Review of A Man Dies But Once by Matthew Harffy

Mathew Harffy has mastered the voice of the Old West.

I’m not typically a fan of first-person narratives, but the voice of old Jed White recounting his first love and first kill was so vividly authentic, I could not tear myself away.

A Man Dies But Once is a 20,000-word novella told from the perspective of Jedediah White, a grizzled old gunslinger who speaks it like a confession after a life of killing and perhaps regret. 

The story is a juxtaposition of his first sexual encounter with his first murder, seemingly two rites of passage in the Old West. The two create a dichotomy of love and hate, life-giving and life-taking rituals, as if the two are opposite sides of the same coin.

It’s also an interesting contrast to hear the old, trail-hardened veteran retell a story from his younger, naive days. In it are all the seeds of the man Jedediah White becomes.

Jeb White is a supporting character in Harffy’s full novel, Dark Frontier. You don’t need to read it first, but I bet you’ll want to when you’re done with A Man Dies But Once.

Pre-order Harffy’s newest book here:

Check out the Harffy’s full novel here:

Pre-order my newest book here:

Check out my last release available now: