D.D. Murphry, Secret Policeman [Paperback]

Alan M. Clark (Author), Elizabeth Massie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2009

D.D. Murphry has a way with words-or is it that words have their way with him? Work the clues alongside this unlikely sleuth to reveal an underground cabal of letters, a conspiracy of meaning, right below the surface of the everyday world. Murphry is both hero and villain, an unforgettable personality who will have you cringing while you laugh and rooting for his every misguided plan. This is a clever tale told with a dexterity that allows for a gritty, noir feel, insight into the frailty of the human mind and the ability to see the absurdity in it all.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Making a delusional killer the main character of a farce can be risky, as shown by this twisted shocker from Stoker-finalist Clark (Siren Promised) and Stoker-winner Massie (Sineater). D.D. Murphry, convinced that he works for the True Government as a Secret Policeman, spends his days trying to decipher mysterious messages to discover his assignments. After witnessing what he believes to be a drug deal on a city bus, Murphry yells "Boo!" in the driver's ear, jumps in the driver's lap, and grabs the wheel. The result is a horrific accident that kills many victims. Some readers will find it hard to look past the violence-which includes the death of a woman who gets caught in some razor-wire while attempting to rescue her kidnapped daughter-to whatever point the authors are trying to make. Murphry is a pathetic, cartoonish killer, and the absurd ending is likely to disappoint even those who are inclined to go along for the ride.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 214 pages
• Publisher: Raw Dog Screaming Press (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933293837
• ISBN-13: 978-1933293837
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,795,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Alan M. Clark grew up in Tennessee in a house full of bones and old medical books. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the San Francisco Art Institute. His illustrations have appeared in books of fiction, non-fiction, textbooks, young adult fiction and children's books. Awards for his illustration work include the World Fantasy Award and four Chesley Awards. His short fiction has appeared in magazines and anthologies and five of his novels have been published. Lazy Fascist Press, an imprint of Eraserhead Press, released a collection of his fiction titled BONEYARD BABIES in November, 2010. They released his novel, OF THIMBLE AND THREAT: THE LIFE OF A RIPPER VICTIM, in October 2011. Clark's publishing company, IFD Publishing, has released six traditional books and eight ebooks. He and his wife, Melody, live in Oregon.
www.alanmclark.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, disturbing, original, and yes, fun, January 4, 2010

By 

Lorelei Shannon "CadillacGal" (Issaquah, Washington) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: D.D. Murphry, Secret Policeman (Paperback)

You have probably never read a book like D. D. Murphry, Secred Policeman. I certainly hadn't, and I read a LOT. The premise is simple: D.D. Murphry is a severely schizophrenic man who thinks he's a secret policeman. What could come out of a situation like this? Violence? Humor? Tragedy? Horror? Yep. Absolutely, and more.

This novel is built on what at first appears to be a series of uncommected events in Murphry's life, as he valiantly tries to uphold his duty as a Secret Policeman, taking his cues from random conversations overheard on the bus, and his orders from snippets of newspaper stories. Like the workings of his brain, the stories and events begin to connect together, to weave a story about a man who believes himself to be a hero, but who is utterly unpredictable to anyone other than himself.

The authors deftly whipsaw the reader from one extreme to another, from laugh-out-loud (dark) humor to shocking horror, and through that to a surprisingly deep and sensitive understanding of a hopelessly damaged human being. You can read this book just for entertainment, if you want to. It's definitely entertaining. But if you're not careful, you're going to come out with some new understanding about the human heart.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Disturbingly Compelling Novel -- GREAT READ!, October 16, 2009

By 

Tony R. Rodriguez (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: D.D. Murphry, Secret Policeman (Paperback)

Authors Alan M. Clark and Elizabeth Massie drench their narratives in a gorgeous pool of neurotic and unpredictable awe with their release of "D.D. Murphry, Secret Policeman." This book is dangerous, yet chaotically fun. It offers celebratory moments of outright disturbia, yet it often blasts bottle rockets of comedic relief. It's laboriously blessed with lingering imagery, which makes it a disquieting novel people are certain to talk about. Readers will find themselves hypnotically taken in by the perplexed and often warped events that surround D.D. Murphry. From case to case, D.D. Murphry offers spells of investigative magnetism, contemplative wisdom, and much-needed closure. "D.D. Murphry, Secret Policeman" belongs right next to many of the books written by Poe or Doyle or Harris or Hammett. But on second thought, better place D.D. Murphry before them -- just be aware that the False Government may not like that.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shhh... They might be listening...., November 4, 2010

By 

50920 "ivans50920" - See all my reviews

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This review is from: D.D. Murphry, Secret Policeman (Paperback)

Wander the streets and libraries with D. D. Murphry! If you like different, strange, and interesting thoughts mixed with a fascination for the fringes of society you will probably enjoy D. D. Murphry as he stealthily wanders from page to page. If you have a secret love there is a good chance you will feel a bit of sympathy for poor Mr. Murphry. I definitely enjoyed it!