What do you think?
Rate this book
Tex Murphy #1
Under a Killing Moon
Tex Murphy runs a 21st century detective agency out of the hotel room he calls home. He sits around, drinks beer, and waits for something to happen. But this time, what happened was the colonel. He could have brought Tex the case, but instead he brought a warning for Tex to keep his nose out of it. Problem is, Tex has never been very good at keeping his nose out of things.
336 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 1994
11 people are currently reading
105 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
May 24, 2021
Not a book I thought I would read. Don't do novelizations and definitely not ones based on games. But ended up reading this looking for something cyberpunk.
It reads like a Maltese Falcon rip off and there is very little cyber or punk in it, just a mention that it's set in the future. Tex, our oddly celibate protagonist, drives a flying vehicle and there are terrorist activity and riots because of clashes between Mutants and Norms. But the main story revolves around the mystery of a missing statue and Tex's involvement in it.
Seen this kind of thing a hundred times in cyberpunk type games, novels, movies ... different groups clashing over "augs" and mutants and normals etc, big corporations running the cities, high tech, implants etc. dystopia-like city settings, Tokyo rain neon vibe (which you don't get much here), Gibson and PK Dick.
Anyway, the book has its moments, fairly exciting ending, but overall not much cop.
If anyone can recommend a good cyberpunk novel, comment below. Thanks
It reads like a Maltese Falcon rip off and there is very little cyber or punk in it, just a mention that it's set in the future. Tex, our oddly celibate protagonist, drives a flying vehicle and there are terrorist activity and riots because of clashes between Mutants and Norms. But the main story revolves around the mystery of a missing statue and Tex's involvement in it.
Seen this kind of thing a hundred times in cyberpunk type games, novels, movies ... different groups clashing over "augs" and mutants and normals etc, big corporations running the cities, high tech, implants etc. dystopia-like city settings, Tokyo rain neon vibe (which you don't get much here), Gibson and PK Dick.
Anyway, the book has its moments, fairly exciting ending, but overall not much cop.
If anyone can recommend a good cyberpunk novel, comment below. Thanks
April 13, 2015
Really enjoyed the computer game as a kid and the novel is faithful. Now I want to boot up the old PC!
June 12, 2018
Aaron Conners' Tex Murphy follows in the tradition of Sam Spade and the Continental Op as a classic example of a hardboiled gumshoe.
I'm not typically a fan of a first person narrative. I generally feel that it limits the scope of the setting and characters. It speaks to the writing style of Conners that the book reads easy and provides incredible detail. As a benefit of the first person description, we see inside the mind of Tex, and Conners does a great job of leading us through the text along with Tex.
The story follows Tex as he investigates the loss of a bird statuette (hmmm, wonder if The Maltese Falcon had any influence), though its not rote, and the twist as Tex finds himself embroiled in a deeper plot is enthralling.
Great book from a great author. Conners ' "Under a Killing Moon" (and what a title!) is at place in any bookshelf next to Hammett and Chandler.
I'm not typically a fan of a first person narrative. I generally feel that it limits the scope of the setting and characters. It speaks to the writing style of Conners that the book reads easy and provides incredible detail. As a benefit of the first person description, we see inside the mind of Tex, and Conners does a great job of leading us through the text along with Tex.
The story follows Tex as he investigates the loss of a bird statuette (hmmm, wonder if The Maltese Falcon had any influence), though its not rote, and the twist as Tex finds himself embroiled in a deeper plot is enthralling.
Great book from a great author. Conners ' "Under a Killing Moon" (and what a title!) is at place in any bookshelf next to Hammett and Chandler.
July 14, 2025
Originally released to coincide with the release of the videogame of the same name. The third installment of the 'Tex Murphy' series. This along with the other books have recently be re-released. The author who also wrote the game, got the rights to republish. There is a new book as well, that recently released.
Under a Killing Moon, is considered by many to be the best game in the series. The plot of the game is mostly intact here. Tex, finds himself in a wild plot of fanatics who wish to purge the earth.
The book is like the game series quite funny at times as well. While some of the wilder parts of the game do not get re-created here, such as the part where the player has to convince a corrupt business owner that his partner he murdered, is back from the dead for revenge.
