Murphy's War

Murphy #4
By Gary Paulsen
Cover art by Garin Baker

Pocket Books, December 1990

Sheriff Al Murphy is fed up with Fletcher, Wyoming, a two-bit hole in the wall that has no use for a real lawman. Now they’ve gone and lynched a powerful Texan’s only son and broken Murphy’s arm in the process. The streets are about to run with the blood of vengeance – and Murphy’s only half alive from hard drinking and hard fighting, and a loss so raw only whiskey numbs the memory of that lone canyon grave.

Soon Murphy’s taking them all on: the power-hungry feedstore owner and his rowdy hired hands, and the hardnosed Texas rancher and his small army of cowboys. His only weapons are a sawed-off shotgun, a Colt revolver, his trusty double-action Smith – and the knife-edged courage to go down in a blaze of white heat and lead.

Although the back of this book states it’s the third in the series, it is actually the fourth and it follows on from the correct third book, Murphy's Herd (that Pocket have wrongly named the fourth) quite closely. Still struggling to come to terms with the death of Midge, Murphy is still contemplating suicide but can’t bring himself to put a bullet through his brain. Turning to drink he hopes the alcohol will do the job for him.

The opening scenes of this story are very powerful. Murphy, with a broken arm, is powerless to stop the lynching. It’s a hard-hitting sequence of events told in tough, brutal prose. Sickened by what has happened Murphy decides to leave the town to its destruction by the soon to arrive Texan rancher.

Even though the author creates a great sense of impending doom the tale does slow down a bit at this point. Murphy spends time contemplating his life. Even though he stops drinking he still sees no purpose in living so heads back to Fletcher to go out in a blaze of glory, not to save the town, but to die.

Gary Paulsen then picks up the momentum again and writes a superb, tense, violent final showdown that makes for some terrific gripping reading as Murphy takes on the Texan and his men alone. This really is a savage gunfight that sees Murphy hit again and again. Among all the blood and gore it seems Murphy’s wish to die is to be fulfilled.

Murphy’s War more than matches the strength of the previous books, apart from the slight slag in the middle, yet this slowing of pace could just be what makes the beginning and ending such powerful reading. It will be a long time before I forget that final gunfight. 

If you are a fan of raw, hard-hitting westerns and you’ve yet to read the Murphy series by Gary Paulsen then may I suggest you do so as soon as you can. To get the most from this series the books need to be read in the correct order. 

Murphy's Herd

MURPHY #3

By Gary Paulsen

Pocket Books, January 1992

Cover art by Garin Baker

Originally published by Walker and Company, 1989

After Al Murphy resigned his sheriff’s badge and swore off the violent, dusty streets of Cincherville, Colorado, he followed the directions of an old Indian to Wyoming’s land of wide green valleys. There under the broad sky, with a good woman by his side, he would ranch with a few dozen horses – far from the knives and guns of his lawman’s past.

But his enemies, deadly gunslingers, follow him. Returning from Casper with provisions for his new home, Murphy rides into the wrecked scene of their most savage attack…at the heart of his homestead. The blood and charred wood shatter his peaceful life and drive him back – to the hard kick of his heavy gun, the rip of outlaw bullets, the agony of manhunting in a lawless land – and the determination to die for what is right.

If anyone has the first four Murphy paperbacks put out by Pocket Books then please take note that this publisher put out books three and four in the wrong order. The book they’ve numbered as four is really the third book and vice-versa. To get the most enjoyment from this series you need to read Murphy’s Herd after Murphy’s Gold as there are strong continuation plot lines from book to book.

The first two books in this series were tough and brutal so it came as a surprise when the first half or so of this book was almost light in tone, dealing with Murphy’s joy of embracing a new life away from violence and being with the lady he loves, Midge. There are a couple of fights to be had during their journey but nothing Murphy isn’t capable of dealing with quickly and efficiently, incidents soon to be forgotten.

