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 Loner → Ten Grand → Apache Death
If you want a revenge-driven frontier saga: The First Death → Knife in the Night → Duel to the Death
If you want 1970s Hong Kong crime: The Sweet And Sour Kill → Macao Mayhem → Bamboo Shoot-Out
If you want his earlier private-eye side: The Scratch on the Surface → Dead Little Rich Girl → Invitation to a Funeral
Terry Harknett sub-series and character series
Adam Steele books in order
Explore this series
Bounty Hunter
by Terry Harknett
1974Adam Steele, Book 2
Hell's Junction
by Terry Harknett
1974Adam Steele, Book 3
The Violent Peace
by Terry Harknett
1974Adam Steele, Book 1
Gun Run
by Terry Harknett
1975Adam Steele, Book 5
The Killing Art
by Terry Harknett
1975Adam Steele, Book 6
Valley of Blood
by Terry Harknett
1975Adam Steele, Book 4
Badge in the Dust
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 9
Comanche Carnage
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 8
Cross-Fire
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 7
Lynch Town
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 11
The Losers
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 10
Bloody Border
by Terry Harknett
1977Adam Steele, Book 13
Death Trail
by Terry Harknett
1977Adam Steele, Book 12
Delta Duel
by Terry Harknett
1977Adam Steele, Book 14
River of Death
by Terry Harknett
1977Adam Steele, Book 15
Nightmare at Noon
by Terry Harknett
1978Adam Steele, Book 16
Satan's Daughters
by Terry Harknett
1978Adam Steele, Book 17
Fort Despair
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 23
The Big Game
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 22
The Hard Way
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 18
The Tarnished Star
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 19
Wagons East
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 21
Wanted for Murder
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 20
Manhunt
by Terry Harknett
1980Adam Steele, Book 24
Steele's War: The Preacher
by Terry Harknett
1980Adam Steele, Book 26
Steele's War: The Woman
by Terry Harknett
1980Adam Steele, Book 25
Adam Steele books in chronological order

The Violent Peace
by Terry Harknett
1974Adam Steele, Book 1
Bounty Hunter
by Terry Harknett
1974Adam Steele, Book 2
Hell's Junction
by Terry Harknett
1974Adam Steele, Book 3
Valley of Blood
by Terry Harknett
1975Adam Steele, Book 4
Gun Run
by Terry Harknett
1975Adam Steele, Book 5
The Killing Art
by Terry Harknett
1975Adam Steele, Book 6
Cross-Fire
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 7
Comanche Carnage
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 8
Badge in the Dust
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 9
The Losers
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 10
Lynch Town
by Terry Harknett
1976Adam Steele, Book 11
Death Trail
by Terry Harknett
1977Adam Steele, Book 12
Bloody Border
by Terry Harknett
1977Adam Steele, Book 13
Delta Duel
by Terry Harknett
1977Adam Steele, Book 14
River of Death
by Terry Harknett
1977Adam Steele, Book 15
Nightmare at Noon
by Terry Harknett
1978Adam Steele, Book 16
Satan's Daughters
by Terry Harknett
1978Adam Steele, Book 17
The Hard Way
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 18
The Tarnished Star
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 19
Wanted for Murder
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 20
Wagons East
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 21
The Big Game
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 22
Fort Despair
by Terry Harknett
1979Adam Steele, Book 23
Manhunt
by Terry Harknett
1980Adam Steele, Book 24
Steele's War: The Woman
by Terry Harknett
1980Adam Steele, Book 25
Steele's War: The Preacher
by Terry Harknett
1980Adam Steele, Book 26
Apache (Terry Harknett) books in order
Explore this series
Knife in the Night
by Terry Harknett
1974Apache, Book 2
The First Death
by Terry Harknett
1974Apache, Book 1
Death Train
by Terry Harknett
1975Apache, Book 4
Duel to the Death
by Terry Harknett
1975Apache, Book 3
Fort Treachery
by Terry Harknett
1975Apache, Book 5
Blood Line
by Terry Harknett
1976Apache, Book 7
Sonora Slaughter
by Terry Harknett
1976Apache, Book 6
All Blood is Red
by Terry Harknett
1977Apache, Book 10
Blood on the Tracks
by Terry Harknett
1977Apache, Book 8
The Naked and the Savage
by Terry Harknett
1977Apache, Book 9
Fool's Gold
by Terry Harknett
1978Apache, Book 12
The Cruel Trail
by Terry Harknett
1978Apache, Book 11
Blood Rising
by Terry Harknett
1979Apache, Book 15
Born to Die
by Terry Harknett
1979Apache, Book 14
The Best Man
by Terry Harknett
1979Apache, Book 13
Blood Brother
by Terry Harknett
1980Apache, Book 17
Slow Dying
by Terry Harknett
1980Apache, Book 18
Apache (Terry Harknett) books in chronological order

