Skip to content

Chilliwack author pens second novel about historical Fraser River gold rush

Book launch and several signing events coming up for Raymond Maher’s novel The Second Five
30141069_web1_220819-CPL-Ray-Maher-Book-Launch_1
Chiliwack author Raymond Maher released his second historical fiction novel about the Fraser River gold rush, called The Second Five, on July 25, 2022. (Submitted by Raymond Maher)

A Chilliwack author has released his second historical fiction novel about the Fraser River gold rush.

Raymond Maher is having a launch for his newest book The Second Five on Sept. 9 and 10 and will be having several book signings throughout Chilliwack and Abbotsford during September and October.

The Second Five, published on July 25, is a sequel to his first novel The Deadly Five which came out in 2020.

RELATED: Chilliwack author blends history with fiction in Fraser River gold rush novel

In the original novel, Maher writes about five flawed, honest-to-goodness, real-life characters: Mean Mike, Nothing Brown, Jacque, Seth, and Old Man Magee.

Three of those characters return in The Second Five, and two new ones are introduced.

In Maher’s novels the characters search for gold without any assurance of becoming rich over a span of two years. The stories reveal how ordinary folks of every time period take up life’s challenges in both the mundane and dangerous to secure enough or more than enough for their present and future.

Maher writes of the motivation of those searching the treacherous Fraser River by canoe for gold and the need of the gold hunters to trust their partners with their lives.

Both novels highlight the raw and daring adventure of the day-by-day struggle to find gold and sufficient food and shelter. Both books mix non-stop action with humour and the developing treasure of trust and respect between the partners.

“Here in B.C., the high regard for gold is a vital ingredient of our history,” he stated in a press release. “For example, reports that pacer gold was found in gravel bars on the Fraser River in 1858 brought thousands of gold seekers to that river and beyond it. It was like being in a vast, long lineup for lottery tickets for a big jackpot prize today. But today, we tap our credit cards for a chance to make ourselves rich, while those arriving in the gold rush were gambling for gold with their lives. They too, like us, were seeking financial security.”

The book launch for The Second Five by Raymond Maher is at the Royal Hotel at 45886 Wellington Ave. He will be there on Friday, Sept. 9 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 10 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and again from 1:30 p.m. 3:30 p.m. (cash only/author prices of $15 for paperback, $30 for hardcover).

There’s a book signing on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Flashback Brewing at 9360 Mill St. (cash only/author prices).

On Oct. 15, Maher will be at Coles in Cottonwood Centre for a book signing from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. And on Sept. 17 he will be in Abbotsford at House of James (2743 Emerson St.) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Folks can order The Second Five from raymondmaher.com, or buy it from Coles, The Book Man, the pro shop at the Chilliwack Curling Club and House of James.

Synopsis

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 17-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.

About the author

Raymond Maher has a Bachelor of Arts in History, a Masters of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry. He’s a retired teacher and Lutheran pastor, and he currently writes a column ‘Neighbourly Advice According to Ed’ which has been published in various newspapers across Saskatchewan since 2009.


 

Do you have something else we should report on?
Email: jenna.hauck@theprogress.com
Twitter: @PhotoJennalism

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.



Jenna Hauck

About the Author: Jenna Hauck

I started my career at The Chilliwack Progress in 2000 as a photojournalist.
Read more