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Iron Flats
Iron Flats is a sleepy little town in Northeast Montana. It is a rural community, surrounded by ranches and farms. There are two large cattle ranches close to Iron Flats. Big Jim Murtaugh owns the Flying M, and Seth Riley owns the Crooked Stick. The two men despise one another. Their hatred dates back to the end of the Civil War when Seth's ancestor accused Murtaugh's great-grandparent of killing a beautiful young socialite and heiress in Fort Benton, Montana. The two families have been at odds with each other ever since.
There are other powerful families in Iron Flats. The Taft family are merchants and businesspeople, some of whom dabble in politics. The Hays clan dabbles in anything and everything from law enforcement officers to criminals, saloons, strip joints, and even a spot of bootlegging thrown in for good measure. Not much has changed here for over a hundred years, but the winds of change are blowing now! Something buried deep underground in Iron Flats has drawn the attention of an ancient and evil being. As this entity stirs and starts to move, Iron Flats has its first murder in 150 years. Not one but two people are dead, and Milo Young, the local Sheriff, is out of his depth.
Sheriff Young could perhaps be forgiven for thinking this was as bad as it could get. Little does he know this is but the start. Forces are gathering in this quiet little town. These powerful forces remain hidden and work in the shadows, not wishing to draw attention to themselves. They are looking for something, seeking it relentlessly. They will not stop until they find it. Anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way could well end up dead; two already are!
Seth Riley wants no part in any of this, but gets drawn into it anyway, along with his nemesis, Big Jim Murtaugh, and their respective families. Only two of the parties know what is happening, and they are both trying to keep it that way. The conspiracy extends from Iron Flats to the State Capital and Governor Delmar Taft, who is in deeper than he ever wanted to be. Nobody knows the full extent of what is happening, except for one creepy old man called Bernael and his enemy and half-brother, Azrael. In the end, all parties converge on the Crooked Stick, where the antagonists reveal themselves along with the reason they are in Iron Flats in the first place.
There are other powerful families in Iron Flats. The Taft family are merchants and businesspeople, some of whom dabble in politics. The Hays clan dabbles in anything and everything from law enforcement officers to criminals, saloons, strip joints, and even a spot of bootlegging thrown in for good measure. Not much has changed here for over a hundred years, but the winds of change are blowing now! Something buried deep underground in Iron Flats has drawn the attention of an ancient and evil being. As this entity stirs and starts to move, Iron Flats has its first murder in 150 years. Not one but two people are dead, and Milo Young, the local Sheriff, is out of his depth.
Sheriff Young could perhaps be forgiven for thinking this was as bad as it could get. Little does he know this is but the start. Forces are gathering in this quiet little town. These powerful forces remain hidden and work in the shadows, not wishing to draw attention to themselves. They are looking for something, seeking it relentlessly. They will not stop until they find it. Anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way could well end up dead; two already are!
Seth Riley wants no part in any of this, but gets drawn into it anyway, along with his nemesis, Big Jim Murtaugh, and their respective families. Only two of the parties know what is happening, and they are both trying to keep it that way. The conspiracy extends from Iron Flats to the State Capital and Governor Delmar Taft, who is in deeper than he ever wanted to be. Nobody knows the full extent of what is happening, except for one creepy old man called Bernael and his enemy and half-brother, Azrael. In the end, all parties converge on the Crooked Stick, where the antagonists reveal themselves along with the reason they are in Iron Flats in the first place.
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Published January 6, 2026
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About the author
D. Jay Kay
12 books16 followersI have led a full and interesting life, having travelled extensively throughout my career. Born and raised in the UK, I left school at the tender age of 16 and joined the Merchant Marine as an officer cadet. After 14 years, and following the completion of my master’s license, I left the sea to get married and pursue a new chapter of life onshore in the United States.
Happily married for over 40 years, my wife and I have two amazing children, who live reasonably close to us here, in Texas. I am semi-retired and, in addition to writing books, I also do a bit of consulting.
I am an avid motorcyclist and, up until very recently, taught motorcycle safety classes to both new and experienced riders. I love teaching people who have never ridden before and seeing the look on their faces when they go ‘solo’ for the first time. Once motorcycling gets in your blood, it never leaves you. It has been a lifelong passion of mine since I rode my first bike in 1974. A Yamaha 250 two-stroke for the cognoscenti among you. Motorcycles and riding are deeply ingrained in the fabric of many of my books.
Other pastimes include sports. I never saw a sport I wasn’t interested in. Formula 1, motorcycle racing, and golf have to be at the top of the pile with footy (Premier League) and American Baseball running close behind. Then, of course, there is reading, and I thoroughly enjoy it. Dorothy Dunnett, Nigel Tranter, Larry Niven, Isaac Asimov, and Patrick O’Brien are some of my favorite authors, but I also love Michael Connelly’s books and have read everything he has ever written. I am also a huge fan of Angela Marsons' books and her heroine, Kim Stone (another biker), as well as John Connolly, James Lee Burke, and Ken Follett. I love historical works, and in particular books about the Royal Navy, and the days of sail are always near the top of my list. I have also read extensively about Rome and the Roman Empire.