Of course the games puzzles are simplified, to make them more plausible. Fans of the games will enjoy this book, I believe that fans of noir will as well.There is even a bit a Phillip K. Dick influence here.
Reading this book has made me want to revisit the game, which has a remastered edition from Nightdive Studios. I will also be reading the rest of this series.
Under a Killing Moon, is considered by many to be the best game in the series. The plot of the game is mostly intact here. Tex, finds himself in a wild plot of fanatics who wish to purge the earth.
The book is like the game series quite funny at times as well. While some of the wilder parts of the game do not get re-created here, such as the part where the player has to convince a corrupt business owner that his partner he murdered, is back from the dead for revenge.
Of course the games puzzles are simplified, to make them more plausible. Fans of the games will enjoy this book, I believe that fans of noir will as well.There is even a bit a Phillip K. Dick influence here.
Reading this book has made me want to revisit the game, which has a remastered edition from Nightdive Studios. I will also be reading the rest of this series.
Read
May 21, 2021This book is very well-written and the ending is pretty intense. However, the plot and characters have a lot of departures from the game I loved so much growing up (even though the main plot remains the same). I found all these changed details a bit disappointing.
July 29, 2025
Quite excellent for a novel based on a computer game. Tells the story differently than the game does but manages to keep all the atmosphere and likable characters.
April 30, 2022
The novelization of under a killing moon isn’t bad, but I don’t feel it stands out too much aside from the setting (which it rarely takes advantage of) and the overall plot. It sacrificed most of the comedy in favor of trying to make it a grittier story, but it doesn’t work. The only improvements I liked were that Eddie had a larger role and a small scene where Tex tells a plus-sized woman that she shouldn’t settle for a creep and she deserved better. (I like his friendship with Louie is explored.) It tried to set up a romance plot for the next book, but it felt forced.
All in all, it pales to the game it’s based on, and as a standalone, it’s passable with a few good scenes. If you’re a Tex Murphy fan and want everything Tex, then buy it. Otherwise, just stick with the game. It may be outdated and the acting a bit hokey at times, but it’s still fairly enjoyable.
All in all, it pales to the game it’s based on, and as a standalone, it’s passable with a few good scenes. If you’re a Tex Murphy fan and want everything Tex, then buy it. Otherwise, just stick with the game. It may be outdated and the acting a bit hokey at times, but it’s still fairly enjoyable.
July 18, 2020
A Detective/comedy book in the style of traditional noir. I received this book when purchasing a copy of the game it was based on of the same name. I played the game before reading the book. It really isn't necessary. They are practically two different stories. One is not better than the other, they are just different. The book version is fleshed out much more, well written. With a great sense of humor that does not take itself seriously at all. Easy to read, it was a very enjoyable experience.
March 24, 2017
Unexpectedly, I have enjoyed this book quite a lot. It's really good.
I am a Tex Murphy fan and I regard the series as an amazing accomplishment, and the games rank high in my list - i.e. The Pandora Directive is my favorite game of all times. They all are very meaningful to me, even today as I don't play computer games anymore.
So, my review of Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon may be biased, but if this is the case, it's unintentional. I have made every effort in reading UaKM without positive preconceptions, as I would read a book from an unknown author. If you check my other reviews, you will see I'm quite harsh on my ratings, even rating very low books from authors I really admire. I have no reason to praise a book I didn't like, mainly because I would be quite angry after spending some bucks buying it.
Anyway, what we have here? In short: a old-school detective story set in a dystopian future. San Francisco, 2042 - after the Third World War people are divided between normal people and mutants - sons and grandsons of people whose DNA was unrevocably changed during the war. The first live in luxury, the later not. Tex Murphy, "the last of the old-time P.I.s", even though is a "normal", lives in a decadent part of the city.
After his marriage broke up, he spends his days sleeping and drinking bourbon. Suddenly, a new job appears that will put him in route of something bigger than he ever dreamed.
Of, enough with the back-cover resume. Let's see other aspects of the story.
