It reads like a western and it's based on the Maungatapu Murders of 1866, when the notorious Burgess Gang killed five men in a crime that shocked the young colony.
In his novel The Physician's Gun, John Evan Harris has woven a story around the historical events, but has created a hero in 15-year-old Henry Appleton.
Henry dreams of being a cowboy, and bringing down the Burgess Gang becomes his mission after they kidnap and shoot him, leaving him for dead.
The physician referenced in the book title is Zephaniah Smith, who comes to Nelson on personal mission to find a killer.
John - a former TV producer and founder of Greenstone TV - talks with Lynn Freeman about turning our colonial history into a page-turner.
The Physician's Gun by John Evan Harris is published by Roiall Emerald Publishing.
