Dynasty of Death: A Novel (The Barbours and Bouchards Series Book 1)

Dynasty of Death follows two families who build a small munitions factory into a global empire, spanning from 1837 to the eve of World War I. In 1837, Joseph Barbour, an upper servant in an English village, immigrates to America with his family to pursue a fortune in the emerging artillery business. Joseph believes future wars will be decided by superior firearms rather than courage alone. The family settles in rural Pennsylvania, though Joseph's wife Hilda is unhappy and homesick for England. Their younger son Martin is also troubled—not by homesickness, but by the cruelty and violence he witnesses in his older brother Ernest. When Joseph forms a gunpowder firm called Barbour & Bouchard with his neighbor Armand Bouchard and his three sons, Ernest becomes invaluable to the business. Ruthless and ambitious, Ernest pursues what he wants, including the beautiful Amy Drumhill. Her elusiveness becomes a catalyst for conflict between the brothers, leaving Ernest haunted by the consequences. The novel traces the epic struggle between two brothers and the legacy their weapons will create as nations prepare for war.