The Ballad of Seven Bastards

by Peter Caffrey

Copper Creek appears to be little more than an unassuming mining community, but the reality is far more sinister. Elder Munroe controls the town, and intends to transform it into his version of the New Jerusalem. However, the elder and his inner circle share a dark secret, creating a fragile bond forged in adversity.

When Elijah Black arrives, seeking work, a moment of misjudgment threatens to send the town, and those who run it, into a spiral of destruction. As suspicion and mistrust bubble to the surface, old relationships are discarded. Those involved quickly turn against each other, and the battle for personal gain becomes all-consuming.

The Ballad of Seven Bastards is a brutal tale of manipulation, greed, and violent retribution.

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 18, 2025

About the author

Peter Caffrey creates stories stained with the darkest of dark humour, featuring elements of splattery filth, horror, bizarro and absurdity.

Alongside numerous books, his work has also appeared in a number of anthologies including ABC’s of Terror (Vol 4), Call Me Hoop, Unamerican Trash, In Uterus, Prose in Poor Taste (Vol 2), The Best of Bizarro Fiction (Vol 2) and The Bumper Book of British Bizarro. He has also featured in many publications including Underbelly, Horror Sleaze Trash, Infernal Ink, Terror House, Frontier Tales and Schlock!

He likes apes, dislikes gravity, and is unlikely to change.

Reviews

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need my head to stop spinning from this complete madness so that I can write a review worthy of it. I don't know if it's possible, though. It's been a few days since I've turned the last page, but the gun is still smoking from the last time it was fired. This has already claimed a spot on my top 5 books of 2025. Bloody cold revenge tale, man. *tips hat*

[Margaret Hamnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was so different from Caffrey’s other stories. The bizarro and absurd was strangely absent in this one and yet it did not decrease my enjoyment of it. Now this was a straight up gritty western tale with the exception of the odd truncheon incident which was more straight gore than anything that came before and of course the prolific use of the c word. I know this bothers some people but he uses it in the most perfect of contexts.
This was an enjoyable tale of revenge and some of the characters really got what was coming to them in the most satisfying and sadistic way possible.
My first western horror and definitely not my last.

[Lindsay Crook · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Peter Caffrey says he's going to write a Western you expect filthy cowboys and purile jokes but let me tell you this was not that at all. This takes you to the Old West in the best and worst ways. This started harsh and gritty and Peter rolled with it. I don't think I liked a single character and that's totally fine with me. I loved how brutal this tale was. Peter painted the perfect picture of violence and savagery. I’m definitely going to need more of this darkness in the future.

[Corrina Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to Copper Creek, full of cunts, whores, goodies, baddies and a few germ ridden individuals. And no less than 6 uses of the word cunt in the brilliantly brutal opening chapter!!
I think Mr C has outdone himself! 😂

Other than that, this book is not as brutal and fucked up as his usual stuff! And that's not a bad thing by any means, what it is, is absolutely gripping and immersive, deep and dark. With some gnarly, nasty injuries inflicted upon those deserving it. Earl Sawyer's unfortunate, brutal, yet highly amusing one in particular had me grinning like an idiot! Cheeky! 😉😂

Very visually narrated, bringing to mind the classic western movies of old. The narrative gallops along, bringing with it old scores that need settling, debts that need paying, and vengeances being sought and dished out accordingly.

Caffrey's humour is rife throughout, making this an extremely entertaining, unputdownable read! But I would expect nothing less! 🤠

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A runaway train of a novel. Non-stop debauchery, violence and great writing.
All good westerns should be bleak and gritty and they don't get much darker than Seven Bastards.
More twists and turns than a nest of rattlesnakes and twice as venomous.
Extremely deadpan for those who may be familiar with Caffrey's work but I think it makes it hit so much harder.

[Gerhard Geick · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can imagine what a movie like Young Guns 2, Tombstone, The Quick and the Dead, or 7:10 to Yuma might look like if it were written and directed by Quinten Tarantino, you might have some idea of what you are getting yourself into with The Ballad of the Seven Bastards. With one part action, another dose of comedy, a splash of the bizarre, and the elements of Horror that we have come to expect and love from Mr. Peter Caffrey, you've got a trip into the Old West that you don't want to miss.

Welcome to Copper Creek, where if you're not about to stab someone in the back, you had better be watching your own - and even then, it never hurts to have a loyal friend watching your six, if such a person can be found.

Copper Creek is a town inhabited, almost entirely, by trecherous hombres. In a place where cash buys loyalty, but only until it doesn't, most of the inhabitants live by a code of their own, one that is self-centered, greedy, blood-thirsty, and completely lacking in any form of honor. These are the archetypes you love to hate and hate to love. But try not to get too attached to them, because the author can be as much of a bastard as the cretins he creates. He breathes life into them. He makes you love them, then he mowes them down as fodder for our discomfort. Gosh darn'it. It is unconscionable!

[Toni | Dark Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fancy a read that is Gritty and bleak and feels like a mission straight out of Red Dead Redemption?

I Just love a western Horror, it lends itself perfectly to the brutality we all love in Horror stories.