We have a traditional detective story, no doubt about it. Clues are discovered one by one, secondary characters come to help or fight against our hero, we known some things about his past, etc. Those things are done in a very sucessful way. The pace is quite adequate, without things rushing up or getting long and boring. The way the story unfolds seems natural.
The secondary characters are colorful and meaningful. I must praise Aaron Conners for not using your tried-and-true stock characters that abound in detective (and other fictional) stories. Even when a character seems at first glance to be another cliche (the beautiful secretary, the evil antagonist), they are not; Conners does not use them as usual, even tricking you and keeping the focus on the story. This is not a easy thing to do - usually authors use those secondary characters as means of covering plot deficiencies, but not here.
The whole frame is correct, and you don't see any "jump", or a "deus ex machina". Everything that happens is possible - I mean, let's say there's a moment where Tex Murphy is on the verge of dying and something happens that saves him. That thing doesn't come from nowhere, but is coherent and logical (probably it was even mentioned a dozen chapters before). Even the way Murphy solves the case is not quite straightforward - there are clues he discovers when is quite late for them to be useful, and there are even some things he does not resolve at all.
I won't say what is the mistery he resolves, because understanding it one chapter at the time is part of the magic of the book. What I can say is that it's meaningful.
Now, let's compare it to the game. In short: the main point is the same, but the particulars not. The book is not the game turned into a novel. If in the game you do A, then B, to achieve C, in the book Murphy does completely different things. It's another beast, as two stories that reaches the same conclusion but were set in parallel universes. In the book Murphy goes to places that don't exist in the game, meet people that never shows on the game, etc. At the same time, characters that are very important in the game never show up in the book at all. Is it good? Is it bad?
I'm glad things are that way. The game is quite kitsch, and the book is a lot more realistic (if we can say that of a dystopian future). In the book Murphy depends a lot more of other characters and, even though he makes great things, he is not a perfect hero. He is just a cough in the machine (a very important one). But, nonetheless, in both medias Tex Murphy is an amazing character, a lovable gumshoe.
One thing the book really has in common with the game is the humour. Aaron is quite funny, and you have a lot of unforgetable moments. Tex always has a sarcastic comment or a wise observation to do. Another cumpliment I must do is that the humour, altough is always present, begins to weaken as the story becomes more serious. In other words, the first chapters are a lot funnier, but then you have the most dramatic moments by the end.
The review is getting quite long, so let's wrap things up:
The enjoyment of the book is independent of you knowing the games. It will be a very good reading for people who enjoy detective stories (the principal trait here), and, second, people who enjoy (or don't bother with) a bit of futuristic backdrop. It could be said that the change in scenario - instead of San Francisco in 1942, San Francisco in 2042 - is something welcoming. Aaron Conners writes quite well, never recurring to cliches, being creative and interesting along the 200+ pages, with many good jokes to tell and characters you can relate to. The story has a deeper meaning but, most of all, it's quite an adventure. The structure is coherent as a whole and the individual scenes are always there for a reason.
So - 4 star, meaning: a book that will be proudly placed in my library. Thank you for reading.
I am a Tex Murphy fan and I regard the series as an amazing accomplishment, and the games rank high in my list - i.e. The Pandora Directive is my favorite game of all times. They all are very meaningful to me, even today as I don't play computer games anymore.
So, my review of Tex Murphy: Under a Killing Moon may be biased, but if this is the case, it's unintentional. I have made every effort in reading UaKM without positive preconceptions, as I would read a book from an unknown author. If you check my other reviews, you will see I'm quite harsh on my ratings, even rating very low books from authors I really admire. I have no reason to praise a book I didn't like, mainly because I would be quite angry after spending some bucks buying it.
Anyway, what we have here? In short: a old-school detective story set in a dystopian future. San Francisco, 2042 - after the Third World War people are divided between normal people and mutants - sons and grandsons of people whose DNA was unrevocably changed during the war. The first live in luxury, the later not. Tex Murphy, "the last of the old-time P.I.s", even though is a "normal", lives in a decadent part of the city.
After his marriage broke up, he spends his days sleeping and drinking bourbon. Suddenly, a new job appears that will put him in route of something bigger than he ever dreamed.
