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Wolf Stockburn, Railroad Detective #1
Wolf Stockburn, Railroad Detective
Introducing a rail blazing new series set in the early days of the transcontinental railroad--when America headed West, outlaws climbed on board, and one man risked his life to stop them in their tracks...
The newspapers call them the Devil's Horde. A well oiled team of cutthroat bandits who terrorize the Northern Pacific Railway on route to the coast through Dakota Territory. They dynamite the tracks, blow open the express car door, murder the crewmen, rob the passengers, and empty the safe of gold and cash. If Wells Fargo & Company can't find a way to stop the Devil's Horde, there'll be hell to pay...
Enter Wolf Stockburn. A tall rangy Scotsman who dresses like a gentleman but shoots like a cowboy, Stockburn learned his craft from a legendary gunfighter--and honed his skills as a Pony Express rider through hostile Indian country. Now the veteran Wells Fargo's detective will ride the rails from coast to coast. Make sure the train and its passengers reach their destination safely. And take down the Devil's Horde--one by one, bullet by bullet--the devil be damned...
The newspapers call them the Devil's Horde. A well oiled team of cutthroat bandits who terrorize the Northern Pacific Railway on route to the coast through Dakota Territory. They dynamite the tracks, blow open the express car door, murder the crewmen, rob the passengers, and empty the safe of gold and cash. If Wells Fargo & Company can't find a way to stop the Devil's Horde, there'll be hell to pay...
Enter Wolf Stockburn. A tall rangy Scotsman who dresses like a gentleman but shoots like a cowboy, Stockburn learned his craft from a legendary gunfighter--and honed his skills as a Pony Express rider through hostile Indian country. Now the veteran Wells Fargo's detective will ride the rails from coast to coast. Make sure the train and its passengers reach their destination safely. And take down the Devil's Horde--one by one, bullet by bullet--the devil be damned...
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published March 30, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
March 14, 2021
Wolf Stockburn, Railroad Detective
by Max O’Hara is shocking, unnerving, and suspenseful. It weaves aspects of suspense action and crime action thrillers inside a western and is the first book in a new series. The novel is set in the Dakota Territory prior to North Dakota’s statehood.
Wolf Stockburn is a detective for the Northern Pacific Railroad, but he isn’t just any detective. He’s known as the Grey Wolf and is respected and feared, depending on which side of the law one is on. He is extraordinary in that he started as a Pony Express rider in Native American territory and learned how to shoot from a gunfighter. He also seems to have a sixth sense when trouble is near. In this case, a large group of bandits are attacking the Northern Pacific Railway. They use dynamite to damage the tracks and open the express cars carrying high-value freight, and then rob and then kill the passengers and crew. Wolf has been sent to find who the bandits are and where they are hiding out.
There is a lot of character development in this book for Wolf as well as a couple of the secondary characters. I got a sense that he doesn’t take much downtime and doesn’t think about the future very much. How will he change over the course of the series?
The action starts out strong. Then suspense is built during a slower part of the story line, but it was so full of energy that it kept me turning to pages to find out what was going to happen next. I was fully invested in Wolf’s investigation.
The author brought a strong sense of place to the events in the book. I could easily visualize the towns, the people, and the landscape. The action somehow managed to seem plausible for the times even though it was definitely extreme. Additionally, many questions came to my mind. What pushes people to do the things they do? Why murder so many people when they have already given you their valuables? What are people willing to do to get revenge for past actions or inactions?
Overall, this book was an action-filled crime thriller in a western setting with some work and family drama that doesn’t detract from the story, but adds depth. This is the first book that I have read by Max O’Hara but it won’t be the last. I highly recommend this novel to those that like western crime thrillers.
Kensington Books – Pinnacle and Max O’Hara provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for March 30, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
Wolf Stockburn is a detective for the Northern Pacific Railroad, but he isn’t just any detective. He’s known as the Grey Wolf and is respected and feared, depending on which side of the law one is on. He is extraordinary in that he started as a Pony Express rider in Native American territory and learned how to shoot from a gunfighter. He also seems to have a sixth sense when trouble is near. In this case, a large group of bandits are attacking the Northern Pacific Railway. They use dynamite to damage the tracks and open the express cars carrying high-value freight, and then rob and then kill the passengers and crew. Wolf has been sent to find who the bandits are and where they are hiding out.