As I mentioned earlier, I have travelled extensively all over the world, but the one place I want to visit and have never been is Space. I read everything and anything related to space travel and astronomy, and often gaze in wonder at the nighttime sky. Our minds cannot grasp the immensity of Space, but we can all agree that it is a constant source of wonder to any thinking person. With all those stars and presumably associated planets, there has to be other life out there, surely?
I hope that in some small way, my book(s) please you and perhaps allow you, however briefly, to envisage one possibility among the multitude of possibilities “out there.”
DJK
Texas 2025
Happily married for over 40 years, my wife and I have two amazing children, who live reasonably close to us here, in Texas. I am semi-retired and, in addition to writing books, I also do a bit of consulting.
I am an avid motorcyclist and, up until very recently, taught motorcycle safety classes to both new and experienced riders. I love teaching people who have never ridden before and seeing the look on their faces when they go ‘solo’ for the first time. Once motorcycling gets in your blood, it never leaves you. It has been a lifelong passion of mine since I rode my first bike in 1974. A Yamaha 250 two-stroke for the cognoscenti among you. Motorcycles and riding are deeply ingrained in the fabric of many of my books.
Other pastimes include sports. I never saw a sport I wasn’t interested in. Formula 1, motorcycle racing, and golf have to be at the top of the pile with footy (Premier League) and American Baseball running close behind. Then, of course, there is reading, and I thoroughly enjoy it. Dorothy Dunnett, Nigel Tranter, Larry Niven, Isaac Asimov, and Patrick O’Brien are some of my favorite authors, but I also love Michael Connelly’s books and have read everything he has ever written. I am also a huge fan of Angela Marsons' books and her heroine, Kim Stone (another biker), as well as John Connolly, James Lee Burke, and Ken Follett. I love historical works, and in particular books about the Royal Navy, and the days of sail are always near the top of my list. I have also read extensively about Rome and the Roman Empire.
As I mentioned earlier, I have travelled extensively all over the world, but the one place I want to visit and have never been is Space. I read everything and anything related to space travel and astronomy, and often gaze in wonder at the nighttime sky. Our minds cannot grasp the immensity of Space, but we can all agree that it is a constant source of wonder to any thinking person. With all those stars and presumably associated planets, there has to be other life out there, surely?
I hope that in some small way, my book(s) please you and perhaps allow you, however briefly, to envisage one possibility among the multitude of possibilities “out there.”
DJK
Texas 2025
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 24, 2025
Iron Flats is an atmospheric blend of small-town drama, Western grit, and supernatural menace. D. Jay Kay takes readers into Northeast Montana, where ranching rivalries, buried grudges, and family feuds have shaped generations. On the surface, Iron Flats feels like any other quiet rural town, but beneath that calm lies a dark and ancient evil that slowly stirs to life.
The setup is compelling: Big Jim Murtaugh and Seth Riley, descendants of feuding families, are dragged into something far larger than their century-old grudge. The story builds a web of conflict that stretches from local politics, embodied by the ambitious Taft family, to the shadowy dealings of the notorious Hays clan. Just when readers think they are dealing with a murder mystery in a dusty Montana town, the narrative expands into something mythic, with Bernael, Azrael, and forces that reach far beyond the ordinary.
The setup is compelling: Big Jim Murtaugh and Seth Riley, descendants of feuding families, are dragged into something far larger than their century-old grudge. The story builds a web of conflict that stretches from local politics, embodied by the ambitious Taft family, to the shadowy dealings of the notorious Hays clan. Just when readers think they are dealing with a murder mystery in a dusty Montana town, the narrative expands into something mythic, with Bernael, Azrael, and forces that reach far beyond the ordinary.
November 1, 2025
Iron Flats is a gripping blend of Western drama and supernatural suspense. When two feuding ranch families are drawn into a wave of mysterious murders, long buried secrets and ancient evils begin to surface beneath the Montana plains. Sheriff Milo Young struggles to keep order as powerful forces both human and otherworldly close in.
D. Jay Kay masterfully weaves small-town intrigue, family rivalry, and creeping horror into a tense, atmospheric story. Fans of Stephen King and Cormac McCarthy will love this haunting, cinematic tale of power, legacy, and darkness rising in the heart of the American West.
D. Jay Kay masterfully weaves small-town intrigue, family rivalry, and creeping horror into a tense, atmospheric story. Fans of Stephen King and Cormac McCarthy will love this haunting, cinematic tale of power, legacy, and darkness rising in the heart of the American West.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews