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28th out of 88 books
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Walking Dead (Walker Papers #4)
by
C.E. Murphy (Goodreads Author)
For once, Joanne Walker's not out to save the world. She's come to terms with the host of shamanic powers she's been given, her job as a police detective has been relatively calm, and she's got a love life for the first time in memory. Not bad for a woman who started out the year mostly dead.
But it's Halloween, and the undead have just crashed Joanne's party.
Now, with her
...morePaperback, 384 pages
Published
September 1st 2009
by Luna Books
(first published August 18th 2009)
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Nicholas Whyte
added it
http://nhw.livejournal.com/1092954.html[return][return]I've described these books before as being slightly in the Buffy mode (and if you like one you'll probably like the other). One difference, though, is that Joanne is part of the normal system of authority, rather than revolting against it in the way that Buffy does. However, mystical powers and police procedure are not easy bedfellows, and a lot of the tension underlying the narrative comes from her (and to a lesser extent her colleagues) at...more
I really like this series. The first book sounded interesting and it was. The second book was a waste, but I still was holding on. The third book Hooked me completely. This book was even better, except this story line that kept coming up about banshee's. It came up in the other books but it was a major key story line in this book as the next and I was left saying WTH! BIG FLAW!
There is a short story called Banshee Cries in an anthology called Winter Moon. This short story seems to...more
There is a short story called Banshee Cries in an anthology called Winter Moon. This short story seems to...more
Summary: When Joannie is pressed into a 'Xena, warrior princess' costume for Halloween, she anticipates a night of fun. However, the party is interrupted by a miasmic force, and she and her partner on the force Billy have to save their friends. This is linked to a murder and robbery that happens at a Museum later, as the stolen Cauldron has the power to bring back the dead. Joannie has to find the cauldron, the culprit, and restore peace to these souls. She gets helped by her old nemesis, the Wi...more
After crazy things erupted at her Halloween party, Joanne is yet again thrown into the middle of a crazy mystical scheme. Extremely old ghosts are surfacing with a vengeance and a cauldron that can make an undead army is stolen. Without her spirit guide Coyote she is forced to try and figure out how to stop whoever is trying to use the cauldron. Meanwhile she's trying to juggle her relationship with Thor, her feelings for Morrison and an extremely nosy insurance adjuster that just won't stop ha...more
The fourth in the Walker Papers series.
I really enjoyed the return of Joanne Walker and ensemble cast, one of my favourite things about this series is her cast of friends, they're all vital parts to each story for me.
This book also sees the return of Cernunnos and the Wild Hunt in all their finery..so a double bonus for me!
It's nice to see Joanne's character develop, she's really beginning to hone her shaman skills and has stopped trying to fight/deny her heritage which really ...more
I really enjoyed the return of Joanne Walker and ensemble cast, one of my favourite things about this series is her cast of friends, they're all vital parts to each story for me.
This book also sees the return of Cernunnos and the Wild Hunt in all their finery..so a double bonus for me!
It's nice to see Joanne's character develop, she's really beginning to hone her shaman skills and has stopped trying to fight/deny her heritage which really ...more
I really like this series in a large part due to the heroine Joanne. The best thing about her is that she doesn't see herself as a hero. Just a normal person who is blundering her way through being a shamin after it was thrust on her. I love how when she learns something she is excited to share it with others only to find out they already know. Her always wanting a supernatural handbook to catch up cracks me up!!
This was a great book for her as she has accepted and embraced being...more
This was a great book for her as she has accepted and embraced being...more
Yet another series I CANNOT get enough of. "Walking Dead" is C.E. Murphy's latest in her 'Walker Paper' series about Joanne Walker, shamaness/auto mechanic/cop. Now if that combination doesn't make you want to read this series, I don't know what would!
It's been a chaotic year for Joanne. Her otherworld mentor, Coyote, died in the last book. But as in real life, major events presage major life changes and Joanne has finally (well, mostly) come to terms with all the weird...more
It's been a chaotic year for Joanne. Her otherworld mentor, Coyote, died in the last book. But as in real life, major events presage major life changes and Joanne has finally (well, mostly) come to terms with all the weird...more
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Of the first four books in the Walker Paper series, Walking Dead is the best. This time C.E. Murphy included much more character interaction and less of her usual ethereal self dialogue that I've grown to despise.