There is a lot of character development in this book for Wolf as well as a couple of the secondary characters. I got a sense that he doesn’t take much downtime and doesn’t think about the future very much. How will he change over the course of the series?
The action starts out strong. Then suspense is built during a slower part of the story line, but it was so full of energy that it kept me turning to pages to find out what was going to happen next. I was fully invested in Wolf’s investigation.
The author brought a strong sense of place to the events in the book. I could easily visualize the towns, the people, and the landscape. The action somehow managed to seem plausible for the times even though it was definitely extreme. Additionally, many questions came to my mind. What pushes people to do the things they do? Why murder so many people when they have already given you their valuables? What are people willing to do to get revenge for past actions or inactions?
Overall, this book was an action-filled crime thriller in a western setting with some work and family drama that doesn’t detract from the story, but adds depth. This is the first book that I have read by Max O’Hara but it won’t be the last. I highly recommend this novel to those that like western crime thrillers.
Kensington Books – Pinnacle and Max O’Hara provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for March 30, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
December 28, 2020
I'm struggling with the rating of this new series, Wolf Stockburn, Railroad Detective. It started out with full on action when a nasty band of bandito's, dubbed as the Devil's Horde, blew up the train tracks and proceeded to rob and kill passengers, as well as empty the safe of gold and cash.
After this incident, Wolf Stockburn, a veteran Wells Fargo's detective, is hired to ride the rails from coast to coast, to make sure the train and its passengers reach their destination safely. His aim is to take down the Devil's Horde--one by one, bullet by bullet. But he need's answers... Who are they really? Where did they come from, and who is their leader? Taking on a horde.... a Devil's Horde at that, he's got his hands full!
The story pace seemed a little slow; I found my interest waning at times, but it might be interesting to see how the author develops the characters and storyline further.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
After this incident, Wolf Stockburn, a veteran Wells Fargo's detective, is hired to ride the rails from coast to coast, to make sure the train and its passengers reach their destination safely. His aim is to take down the Devil's Horde--one by one, bullet by bullet. But he need's answers... Who are they really? Where did they come from, and who is their leader? Taking on a horde.... a Devil's Horde at that, he's got his hands full!
The story pace seemed a little slow; I found my interest waning at times, but it might be interesting to see how the author develops the characters and storyline further.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are my own.
December 21, 2022
I was looking forward to a challenging adventure, and instead I got sophomoric relationships, with a lot of blood and guts. Disappointing.
February 24, 2026
Excellent book, very fast paced and action packed with lots of details that makes it feel you are really there.
January 4, 2023
A ripping yarn of a western, with plenty of gunfights, fist fights, damsels in distress, bandits, a corrupt sheriff, and overall a slight lack of understanding of law and frontier culture. Our hero guns his way through the entire story dropping dozens of people without anyone even caring.
The story is a bit slow at first, uneven and directionless until finally about halfway through it gets started on a real plot line, and is pretty good reading at that point. Our Hero is tortured by the loss of his sister to a Sioux raid early in his life and an event in his past that bothers him for a few chapters. He's stoic and tall and menacing, but likable, and while he does miss quite a bit with his rifle at long range, he's almost perfect up close with a pistol.
The story involves a railroad gang that highjacks trains and murders every single person in the train. Dozens of dead people, and the response of the rail company is to... send one guy. Nobody else is involved, no federal action, no vigilance committee, no other lawmen, just one man, and then a sidekick female rail detective (yes, they did exist). Putting aside that absurd setup, the detective is pretty good at his job and the characters are distinct and memorable. Its not the best written frontier book I've ever read, but it rewards getting through the meandering intro.
The story is a bit slow at first, uneven and directionless until finally about halfway through it gets started on a real plot line, and is pretty good reading at that point. Our Hero is tortured by the loss of his sister to a Sioux raid early in his life and an event in his past that bothers him for a few chapters. He's stoic and tall and menacing, but likable, and while he does miss quite a bit with his rifle at long range, he's almost perfect up close with a pistol.
