951, chose journalism instead, and went to work at Reuters.

On night duty at Reuters Comtelburo in 1953, he wrote and sold his first short story, a romance called Katie's Birthday. That small sale mattered. It showed him he could turn spare hours and a typewriter into something real.

He did not begin as a western writer.

He sold short fiction, served in the Royal Air Force during National Service, worked as a publicity assistant at the British office of Twentieth Century Fox, and in 1961 became a reporter and features editor for National Newsagent, a weekly book trade magazine. Raymond Chandler was an early influence, and his first full-length novel, The Benevolent Blackmailer, appeared in 1962. More early crime novels followed, including the Steve Wayne mysteries and the hard-boiled Chester Fortune books written as Thomas H. Stone.

Then the West arrived.

Harknett later said he was not especially drawn to westerns at first. He knew them mostly from films and television, and when he was asked to write one he thought he could not do it. He learned on the job, researching guns, towns, and frontier detail as he went. After a handful of film novelizations, including A Town Called Bastard and A Fistful of Dollars, he was commissioned to write an original western series. That became The Loner, the first Edge novel, and it changed the course of his career.

Edge was the book that made his name, even if the name on the cover was George G. Gilman. Edge, Adam Steele, the Undertaker books, and the Apache novels helped make Harknett one of the central writers in the rough, fast, hard-edged wave of British western paperbacks often linked with the Piccadilly Cowboys. He wrote a lot, and fast. By his own account, he could turn out a western in little more than a week in the early years.

His crime writing never really disappeared, though. Readers who come to Harknett through The Sweet And Sour Kill or Macao Mayhem get a different side of him, one interested in police work, city pressure, and tight pulp plotting. The Steve Wayne books show his early Chandler influence more clearly. The Chester Fortune novels shift the action to Los Angeles and give it a harder American feel.

He kept the pace up for years, publishing under a long list of pseudonyms that included George G. Gilman, William M. James, Thomas H. Stone, Joseph Hedges, Charles R. Pike, Frank Chandler, and others. That was part of the trade at the time, but it also suited him. Harknett could move between crime, westerns, film tie-ins, and straight pulp action without making a fuss about the boundary lines.

In later years he stepped back from the commercial rush that had defined so much of his working life. After the main western boom ended he still wrote, often more for his own satisfaction than for the market. He died on 23 January 2019. What remains is a huge, energetic body of work, almost 200 books, full of sharp turns, hard people, and a writer who clearly knew how to keep pages moving.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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