Jo Walker and her friend, Phoebe are having a Halloween party. Jo is also now dating the mechanic who replaced her at the police station, Thor. During the party a cauldron is used and the undead enter the realm of the living. However, Jo is having a difficult time getti...more
Jo Walker and her friend, Phoebe are having a Halloween party. Jo is also now dating the mechanic who replaced her at the police station, Thor. During the party a cauldron is used and the undead enter the realm of the living. However, Jo is having a difficult time getti...more
I've enjoyed the other Walker Papers novels, but Walking Dead definitely showed more depth and maturity than the earlier volumes. Both the author and her lead character have grown very nicely. It's refreshing to read a series that does not fall into the all-too-familiar paranormal romance formula!
Another thing I enjoy about this series is that heroine Joanne has a supporting ensemble of friends and coworkers who have their own talents and foibles, including a delightful married coupl...more
Another thing I enjoy about this series is that heroine Joanne has a supporting ensemble of friends and coworkers who have their own talents and foibles, including a delightful married coupl...more
Lynsey (Geekius)
rated it
Another exciting, action-packed story from C. E. Murphy. I'd say overall I enjoyed it just as much as the previous one. It had a strong mystery plot once again and Joanne is getting increasingly better at handling her many different abilities when put to the test. Even without the help of her mentor, Coyote, who is still M.I.A.
I did have an issue with one small aspect of it though. My little niggle was that, in between this book and the last book, it seems Joanne has started a relation...more
I did have an issue with one small aspect of it though. My little niggle was that, in between this book and the last book, it seems Joanne has started a relation...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Glad to finally get the next installment in the Joanne Walker series! It took me a while to get my memory refreshed, but Murphy is able to remind you of the backstory without making it feel like she's telling it all again. Joanne struggles with balancing her shamanic calling with a relationship with someone outside that world, and tries to stop a powerfully magical cauldron stolen from a local museum from reanimating the dead. Good thing she has lots of great friends with various abilities to he...more
So Joanne's finally growing up, finally accepting herself... and that's probably the best thing I can say about this book. The ending of the last one already had me thrown off, and this one threw me off even more in terms of the other characters. Gary gets less and less presence, and Morrison seems to have changed as well (especially at the ending. Did not expect that) in some ways, but not fully... I guess I expect characters to work through their problems, or at least state that they have a ...more
Continuing with my re-read of this series.
The 4th book in the series involves around the cauldron, yes that Black cauldron I read about in Loyd Alexander's Taran series.
If you are a nerdy type of person who likes genre shows, you would really apprecitate the beginning of this book. I can't believe I missed it when I first listened to it. I must have been doing something else while listening to it. Now I have this image of Lucy Lawless as Joanne, and it sort of works....more
The 4th book in the series involves around the cauldron, yes that Black cauldron I read about in Loyd Alexander's Taran series.
If you are a nerdy type of person who likes genre shows, you would really apprecitate the beginning of this book. I can't believe I missed it when I first listened to it. I must have been doing something else while listening to it. Now I have this image of Lucy Lawless as Joanne, and it sort of works....more
Walking Dead is a swift paced book, just as quoted on the cover of the book.....
Joanne started the book wearing a Xena outfit at a halloween/birthday party that she was hostess for. Part way through the party, and very early in the book, a couple of dancers rise out of a cauldron (that wasn't ordered by Joanne- mysterious), and are attacked by a deadly mist full of very angry dead ghosts. From here the action continues with really not much downtime in the whole book. Joanne and Bi...more
Joanne started the book wearing a Xena outfit at a halloween/birthday party that she was hostess for. Part way through the party, and very early in the book, a couple of dancers rise out of a cauldron (that wasn't ordered by Joanne- mysterious), and are attacked by a deadly mist full of very angry dead ghosts. From here the action continues with really not much downtime in the whole book. Joanne and Bi...more
Normally I don't care for zombies in my fantasy literature - the ick factor is just too high for me. (I don't do horror movies, either.) This book is probably the first exception as Joanne disliked them as much as I do. I love that she now as a better sense of what she is doing with her shamanic abilities, and she has even studied a few things related to this so that she is better prepared for future needs. It seems to me that as Joanne better understands the mechanics of what she is doing, the ...more
It's a shame this is the last book in the series (or at least I think it is) because this was the best one.
Throughout the four books, Joanne has been a reluctant participant in her calling/fate/whatever you want to call it. At times it was easy to understand her frustration and her stubborn attitude against her life being forced to change. Then it started getting annoying. But with this last book she put on her big girl panties and got the job done.
The great thing about ...more
Throughout the four books, Joanne has been a reluctant participant in her calling/fate/whatever you want to call it. At times it was easy to understand her frustration and her stubborn attitude against her life being forced to change. Then it started getting annoying. But with this last book she put on her big girl panties and got the job done.
The great thing about ...more
I must admit, awesome as the Negotiator trilogy and the Inheritors' Cycle have been so far, I've really rather missed C.E. Murphy's Joanne Walker in the Walker Papers. And Book 4, Walking Dead, brings her back with a satisfying vengeance.
The title of this might lead you to believe it's a zombie novel. It's not, at least not predominantly. The dead do indeed rise, but aside from a couple of scenes, they aren't the primary point of the book. Rather, we've got Joanne and her partner Bil...more
The title of this might lead you to believe it's a zombie novel. It's not, at least not predominantly. The dead do indeed rise, but aside from a couple of scenes, they aren't the primary point of the book. Rather, we've got Joanne and her partner Bil...more
The Flooze (Michelle M.)
rated it
**3.5**
It's been quite some time since I've visited Joanne Walker's world. Walking Dead did much to remind me what I love about the series - and what annoys me about it.
Murphy's concept is great. The combination of Native American and Celtic folklore is a plus for this series, as it creates a wide landscape for the characters to explore. It also allows for an interconnectedness between varying mythologies; in Joanne's Seattle, most world-concepts exist side by side. I enj...more
It's been quite some time since I've visited Joanne Walker's world. Walking Dead did much to remind me what I love about the series - and what annoys me about it.
Murphy's concept is great. The combination of Native American and Celtic folklore is a plus for this series, as it creates a wide landscape for the characters to explore. It also allows for an interconnectedness between varying mythologies; in Joanne's Seattle, most world-concepts exist side by side. I enj...more
It's been a chaotic year for Joanne. Her otherworld mentor, Coyote, died, she's become a reluctant detective with the Seattle Police department and she's manged to accept being a tried and true shaman, in an I-not-really-crazy kind of way. Coming to terms with all the weirdness that goes with being who she is seems to be taking a little longer, although she is managing to train both physically and metaphysically for the things she might come up against.
After the dead unexpectantly...more
After the dead unexpectantly...more
I've been reading this series for about a year now, this is the fourth. I'm normally not one for the supernatural, vampires and such, but I have enjoyed this series. It centers around Joanne Walker, who's a shaman but also a Seattle homicide detective. Before becoming a detective, she happily worked in the police department's motor pool. Perhaps my enjoyment comes from her love of cars? Anyway, this one has zombies.
She's written other series, which I plan to check out one of these days.
She's written other series, which I plan to check out one of these days.
this book actually gets a 4.5. I love the Walker Papers, it's my favorite C.E. Murphy series and I am in love with Jo and her world.
It needed more Morrison and Jo and I'm hoping that in the next book they move a little closer together.
Ok. Now back to main issue. Ghosts, Zombies and the wild hunt. Holy Moses. I feel like I might be missing something about the Wild Hunt and Jo and perhaps I should go back and reread the previous book. So, it was a little confusing on that f...more
It needed more Morrison and Jo and I'm hoping that in the next book they move a little closer together.
Ok. Now back to main issue. Ghosts, Zombies and the wild hunt. Holy Moses. I feel like I might be missing something about the Wild Hunt and Jo and perhaps I should go back and reread the previous book. So, it was a little confusing on that f...more
I enjoyed this book a lot. The only bad thing is I read book four before one, two and three. The main character is a detective with the powers of a shaman. I would definitely suggest that the books be read in order. I know better myself but this came in from the library first. I you like a good weird mystery than this is for you. I like the fact that the author lives in Ireland also. This is a place that I'm trying to talk my husband into going to see.
You would think a Halloween party would be a relatively safe event but not when Joanne Walker is the host' the undead crash the party. If that isn't enough, she and her partner get called into a murder that involves someone having stolen a magic cauldron that is purported to have the ability to bring the dead back to life.
If you haven't read any of Murphy's urban shaman series, you are in for a treat but watch out as they are addicting.
If you haven't read any of Murphy's urban shaman series, you are in for a treat but watch out as they are addicting.
I have loved the rest of the books in this series, but was pretty disappointed in this one. Case in point...I was able to put it down and leave it there for about a month in the middle of the story. Usually I am the one who is up until dawn finishing up a novel so I have to be careful when I start reading something. Not with this one. It wasn't *bad* but I suppose I just wasn't pulled into the story like I have been before.
A mindless diversion. Still prone to the same issues the rest of the series suffers, but also still full of characters I can care about.
It was nice to see Murphy reach past the zombie cause du jour (virus) and the classic (voodoo) for something from European mythology.
It does strangely contradict previous and later books re: magic and the time of year, though. I wonder why?
It was nice to see Murphy reach past the zombie cause du jour (virus) and the classic (voodoo) for something from European mythology.
It does strangely contradict previous and later books re: magic and the time of year, though. I wonder why?
I really enjoyed Urban Shaman, the first book in the Walker Papers. The next two books really disappointed me and I admit to skimming through them both.
However, something about these books really appeal to me so I decided to give Walking Dead a go.
This and Urban Shaman are the best in the series in my opinion. Not so much of Joanne frolicking through the underworld (which are the main bits I skipped through) and more of her coming to terms with her shamanism, and of cou...more
However, something about these books really appeal to me so I decided to give Walking Dead a go.
This and Urban Shaman are the best in the series in my opinion. Not so much of Joanne frolicking through the underworld (which are the main bits I skipped through) and more of her coming to terms with her shamanism, and of cou...more
Yes! This is the Jo that I have been waiting for. She FINALLY decides to quit whining all the time and own up to her awesomeness. The central mystery was interesting as always, as well as a little sad. Billy also really blossomed in this book. He is a great side character (though still not as awesome as Gary). I enjoyed the return of a few characters from the first book and hope this isn't the last we see of them.
I like the series, but I don't like the fact that CE Murphy publishes related interludes in anthologies that link the books together. Between earlier books, it didn't bother me much. But for this one, key relationship developments happened "out of band" and it's distracting to keep having re-create what happened from hints in the current narrative.
As per her usual work- fan-freaking-tastic. I am not quite sure why I love this character so much, but I do. I do not give anything away, but it was great. You do get to see that Jo is on a journey and over the four Walker Papers books, you definitely see Jo mature. At least I don't have to wait another 2 years for the 5th one.
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C.E. Murphy is a writer of fantasy novels and short stories. She also writes "action-adventure romance" novels under the pseudonym Cate Dermody, which was her grandmother's maiden name.
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“She had a body that even I coveted in a strictly Platonic sense.”
—
5 people liked it
“I suppose I knew on an intellectual level that graves weren't especially made for getting out of. I mean, you start with a hermetically sealed casket and then you dump six feet of dirt on top of it. Over time the earth gets compacted, which can't make it easy to dig through. So even if you're a very angry and determined zombie, you've kind of got your work cut out for you just escaping from the grave.
Which was, I suppose, why we got hit with an initial wave of zombie bugs, birds and rodents. I bet some people would say if you've never picked undead mosquitoes out of your teeth, you've never lived. Under that definition, I'd be just as happy to have not lived, thanks.”
—
1 person liked it
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Which was, I suppose, why we got hit with an initial wave of zombie bugs, birds and rodents. I bet some people would say if you've never picked undead mosquitoes out of your teeth, you've never lived. Under that definition, I'd be just as happy to have not lived, thanks.”
