Dallas Murphy (1)

In which the author crews on a small ship rounding the forbidding Cape Horn whilst interweaving the fortunes of various expeditions in the past. The book is well wrought, interesting and informative throughout. The author even, at least for a while, avoids the great peril of nautical books, viz., slinging around yachtsman jargon, but he eventually succumbs, and, yes, this book could use a glossary. At times his account of his own passage bogs down a bit when he gets overexcited about the finer points of ornithology, indigenous canoe design, and the like, but for the most part it approaches the interest level of his descriptions of expeditions missionary, exploratory, or naturalist. Maps are abundant, and need to be. I would have greatly appreciated some photos.… (mais)

"Don't Explain" is the third of the Artie Deemer series and I liked it least.

Someone is threatening Jellyroll and Artie is terrified. He and Jellyroll retreat to an island in an unnamed state that seems like Maine where the community welcomes them. As they get to know their neighbors, the oddness of the place comes through. Boats play a big part of the story and we learn a lot about island life.

The book itself is okay, but I do not think that the stalking story rings true, thus lessening my enjoyment.

I received a review copy of "Don't Explain: An Artie Deemer Mystery" by Dallas Murphy (Brash) directly from the publisher. It was first published in 1996 by Pocket Books, New York.… (mais)

I read "Apparent Wind" a while ago and thought it was wonderfully goofy and I was eager to read more from Dallas Murphy. "Lover Man", the first Artie Deemer mystery, is wonderful in an entirely different way.

Artie Deemer is certainly not what you expect from a sleuth or a hero. He is an introspective, quiet guy who listens to jazz and hasn't owned a business suit in 20 years. Artie makes his living as a dog handler, managing Jellyroll, a sweet and friendly dog who is a TV and movie star. Artie isn't ashamed of living off a dog's income. He likes his life a lot.

Then Billie Burke, Artie's old girlfriend and the woman who rescued Jellyroll, is murdered and Artie receives a cryptic letter to be delivered in case of her death. Already nearly paralyzed by shock and grief, Artie stumbles off to fulfill the requests in the letter and in doing so, sets off a series of inexplicable attacks and murders. The complex plot is as confusing to us as it is to Artie and we follow this harmless man as he follows the trail.

I don't know how to explain why I liked this book so much. I think Mr. Murphy's writing is tremendously effective and affecting. Artie may seem passive but we realize that he is almost holy in his sense of justice yet his refusal to force his will on people. Or maybe the metaphor should be from some deep Asian martial art in which lack of aggression overcomes the violence in others. Whatever it is, I liked it.

I received a review copy of "Lover Man: An Artie Deemer Mystery" by Dallas Murphy (Brash) directly from the publisher. It was originally released in 1987 by Macmillan and nominated for an Edgar for Best First Novel and named a Notable Book of the Year by the New York Times.… (mais)

What is it about Florida, especially south Florida, that attracts and breeds such loonyness? Never a day passes that HuffPo or m.fark.com or even mainstream news does not have some luscious bit of unbelievable Florida crazy to astound us with.

Florida is the perfect setting for almost any fiction. While remaining in the USA, the author can incorporate exotic mangrove swamps full of alligators and the occasional crocodile, snakes and other critters, clouds of insects, dismal heat, beautiful sand beaches, glorious gulf sunsets, college kids on spring break, rich snowbirds, fancy hotels, cheap motels, gun runners, dope runners, boat people, Magic Mike, and and and. I don't know when the first crime story set in Florida was written but the 1948 film "Key Largo" starred Humphrey Bogart and that film was based on a 1939 Broadway show of the same name. Later we had John MacDonald's Travis McGee and a slew of hilarious Florida books by Elmore Leonard. Author Dallas Murphy (in itself a perfect name) is heir to all this and he revels in it.

Doom Loomis is fresh out of jail and looking for work. Instead he attends his father's funeral and finds out that his father did not die of natural causes. He was murdered. "Apparent Wind" is the story of a land grab that turns into a failed resort that turns into a revenge grift that turns into a murder (or two) that turns into… you get the picture.

Mr. Murphy lays it on with a trowel and the resulting tale is rollicking fun and absolutely Florida.

I received a review copy of "Apparent Wind" by Dallas Murphy (Brash) directly from the publisher. "Apparent Wind" is one of the older books that Brash is reissuing in print and digital forms. It was first published in 1991 by Pocket Books.… (mais)