Kindle Edition Amazon Official Site of Charlie Steel Tale-Weaver Extraordinaire Category:  Historical Fiction Publisher: Condor Publishing, Inc. Type: Fiction Pages: 258 Copyright: Nov 2015 ISBN-13: 9781931079129 Price: $2.99 (eBook) FIRE CANOE FINNEGAN is a co-authored book by Charlie Steel and Denis J. Harrington (deceased). It is historical fiction,adventure, and romance at its finest. This story gives a rare insight into the contribution steamboats made to pioneers and army forts along the Missouri River. Captain Glazer of the steamboat, THE DAKOTA DAWN, hires Clint Finnegan to become his second in command and to learn to pilot the dangerous snag-filled waters of the Missouri River. What Finnegan didn’t expect on his very first trip was to have the army payroll stolen and a beautiful woman kidnapped. Risking his life, he chases after the girl and the money, ultimately encountering angry plains Indians protecting their hunting grounds. Told from both the Sioux Indian point of view and that of conquering whites who wanted the land at all costs, this is a thrilling western tale, filled with strong characters. The reader will walk away mesmerized with a well-researched and well-told story.

Midwest Book Review - D.Donovan, Senior Reviewer,
FIRE CANOE FINNEGAN is an exquisite read on many levels: its dialogue is realistic, its history of the times and region is well-researched and vividly presented, and its action is well done. Any who relish Western themes and historical depth will appreciate the attention to detail that brings the era and setting of FIRE CANOE FINNEGAN to life in a read that is a gripping standout in both Western and historical novel genres.

Western Fiction Review
Captain Glazer of the steamboat, The Dakota Dawn, hires Clint Finnegan to become his second in command and to learn to pilot the dangerous snag-filled waters of the Missouri River. What Finnegan didn’t expect on his very first trip was to have the army payroll stolen and a beautiful woman kidnapped. Risking his life, he chases after the girl and the money, ultimately encountering angry plains Indians protecting their hunting grounds.

From the blurb, and cover illustration, you’d be forgiven expecting a book set mainly on a riverboat. True a fairly lengthy first part of the tale is, and this contains some fascinating information about the workings of a riverboat, but once the payroll is stolen and the young woman kidnapped and the riverboat disabled the story becomes land-based and changes from a story of life on the river to a much more straight-forward western full of deadly, brutal action as Finnegan encounters Indians, deserters, and gunrunners in his quest to retrieve the stolen payroll and, more importantly for him, the abducted woman.

The authors tell their tale from the point of view of many of the large cast of people, and at times Finnegan seems to become a secondary character but you know he’s there, in the background, never giving up his relentless pursuit.

Sadly Denis J. Harrington passed away in July 2015, before the book he had drafted was published. Charlie Steel had already teamed up with Denis to add polish and historical detail to the manuscript and I must say he has done a fine job.

Between them Harrington and Steel have come up with a very fast-paced tale that is extremely well-written making this a book all fans of westerns, and riverboats, will enjoy.

James Reasoner, New York Times Best-Selling Author: The Civil War Battle Series
FIRE CANOE FINNEGAN is a historical adventure novel in the grand tradition, a rousing tale of the men who piloted steamboats up the Missouri River to the Western frontier during the turbulent days after the Civil War. Authors Denis J. Harrington and Charlie Steel spin a fine yarn with plenty of action, romance, historical detail, and compelling characters. This is historical fiction at its finest and highly recommended.