The First Death
by Terry Harknett
1974Apache, Book 1
Knife in the Night
by Terry Harknett
1974Apache, Book 2
Duel to the Death
by Terry Harknett
1975Apache, Book 3
Death Train
by Terry Harknett
1975Apache, Book 4
Fort Treachery
by Terry Harknett
1975Apache, Book 5
Sonora Slaughter
by Terry Harknett
1976Apache, Book 6
Blood Line
by Terry Harknett
1976Apache, Book 7
Blood on the Tracks
by Terry Harknett
1977Apache, Book 8
The Naked and the Savage
by Terry Harknett
1977Apache, Book 9
All Blood is Red
by Terry Harknett
1977Apache, Book 10
The Cruel Trail
by Terry Harknett
1978Apache, Book 11
Fool's Gold
by Terry Harknett
1978Apache, Book 12
The Best Man
by Terry Harknett
1979Apache, Book 13
Born to Die
by Terry Harknett
1979Apache, Book 14
Blood Rising
by Terry Harknett
1979Apache, Book 15
Blood Brother
by Terry Harknett
1980Apache, Book 17
Slow Dying
by Terry Harknett
1980Apache, Book 18
Crown books in order
Explore this seriesEdge (Terry Harknett) books in order
Explore this series
Apache Death
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 3
Blood on Silver
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 5
Killer's Breed
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 4
Ten Grand
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 2
The Loner
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 1
Black Vengeance
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 10
Bloody Summer
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 9
California Killing
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 7
Seven Out of Hell
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 8
The Blue, the Grey and the Red
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 6
A Town Called Hate
by Terry Harknett
1974Edge, Book 13
Big Gold
by Terry Harknett
1974Edge, Book 14
Sioux Uprising
by Terry Harknett
1974Edge, Book 11
The Biggest Bounty
by Terry Harknett
1974Edge, Book 12
Blood Run
by Terry Harknett
1975Edge, Book 15
The Final Shot
by Terry Harknett
1975Edge, Book 16
Vengeance Valley
by Terry Harknett
1975Edge, Book 17
Ashes and Dust
by Terry Harknett
1976Edge, Book 19
Sullivan's Law
by Terry Harknett
1976Edge, Book 20
Ten Tombstones to Texas
by Terry Harknett
1976Edge, Book 18
Echoes of War
by Terry Harknett
1977Edge, Book 23
Rhapsody in Red
by Terry Harknett
1977Edge, Book 21
Slaughter Road
by Terry Harknett
1977Edge, Book 22
The Day Democracy Died
by Terry Harknett
1977Edge, Book 24
Death Drive
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 27
Eve of Evil
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 28
Savage Dawn
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 26
The Living, the Dying and the Dead
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 29
Violence Trail
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 25
Red Fury
by Terry Harknett
1979Edge, Book 33
The Frightened Gun
by Terry Harknett
1979Edge, Book 32
The Guilty Ones
by Terry Harknett
1979Edge, Book 31
Waiting for a Train
by Terry Harknett
1979Edge, Book 30
A Ride in the Sun
by Terry Harknett
1980Edge, Book 34
Death Deal
by Terry Harknett
1980Edge, Book 35
Edge (Terry Harknett) books in chronological order

The Loner
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 1
Ten Grand
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 2
Apache Death
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 3
Killer's Breed
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 4
Blood on Silver
by Terry Harknett
1972Edge, Book 5
The Blue, the Grey and the Red
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 6
California Killing
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 7
Seven Out of Hell
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 8
Bloody Summer
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 9
Black Vengeance
by Terry Harknett
1973Edge, Book 10
Sioux Uprising
by Terry Harknett
1974Edge, Book 11
The Biggest Bounty
by Terry Harknett
1974Edge, Book 12
A Town Called Hate
by Terry Harknett
1974Edge, Book 13
Big Gold
by Terry Harknett
1974Edge, Book 14
Blood Run
by Terry Harknett
1975Edge, Book 15
The Final Shot
by Terry Harknett
1975Edge, Book 16
Vengeance Valley
by Terry Harknett
1975Edge, Book 17
Ten Tombstones to Texas
by Terry Harknett
1976Edge, Book 18
Ashes and Dust
by Terry Harknett
1976Edge, Book 19
Sullivan's Law
by Terry Harknett
1976Edge, Book 20
Rhapsody in Red
by Terry Harknett
1977Edge, Book 21
Slaughter Road
by Terry Harknett
1977Edge, Book 22
Echoes of War
by Terry Harknett
1977Edge, Book 23
The Day Democracy Died
by Terry Harknett
1977Edge, Book 24
Violence Trail
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 25
Savage Dawn
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 26
Death Drive
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 27
Eve of Evil
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 28
The Living, the Dying and the Dead
by Terry Harknett
1978Edge, Book 29
Waiting for a Train
by Terry Harknett
1979Edge, Book 30
The Guilty Ones
by Terry Harknett
1979Edge, Book 31
The Frightened Gun
by Terry Harknett
1979Edge, Book 32
Red Fury
by Terry Harknett
1979Edge, Book 33
A Ride in the Sun
by Terry Harknett
1980Edge, Book 34
Death Deal
by Terry Harknett
1980Edge, Book 35
Fortune (Terry Harknett) books in order
Explore this seriesSteve Wayne books in order
Explore this series
The Scratch on the Surface
by Terry Harknett
1962Steve Wayne, Book 1
Dead Little Rich Girl
by Terry Harknett
1963Steve Wayne, Book 2
Invitation to a Funeral
by Terry Harknett
1963Steve Wayne, Book 3
Death of an aunt
by Terry Harknett
1967Steve Wayne, Book 5
The Two-Way Frame
by Terry Harknett
1967Steve Wayne, Book 4
Softcover Kill
by Terry Harknett
1971Steve Wayne, Book 6
Upmarket Affair
by Terry Harknett
1973Steve Wayne, Book 7
Steve Wayne books in chronological order

The Scratch on the Surface
by Terry Harknett
1962Steve Wayne, Book 1
Dead Little Rich Girl
by Terry Harknett
1963Steve Wayne, Book 2
Invitation to a Funeral
by Terry Harknett
1963Steve Wayne, Book 3
The Two-Way Frame
by Terry Harknett
1967Steve Wayne, Book 4
Death of an aunt
by Terry Harknett
1967Steve Wayne, Book 5
Softcover Kill
by Terry Harknett
1971Steve Wayne, Book 6
Upmarket Affair
by Terry Harknett
1973Steve Wayne, Book 7
Terry Harknett collections, short stories, and related book types
Standalone Terry Harknett books
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
Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.
Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

























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