A ‘mostly true’ story ripped from the pages of New Zealand’s dark history Based on the notorious Maungatapu Murders of 1866, this action-packed historical novel is a gripping tale of murder and greed. Fifteen-year-old Henry Appleton lives on an isolated farm in Nelson, New Zealand. He devours dime novels about American cowboys and dreams of having his own rifle and becoming a gunslinger like Wild Bill Hickok. But his daydreaming becomes a terrifying reality when two strangers ride into town: the physician Zephaniah Smith, who is hunting down his wife’s killer ... and the ruthless highwayman Richard Burgess who plans to rob a bank with his gang. Over the next three days, Henry is threatened, kidnapped, shot and left for dead in a riverbed. When the gang murders a group of travellers from the goldfields, the injured Henry is determined to bring them to justice. • A rip-roaring New Zealand adventure story for readers 11+ • Inspired by the infamous Maungatapu Murders in Nelson, 1866 • More than 40 illustrations and historical photographs. • Includes resources for pupils studying the new NZ history curriculum • Story originated in author’s award-winning historical re-enactment series Epitaph