This story is set in the mining town of Copper Creek which is ruled by the very unsavoury Elder Munroe.

Munroe and his inner circle rule the town with Violence and manipulation under the guise that they are creating the 'New Jerusalem' You either stand with them or you can expect a bullet in your back.

This group of men are hiding a dark Secret from 10 Years ago which is about to come bite them in the arse.

When Elijah Black arrives in town looking for work and a robbery takes place, the whole community are pointing fingers at each other and it's a recipe for disaster.

I loved this book. Caffrey really captured the feel of the old West. Relationships are built on dishonour, cash is king and not an ounce of loyalty in sight.

The Ballad of Seven Bastards is a Brutal, gritty story of Opression, treachery and Revenge and it comes highly recommended from me!

Mark your Calendars folks! This September 18, Evil rides at high noon!

Be ready!

[Danielle Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Copper Creek is not your typical town. It is a place of great savagery and brutality, of witchery and the like.”

Caffrey is quickly becoming one of my favorite people around here. He has a hell of a witty personality, he’s kind as can be, and oh, his writing?! Incredible! I know I’m late on the Caffrey train, but he is absolutely in my top 3 favorite authors that I have read in 2025.

So, to be fully transparent… Western Horror never appealed to me. Not splatter westerns, regular westerns, I think I just assumed westerns in general weren’t my thing. And I have no idea why I assumed that, because it wasn’t like I had read any before making that claim. That being said, I’ve been introducing them more and more into my TBR, and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long, because I’m loving them. And this one just took the spot for my favorite western horror yet!!

THE BALLAD OF SEVEN BASTARDS is brutal. It’s exactly as part of the synopsis states, which is: a brutal tale of manipulation, greed, and violent retribution. Brutal and violent are two extremely accurate descriptions. But there’s so much more to the story. The characters were done in a way that makes them very memorable. It’s super freaking gritty and there’s some wild scenes to be had, but again, absolutely remarkable book. The revenge was so damn sweet in this book, too. I can’t rave about it enough! So yeah, definitely make sure to get your hands on this one, whether Western is your jam or not. I really can’t see any horror reader being disappointed by this story!

[AJRXII · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story from Peter as always

[Sharron Joy Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elder Monroe is a false prophet lording it over the small mining community of Copper Creek ordering violent retribution for anyone who stands against him. The county jail is a cesspit of brutality against its inmates and Loretta has just been released. The community lives either in fear of violence or inflicts it, especially on the natives of the area. Enter Elijah Black looking for work.

A western horror showcasing how wild the west really was. Loyalty is only given through terror, alliances only when necessary and violence is everywhere. The town’s abuse against the native settlement is horrifying and the secrets are cataclysmic when revealed.

This is a non stop tale of murder, retribution, revenge and treacherous alliances and a mystery woman in full vengeance mode. The violence is visceral and eye watering in its brutality. With explicit themes throughout this is sometimes a difficult read but the payoff is so worth it.

[Drew Moyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Splatter Westerns are slowly becoming my favorite horror subgenre. I am a sucker for westerns and this blood soaked tale delivers. Taking place in the mining town of Copper Creek, a town with a dark secret, the story mostly follows Elijah Black, an out of towner who finds himself in the middle of a plot for revenge that’s been brewing for a decade.

This book has it all. Shady characters with dark pasts, a corrupted town, dead men coming back, and a blood, blood, and even more blood. I really liked how the story wove together so many characters and narratives without it feeling overwhelming. I loved how despicable almost all of the characters were, really showing how morally gray life was like back then.

I had so much fun reading this book. It reminded me a lot of old, gritty spaghetti westerns. If you’re in the mood for violent western horror, this book is for you. 5/5 stars Visceral and extremely compelling. Highly recommended!

[Stu Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ballad Of Seven Bastards by Peter Caffrey.
What an absolute pleasure it was to read this belter of a story.
We start in the County jail with Loretta watching her cell mate, being relentlessly beaten, and then given a mysterious set of tarot cards.
Copper Creek is a town ran by a mysterious character called Elder Munroe. It's got many dark secrets, including horrific abuse of the tribal settlements, from a decade ago, to the present day.
Loretta is released from jail, and encounters a gentleman that has come into town, searching for work.
There is so much going on in this book, from murder, revenge, treachery and a mysterious woman that has the power to bring the dead back to life.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It's gritty, brutal and captivating.

[Ryan Hyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale of one despicable character trumped by an even more despicable character, and on and on, leaving me wishing for the death of all seven despicable characters in the end. Thus, the hope for vengeance becomes a strangely compelling and satisfying motivation for reading this story. A Wild West adventure with a wicked twist. Well done!

[Gary Vassallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Caffrey delivers again. This was a gruesome Western which hooked from the start and I couldn’t put it down. If you like Westerns and you like them gory, this is the book for you!

[Kirsty Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

A western, kind of, without too much cowboy or jovial yee haas!
A story packed with unlikeable characters and full of revenge, once things ramp up the craziness is relentless. No holds barred with some brutal scenes this is a slightly different offering from the author but well worth delving into. 4*