Of, enough with the back-cover resume. Let's see other aspects of the story.
We have a traditional detective story, no doubt about it. Clues are discovered one by one, secondary characters come to help or fight against our hero, we known some things about his past, etc. Those things are done in a very sucessful way. The pace is quite adequate, without things rushing up or getting long and boring. The way the story unfolds seems natural.
The secondary characters are colorful and meaningful. I must praise Aaron Conners for not using your tried-and-true stock characters that abound in detective (and other fictional) stories. Even when a character seems at first glance to be another cliche (the beautiful secretary, the evil antagonist), they are not; Conners does not use them as usual, even tricking you and keeping the focus on the story. This is not a easy thing to do - usually authors use those secondary characters as means of covering plot deficiencies, but not here.
The whole frame is correct, and you don't see any "jump", or a "deus ex machina". Everything that happens is possible - I mean, let's say there's a moment where Tex Murphy is on the verge of dying and something happens that saves him. That thing doesn't come from nowhere, but is coherent and logical (probably it was even mentioned a dozen chapters before). Even the way Murphy solves the case is not quite straightforward - there are clues he discovers when is quite late for them to be useful, and there are even some things he does not resolve at all.
I won't say what is the mistery he resolves, because understanding it one chapter at the time is part of the magic of the book. What I can say is that it's meaningful.
Now, let's compare it to the game. In short: the main point is the same, but the particulars not. The book is not the game turned into a novel. If in the game you do A, then B, to achieve C, in the book Murphy does completely different things. It's another beast, as two stories that reaches the same conclusion but were set in parallel universes. In the book Murphy goes to places that don't exist in the game, meet people that never shows on the game, etc. At the same time, characters that are very important in the game never show up in the book at all. Is it good? Is it bad?
I'm glad things are that way. The game is quite kitsch, and the book is a lot more realistic (if we can say that of a dystopian future). In the book Murphy depends a lot more of other characters and, even though he makes great things, he is not a perfect hero. He is just a cough in the machine (a very important one). But, nonetheless, in both medias Tex Murphy is an amazing character, a lovable gumshoe.
One thing the book really has in common with the game is the humour. Aaron is quite funny, and you have a lot of unforgetable moments. Tex always has a sarcastic comment or a wise observation to do. Another cumpliment I must do is that the humour, altough is always present, begins to weaken as the story becomes more serious. In other words, the first chapters are a lot funnier, but then you have the most dramatic moments by the end.
The review is getting quite long, so let's wrap things up:
The enjoyment of the book is independent of you knowing the games. It will be a very good reading for people who enjoy detective stories (the principal trait here), and, second, people who enjoy (or don't bother with) a bit of futuristic backdrop. It could be said that the change in scenario - instead of San Francisco in 1942, San Francisco in 2042 - is something welcoming. Aaron Conners writes quite well, never recurring to cliches, being creative and interesting along the 200+ pages, with many good jokes to tell and characters you can relate to. The story has a deeper meaning but, most of all, it's quite an adventure. The structure is coherent as a whole and the individual scenes are always there for a reason.
So - 4 star, meaning: a book that will be proudly placed in my library. Thank you for reading.
May 21, 2021
Very well-written book, and the ending was quite gripping. While the basic plot remains the same as the computer game I loved so much growing up, the plot and characters do have several departures. I found all the differences a bit disappointing.
March 6, 2025
I’ve probably read this book 30 times over the last 30 years and loved it every single time. I prefer the original over the 2014 version (some names are changed, the brand of cigarettes he smokes. It’s just very jarring to me).
January 1, 2023
I’m surely biased as I grew up playing the Tex Murphy games and loved them and still replay them periodically but I very much enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the others in the series.
February 11, 2023
If you enjoyed the game from the 90's, then you will enjoy this book
October 9, 2024
I liked the flow of the story better than Pandora Directive, a good world and action, and a snarky lucky PI
September 12, 2007
Based on the game of the same name, this adaptation of the featured storyline is another excellent piece of work from Conners, with him managing to superbly avoid the trap of simply replicating the content of the game to the letter. Instead, he offers us additional insights into the characters, as well as offering back story that we had not been previously privvy too. Most of all, it is his sense of atmosphere that impressed me; I felt like I could hear, see, smell and even taste each richly-described location.