Paulsen’s writing is so good that I soon found myself swept up in this time of happiness, sharing the wonder at discovering the valley in which Murphy and Midge set up home. Their easy-going attitude and simple life can’t fail to appeal to anyone. Then comes that trip to Casper and the return to horrors that Murphy will blame himself for and it’s at this point that the book switches in mood, the dark tones of the previous books rise up as Murphy is consumed with hate, the need for vengeance and after that there is only the welcome desire to blow his own brains out to escape the nightmare, after all he will have nothing else to live for.

Paulsen’s hard hitting prose is beautifully paced, moving at times such as when tranquil life is ripped away by brutal violence. Murphy’s anguish will have you feeling for him, hoping he will succeed in his intense need for revenge. Paulsen doesn’t let Murphy’s suffering end there though, the final savage showdown leads to more self-doubt, more agonizing questions as he rides back to the destroyed homestead to end his own life but what he finds there may just change his mind.

The more I read of Gary Paulsen’s work the more I enjoy his writing and I’m sure it won’t be long before I read another of his books.

Murphy's Gold

MURPHY #2

By Gary Paulsen

Pocket Books, September 1989

Sheriff Al Murphy knew first-hand about Colorado gold fever. It was the madness glittering in the eyes of desperate prospectors; it was the terrible greed that spread like wildfire. And he suspected it was the cause behind the recent disappearance of Cincherville’s young Chinese laundryman – who had just discovered a rich gold vein.

With a handful of petered-out leads, Murphy tracked the deserted canyons and gold-crazed town. Up against a trio of expert sneakshots and a deadly trap, he discovered a killer willing to stake his claim in more innocent blood. And Murphy swore he’d hunt him down no matter what the cost.

If you haven’t read the first book in this series I’d suggest you do as this second book contains many spoilers to the first as Murphy is still trying to come to terms with what happened then to both himself and the town of Cincherville. As those dark events continue to haunt him Murphy questions his desire to continue as a lawman and of living in Cincherville. It’s whilst struggling to find the answers he is called upon to find a missing Chinese man.

Gary Paulsen once more presents the reader with a tough storyline that sees Murphy finding his investigation turning up nothing. All he is sure of is that the young Chinese man’s wife knows more than she is willing to tell, even though she is the one who has asked him to find her husband.

After being ambushed and shot Murphy’s determination to discover what has happened to Wangsu and why becomes a do or die mission. The story taking on a savage tone that leads to a deadly threat to Murphy’s future.

Paulsen brings the tale to a close with an agonising brutal showdown that will surely leave Murphy with more scars to both body and soul. One thing that is for sure is that I’ll be reading the next book very soon.

Murphy

By Gary Paulsen

Pocket Books, February 1988

Al Murphy was the law in a boom town gone bust, all that stood in the way of chaos on the dusty streets of Cincherville, Colorado. He’d made peace – at a price – with the rowdy drunks, the hard-case gamblers, the tapped-out miners still looking for gold. Then a 12-year-old girl was found raped and murdered in the town’s livery stable.

Grimly Murphy searched for evidence, looking into the eyes of people he knew – or thought he knew – stalking a killer in a town gripped by terror. A killer who struck without mercy, without warning, driven by a lust for power and gold. A cold-blooded murderer who piled death upon death, trying to cover his tracks, until Murphy ran him to the ground….

This is the first book in a short series and a memorable opening story it is. Filled with powerful writing that combines suspense, pain and the small rewards of justice, Gary Paulsen effortlessly keeps the reader turning the pages in the quest to discover who the killer is.

With savage acts of violence and the discoveries of new corpses, Murphy has his mettle tested to the limit. He finds small clues but cannot see how they fit together, finds himself sickened by the brutal acts he witnesses, and questions his ability as a lawman.

Gary Paulsen neatly includes mention of the new methods of fingerprinting; a technique Murphy finds hard to believe could possibly work.

A fair amount of this book reads like a dark detective novel but it never loses its western spirit; at no time will the reader forget he’s reading a western.

Tough, brutal, fast moving and gripping are words that easily spring to mind when describing this book. On finishing this story I was left wanting to immediately read the second book in the series to find out what happens next to those who were left alive.