The story involves a railroad gang that highjacks trains and murders every single person in the train. Dozens of dead people, and the response of the rail company is to... send one guy. Nobody else is involved, no federal action, no vigilance committee, no other lawmen, just one man, and then a sidekick female rail detective (yes, they did exist). Putting aside that absurd setup, the detective is pretty good at his job and the characters are distinct and memorable. Its not the best written frontier book I've ever read, but it rewards getting through the meandering intro.
April 12, 2021
"Wolf Stockburn, Railroad Detective" is a Western packed with lots of adventure and intrigue. The author Max O'Hara draws you into the story from the very beginning. He is very descriptive in his writing, which I believe makes for a longer story. But again, this is what draws the reader into keep turning the pages.
Wolf Stockburn is bound and determine to get his man...or men in this case. But where does he start? The outlaws, known as the Devil's Horde, come from every direction to rob a train, kill anyone on board, and then disappear from the whence they came. To complicate matters, a young female Wells Fargo Express Guard, is out for revenge, but Stockburn will not have any part of it. He doesn't want anything or anybody slowing him down. But he is just one man! How will he get the drop on the Devil's Horde, when they number between 20-25 men?
As Mr. Stockburn begins to unravel how to go about getting the bad guys, he is haunted by the fact that he still misses his sister, who was taken many years ago by Indians, and has looked for her ever since. Will he every find her after all this time? Is she even alive? Every trail leads to a dead end.
If you like the old-time westerns on TV, then this is a book you will want to put on your reading list.
Wolf Stockburn is bound and determine to get his man...or men in this case. But where does he start? The outlaws, known as the Devil's Horde, come from every direction to rob a train, kill anyone on board, and then disappear from the whence they came. To complicate matters, a young female Wells Fargo Express Guard, is out for revenge, but Stockburn will not have any part of it. He doesn't want anything or anybody slowing him down. But he is just one man! How will he get the drop on the Devil's Horde, when they number between 20-25 men?
As Mr. Stockburn begins to unravel how to go about getting the bad guys, he is haunted by the fact that he still misses his sister, who was taken many years ago by Indians, and has looked for her ever since. Will he every find her after all this time? Is she even alive? Every trail leads to a dead end.
If you like the old-time westerns on TV, then this is a book you will want to put on your reading list.
May 23, 2021
My love of westerns is well known. So is my love of trains. So is my love of mysteries. When I can find a book that combines all three, I am one happy camper.
The Northern Pacific Railroad has a big problem. The newspapers call this problem “The Devil’s Horde”, and they are ruthless. They take everything of value on the train and leave dead bodies in their wake. Wolf Stockburn is a detective for the Northern Pacific. He is also known as “The Wolf of the Rails”. His reputation precedes him every where he goes. He will stop at nothing to get his man. He will stop the horde one man at a time, one bullet at a time, until they are stopped, or he will die trying.
If you enjoy the writing of Louis L’Amour, Peter Brandvold and William W. Johnstone, then this book is most definitely for you. The action is flows effortlessly, the dialogue is fresh and snappy, the in-between scenes getting from point a to point b flows as gracefully as a river.
If I had to nitpick, for me there is a resolution to a problem at the end of the book that could have easily waited until the next novel of the one after that. Otherwise this is one of the more entertaining westerns I have a read in a long time.
5 bookmarks out of 5!
The Northern Pacific Railroad has a big problem. The newspapers call this problem “The Devil’s Horde”, and they are ruthless. They take everything of value on the train and leave dead bodies in their wake. Wolf Stockburn is a detective for the Northern Pacific. He is also known as “The Wolf of the Rails”. His reputation precedes him every where he goes. He will stop at nothing to get his man. He will stop the horde one man at a time, one bullet at a time, until they are stopped, or he will die trying.
If you enjoy the writing of Louis L’Amour, Peter Brandvold and William W. Johnstone, then this book is most definitely for you. The action is flows effortlessly, the dialogue is fresh and snappy, the in-between scenes getting from point a to point b flows as gracefully as a river.
If I had to nitpick, for me there is a resolution to a problem at the end of the book that could have easily waited until the next novel of the one after that. Otherwise this is one of the more entertaining westerns I have a read in a long time.
5 bookmarks out of 5!