This time, Tex is hired to retrieve a statue for a 'Countess'. To do such a task isn't easy, and he ends up having to steal the bird back from notorious gangster Eddie Ching. Only, there's a problem. The Countess is a fake, she represents a dangerous cult that need the statue to continue with their plans to wipe out the population of Earth, and rid it of the mutant population before starting humanity from scratch. But, being the sort-of-hero that he is, Tex is soon on the trail of the cult, determined to stop them dead in their tracks.
Anyone who reads this will agree; Aaron Conners deserves far wider recognition for his superb work than he currently receives
This time, Tex is hired to retrieve a statue for a 'Countess'. To do such a task isn't easy, and he ends up having to steal the bird back from notorious gangster Eddie Ching. Only, there's a problem. The Countess is a fake, she represents a dangerous cult that need the statue to continue with their plans to wipe out the population of Earth, and rid it of the mutant population before starting humanity from scratch. But, being the sort-of-hero that he is, Tex is soon on the trail of the cult, determined to stop them dead in their tracks.
Anyone who reads this will agree; Aaron Conners deserves far wider recognition for his superb work than he currently receives
December 25, 2014
A new and updated version is available from either Amazon or the authors website. This novel was incredibly expensive and difficult to find in the secondary market, but is thankfully back in print and E-book edition. The story is set in a not so distant or improbable future where a new type of threat faces mankind in all it's imperfections. What starts out as a simple search for a stolen item turns into something much more sinister. The fate of many depend on a sometimes sober, mostly out of work and down on his luck every-man private detective. It's full of quick wit, quirky characters, and a pace that keeps you hooked. On my top 10 favorite reads, and I highly suggest it!
December 25, 2014
This new and updated version is available from either Amazon or the authors website. UAKM novel was incredibly expensive and difficult to find in the secondary market, but is thankfully back in print and E-book edition. The story is set in a not so distant or improbable future where a new type of threat faces mankind in all it's imperfections. What starts out as a simple search for a stolen item turns into something much more sinister. The fate of many depend on a sometimes sober, mostly out of work and down on his luck every-man private detective. It's full of quick wit, quirky characters, and a pace that keeps you hooked. On my top 10 favorite reads, and I highly suggest it!
February 7, 2017
A Game based on the book based on the Game ! !
Good Story interesting story 2.5 Stars.
Noir style set in the future, nice pace story is always moving.
Some Characters seem "convenient", with little back story like a NPC (game style) , while other major characters have solid backstories.
Hard to believe that anyone that smokes as much as Tex can run that far ;-)
Good Story interesting story 2.5 Stars.
Noir style set in the future, nice pace story is always moving.
Some Characters seem "convenient", with little back story like a NPC (game style) , while other major characters have solid backstories.
Hard to believe that anyone that smokes as much as Tex can run that far ;-)
June 10, 2015
Have you already read a bunch of Chandler and Hammett? Looking for a fun pulp PI novel with all the right sarcasm and similes? Look no further! While other modern authors in this genre can tend to fall flat after a while, this book remains engaging and charmingly unpretentious throughout. I only wish the author would write more!
Read
August 3, 2015A fast paced read
I played the video game ages ago and I read this with Chris Jones' narrative voice. It was fantastic. If you've played and enjoyed any of the video games I recommend you read this tale. You won't be disappointed.
I played the video game ages ago and I read this with Chris Jones' narrative voice. It was fantastic. If you've played and enjoyed any of the video games I recommend you read this tale. You won't be disappointed.
October 2, 2024
If you liked these video games from way back, I suspect that you will also like these books. It's nice to be able to spend more time with Tex. If you aren't familiar with the games but liked "The Maltese Falcon", I suspect you might also like this futuristic P.I. novel series.
February 3, 2014
Finished in one sitting, excellent book..
October 4, 2016
Doesn't recreate the game but then again, that's a good thing. Just enough nostalgia.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews