Murphy

Murphy #1

by Gary Paulsen

When the body of an eleven-year-old girl is found in the stables, Sheriff Al Murphy is determined to solve the crime, regardless of who many be hurt by the truth

Genres: Westerns

136 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Gary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.

Reviews

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea that Paulsen wrote a western series! I thought this was a stand-alone book! This slim volume should be on the list of classic western books/stories; maybe it is and I just missed it. Realistic fiction with strong characterizations in few pages. I have long enjoyed Paulsen as a writer, having made a collection of his coming of age books. But in a different genre, this is a jewel. Now I want to read the rest of the "series."

[Tim Field · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised to learn that young adult author Gary Paulsen had created a western series for big folks. Today these books cost big bucks if you can find them, but fortunately, the libraries in my region still have old yellowed copies in their shelves.
Murphy, the first in the series, show Paulsen’s usual unflinching violence: a violent rape and murder if a young girl, vivid descriptions of injuries to both humans and animals and physical fights that have consequences. Murphy is no shining hero; instead, he comes from a squalid background, constantly has thoughts of quitting his sheriff’s job and has horrible nightmares of being shot.
Paulsen’s provides his usual believable dialogue and creates an authentic town of the old west where survival is hardscrabble and most denizens are concerned with their own interests.
Looking forward to reading the other six titles in this series - if I can find them m, that is.
Highly recommended for both Paulsen and western buffs.

[Cws]

W Pau

[Ms. Mielke's Class Make sure you post how your sheets tell you to!!!! · Rating 3 out of 5]

It left me wondering at the end of every page what would happen next. At the end was the only time I caught on to who was the killer. I thought it was an okay book. RH