February 2, 2023
I bought this book as a distraction for slow business days, and with expectations properly tempered it's a completely serviceable story. Wolf is a suitably likable protagonist, and the author does a good enough job presenting the action and environment in a way that is coherent and evocative. The plot, while boilerplate, still managed to hold my attention and the important takeaway is that I liked many elements of the story. And now I pick at its problems.
The introductory chapters contain a frankly asinine amount of gunfights, with suicidal bad guys picking fights with our hero more or less standing on top of the guys he just got done shooting. The plot bends over backwards to front-load as much of Wolf's totally badass and intereting past into the first third, almost as if the author is paranoid that his book isn't going to get picked up for a series. Women in the book, especially Wolf's partner Hank, fluctuate between strong, independent frontier survivors and incompetent emotional rubes, frustratingly often whenever the plot expects them to do anything useful.
Overall this book is mediocre. Good for a momentary escape and good if read uncritically. Despite my obvious problems with it, I did not regret reading it.
The introductory chapters contain a frankly asinine amount of gunfights, with suicidal bad guys picking fights with our hero more or less standing on top of the guys he just got done shooting. The plot bends over backwards to front-load as much of Wolf's totally badass and intereting past into the first third, almost as if the author is paranoid that his book isn't going to get picked up for a series. Women in the book, especially Wolf's partner Hank, fluctuate between strong, independent frontier survivors and incompetent emotional rubes, frustratingly often whenever the plot expects them to do anything useful.
Overall this book is mediocre. Good for a momentary escape and good if read uncritically. Despite my obvious problems with it, I did not regret reading it.
August 10, 2024
This is my first trip on the Northern Pacific with our protagonist Wolf Stockton. I have acquired a few of the titles in this series, and I do hope to get them all read in a relatively timely manner.
For the plot itself, I did find that the pace dragged a bit a points throughout the story. However, where there was action, the author did a fine job of being detailed and descriptive - allowing me to really feel the punches and the bullets whizzing by my head.
If you are a reader that likes to see strong women characters in westerns, than you might very well be interested in this book. O'Hara includes several non-traditional women (for the time period), including "Hank", who joins Wolf in the better part of the story.
The only shortfall that I found in this first book is that while Wolf is a railroad detective, I would have liked to have seen more action in and around the railroad operations. Maybe that is remedied in subsequent books in the series.
This is a quick and fun read. Yes there is a small bit of graphic action, but I was pleased to see that the author went very sparingly on this content, and also gave us dialogue that was not filled with profanity, as well as a lack of action that some readers would consider sensitive.
For the plot itself, I did find that the pace dragged a bit a points throughout the story. However, where there was action, the author did a fine job of being detailed and descriptive - allowing me to really feel the punches and the bullets whizzing by my head.
If you are a reader that likes to see strong women characters in westerns, than you might very well be interested in this book. O'Hara includes several non-traditional women (for the time period), including "Hank", who joins Wolf in the better part of the story.
The only shortfall that I found in this first book is that while Wolf is a railroad detective, I would have liked to have seen more action in and around the railroad operations. Maybe that is remedied in subsequent books in the series.
This is a quick and fun read. Yes there is a small bit of graphic action, but I was pleased to see that the author went very sparingly on this content, and also gave us dialogue that was not filled with profanity, as well as a lack of action that some readers would consider sensitive.
February 16, 2021
“Wolf Stockburn, Railroad Detective” is Max O’Hara’s latest novel, and it is a thrill ride of adventures. Wolf Stockburn is a railroad detective for Wells Fargo and he is on the hunt for a notorious gang of train robbers named The Devil’s Horde who are robbing trains and leaving no witnesses. Wolf finally thinks he has a handle on the situation, when circumstances throw off his timing and by the time he gets to the latest crime scene he discovers a horrendous scene, but to his surprise he discovers another Wells Fargo detective. Henrietta Hollaway was assigned to the train and she felt it was her duty to retrieve the cargo she was assigned to guard. Wolf was not happy to have Henrietta tag along, but the two of them found a way to hunt for the killers. This was a remarkable book and I look forward to the next one. I was given an advanced copy of this book, and all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
June 30, 2022
Wolf Stockburn has no family, except a sis he hasn't seen since she was little and abducted by Indians. His search for her has been futile. Meanwhile, he is a railroad detective and a gang of thoroughly ruthless men have been robbing the Northern Pacific Railroad. How do they know when the train is full of loot? Investigating one of the robberies where innocent men, women and children are killed, he meets Hank, short for Henrietta. It was her job to make sure the shipment arrived safe. There is no way she is going to be left behind as Wolf goes after the bad guys. If the writing seems familiar, it is because the author is actually Peter Brandvold, a western writer, I recommend.
