COMES THE REAPER by B. J. Holmes

Comes The Reaper is the first book in a series about the bounty hunter Jonathan Grimm.


A wagon train leaves Seattle, amongst the migrants looking for a better life is Thomas Jonathan Connor and his young wife. As they cross a snow covered pass they are attacked by a band of Indians. Frightened, the horses bolt and the Connor's wagon slides into oblivion. When Connor recovers he discovers that everyone is dead but there is no sign of his wife. Believing her to be taken by the Indians Connor seeks help from the nearest town but the townspeople are too busy leaving before the Indians attack. Now armed Connor sets out to rescue his wife - which he achieves but it costs her life.


Blaming himself for her death he drifts from job to job until he settles down on his own farm. Although a recluse he allows himself to be dragged off to a hoe-down where he meets his eventual second wife. After a few idyllic years the American Civil War destroys their lives - when a Confederate sergeant called Henderson rapes and kills Connor's wife before burning down the homestead and running off with the stock. Determined on revenge Connor enlists with the Texas Brigade with whom he serves through the war without encountering his quarry.


With the war over Connor finds himself as a 'bodyguard' to Abraham Lincoln and is standing guard at the Ford Theatre when John Wilkes Booth arrives waving an 'invitation' to join the President. Suspected of aiding and abetting the assassin Connor goes on the run and changes his name to Jonathan Grimm - at which point the future path to his life begins.


In 'Comes The Reaper' B. J. Holmes writes the condensed history of a man's life and how several incidents change it forever - but this is a prologue and a journey of discovery before moving on to the rest of the books in the series.


Originally published in 1995 in hardback as a Black Horse Western this series of The Reaper western novels is now available on the Kindle from Piccadilly Publishing.