Raymond Maher’s books, The Second Five and its predecessor, The Deadly Five, have become a staple of historical action and adventure literature. Written during a time when the settlers seek their fortunes in the gold rush, conquered by fur traders and gold hunters alike, Raymond Maher captures the grit and peril of this lawless period with detail and accuracy.
In his stories, trust, friendship, and fellowship are continually put to the test as characters strive to make their fortunes in treacherous terrain. Readers can expect thrilling adventures filled with danger around every turn – all while navigating questions of loyalty and morality in a cutthroat world.
Read more about Raymond Maher’s writing process and experiences, about his characters’ motivations, the inspirations behind each story plotline, and other fascinating facts that make his novels so captivating.
Join us in experiencing Raymond Maher’s world of action, adventure, and gold-seeking glory!
Tell us about your book. Trust, friendship, and fellowship are seldom as important as a rich gold strike. The Second Five and its predecessor, The Deadly Five, are action-filled wilderness adventures that show that getting gold can change lives both for good and ill.
My stories occur in a lawless time of change, from fur trading and canoe travel to the invasion of a multitude of greedy gold hunters. It was a time when men gambled with their very lives to find as much gold as possible along the deadly Fraser River and unforgiving mountain terrain.
Each gold rush in history is unique. The Fraser River Gold Rush, beginning in 1858, was responsible for forming the British colony of British Columbia, Canada. I wanted to bring this period of history alive to present-day readers through fictional gold seekers. In my novels, some historical characters rub elbows with my five everyday gold seekers. Ordinary men brought together by fate are the focus of the books and their potential to be heroic or villainous. The list of main characters is five in each novel. Nothing Brown, Mean Mike, and Jacque are in both stories. Seph and Old Man Magee make the five partners in The Deadly Five. Claude (CF) and English nobleman Henry Arden complete the five adventures in the Second Five.
Similar Novel Some readers will remember the Adventures of Huckleberry Fin and the adventure of partners Huck and Tom rafting down the Mississippi River. Men canoe up the Fraser River for placer gold in the Deadly Five and the Second Five. In both novels, the five men are against nature, other gold hunters, and struggling with their own personal issues.
Target Audience My novels connect with those with a taste for historical fiction. People who love wilderness adventures will find that featured in my books. I reference music, singing, or playing a musical instrument as giving joy in the wilderness isolation. My two stories represent the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia of frontier or colonial times. My novels appeal to adults, seniors, and especially those who want books to communicate what makes life worthwhile with or without wealth. I write with a western flavor, and the Second Five introduces an interesting female character in essentially male-dominated novels. Hunting, fishing, and preserving food in the wilderness are bonding events in each story.
My Upbring / Environment is reflected in my writing. I was raised on a farm, the youngest of six children, and attended a one-room country school for grades 1-8. Our farm was 150 acres with 25 acres of bush. Part of growing up, I was the only one left at home, and we had no car, so I experienced isolation firsthand. My dream was to see the world beyond our farm, which I did and resulted in a life living and working across Canada. I understand the power of relationships built on the present when people work together to accomplish a goal without a foundation of past experiences.
Most Rewarding Experience A reader of the Deadly Five asked me to teach him to write as he has a story from history he would like to tell. So we have met together for this purpose.
My writing style. In the Deadly Five, my writing is wordy and raw. It was my first novel. In the Second Five, I am more descriptive and less verbose. I am still working on a clear, interesting writing that is effortless reading.
My Characters As in Judge Matthew Begbie, some of my characters reflect how they are portrayed in historical sources. My fictional Characters reflect figures from my life and the lives of people I have known or studied through historical records. Mostly, people who know me think I am Nothing Brown in my novels.
A character artist or a plot-driven writer? I am evenly character and plot driven in my novels.
What do you hope to accomplish with your book other than selling it? I want to create an interest and awareness in the history of British Columbia as it was shaped by the Fraser River Gold Rush, which resulted in the Cariboo Gold Rush. Many towns, cities, and present highways result from the gold rush exploration and gold strikes.
I want to be recognized as an excellent storyteller.
About Author Raymond Maher
Raymond Maher is an author with a lifelong passion for the history of Canada. His ongoing study of the Fraser River Gold Rush is the catalyst for the setting of his two historical fiction novels.
Readers may contact me:
Email: raymaher085@gmail.com
Social Media links: https://raymondmaher.com
Facebook Author Raymond Maher
Where can our readers purchase your book?
Books can be ordered from Amazon Books, Amazon.ca, FreisenPress Bookstore
eBooks: FreisenPress, Kindle Store, Google Play, Apple Books
All Books and eBooks can be ordered from the author’s website: https://raymondmaher
The Deadly Five
It is 1858 and thousands of gold seekers are descending on the west coast of British Columbia to seek their fortunes in the gold rush. The new British colony becomes a hive of activity where Americans, Canadians, and the indigenous people of the land collide, often with deadly repercussions. An unlikely team of adventurers forge an alliance as they make their way along the treacherous Fraser River, hoping to strike it rich. With dangers at every turn from man, nature, and beast, the men learn to rely on one another to survive. Though they all seek enough gold to change their lots in life, friendship and camaraderie may be the greatest treasure to be found on their journey.
The Deadly Five is based on the enthralling and fascinating Fraser River Gold Rush. Brimming with adventure and intrigue, readers will be whisked back to the early 1800s where life was merciless, and it took courage and determination to find that elusive pot of gold.
The Second Five: Sequel to The Deadly Five
In The Deadly Five, the search for gold along British Columbia’s treacherous Fraser River ended with the arrival of winter 1859.
It is now spring 1860, and Nothing Brown, Mean Mike, and Jacque continue their quest for gold in The Second Five, this time joined by English nobleman Henry Arden and Jacque’s seventeen-year-old son, Claude (CF), both eager to prove they can hold their own on this second search.
The partners meet old enemies plus more than their share of new ones along the way. The lovely Maggie Kelly and a highly prized bluetick coonhound are also able to captivate hearts in this non-stop adventure.
Set in the lawlessness of the Fraser River Gold Rush, The Second Five is a story about the value of trust, respect, and friendship as more important than gold.