February 24, 2021
It's been a while since I read a good Old Western without werewolves or steampunk and now I can't remember why I drifted. I like the simplicity of the plot, clarity of the descriptions, and the way the characters are presented and developed. I think this is a good start to a new series and I'm looking forward to watching it keep getting better. Well worth the read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books/Pinnacle via NetGalley. Thank you!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books/Pinnacle via NetGalley. Thank you!
April 15, 2021
This was the best western I've read in a long time. The characters were great. Not just Wolf and Hank but the many, many side characters too. There was a nice authentic feel for the descriptions of the locale and the life of the times. Along with this was some pretty violent action and a large dose of sardonic humor. A really enjoyable read.
A won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
A won a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway for this honest review.
October 31, 2022
Fast paced adventure
The action starts right from the beginning an goes all the way to the end. It
never stops from train robbing to senseless killing and brutal attacks. A chase across country only to find another massicar on a second train. But able to track these killers and still getting into lots of trouble they do find the killers and the real battle begins. The ending will surprise you and pull the whole book together. Really liked this book
The action starts right from the beginning an goes all the way to the end. It
never stops from train robbing to senseless killing and brutal attacks. A chase across country only to find another massicar on a second train. But able to track these killers and still getting into lots of trouble they do find the killers and the real battle begins. The ending will surprise you and pull the whole book together. Really liked this book
April 15, 2024
Full disclosure. I did not finish this book. I tried. It wasn't my style, but I am trying to have an open mind and try books outside my usual reads. That being said, I despise books where the female characters continually do inexplicably stupid things and the male character has to save them. I wasted way more of my time than I should have in the hopes it would get better.
October 2, 2022
A fine western yarn
A fine western yarn. It gets four white hats or Colt Peacemakers. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Liked how the ending tied everything up. Wolf Stockton is a great one to have in your corner. Looking forward to reading the next two.
A fine western yarn. It gets four white hats or Colt Peacemakers. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Liked how the ending tied everything up. Wolf Stockton is a great one to have in your corner. Looking forward to reading the next two.
December 22, 2022
Entertaining
Bought this on a whim, as Westerns are not my genre of choice. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. The action is plentiful, the characters are well drawn and the plot moves along nicely. Just might go for the next in the series.
Bought this on a whim, as Westerns are not my genre of choice. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the story. The action is plentiful, the characters are well drawn and the plot moves along nicely. Just might go for the next in the series.
December 26, 2022
lots of information and action
This book was way over the top in period details and last minute incredible rescues from seemingly inescapable situations. It was written well but could certainly benefit from culling excessive action sequences and unbelievable coincidences.
This book was way over the top in period details and last minute incredible rescues from seemingly inescapable situations. It was written well but could certainly benefit from culling excessive action sequences and unbelievable coincidences.
February 25, 2021
Good Read
Was not expecting the ending on this book. Wolf and Hank are great partners on this western!! And solving crime!!
Was not expecting the ending on this book. Wolf and Hank are great partners on this western!! And solving crime!!
March 11, 2021
Enjoyed the storyline and read
July 2, 2021
Suspense, action and crime - Great Action Packed Western
September 9, 2021
Wolf Stockburn, Railroad Detective was a good start to the series by the same name. I give it four stars.
October 22, 2021
First in the series and sets up the character in book two more completely.
December 29, 2022
One of the better westerns I’ve read.
February 3, 2023
Overall the book was good there was some things and certain topics I found quite questionable but nevertheless pretty decent
February 20, 2023
Enjoy!
If you enjoy good westerns, you will love this book. It's somewhat gruesome but it is what a good "shootum-up" Western should have.
If you enjoy good westerns, you will love this book. It's somewhat gruesome but it is what a good "shootum-up" Western should have.
August 1, 2025
good book.
December 20, 2023
DNF. Read 140 pages just because I was out of town at the time. How does this have 4 stars?
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews