BOOK REVIEWS BY L.DEAN MURPHY

International bestselling author of A Quiet Belief In Angels and The Anniversary Man, R.J. Ellory opined:
“Dean Murphy is a wordsmith, possesses that ‘ear’ for sentences that is so refreshing. Beyond his natural ability to write well, he
understands writers, prose, narrative, tension (or lack of), and pace. I nervously anticipate a Murphy review. Why? Because he
has become my reader, my judge, my conscience. And I know that if Murphy enjoyed my book, well I must have done okay.”

Linda G. Shelnutt wrote 15 books and said of Murphy’s U is for Undertow review:
“This is a pleasantly succinct review with a uniquely excellent, perceptive synopsis of
the essence and appeal of this novel, a synopsis which ties this offering to the gestalt of
the series and the author. Well done Dean Murphy! Creatively appropriate title, too.”

When Medallion published Stress Fracture, by prolific D.P. Lyle, part of Murphy’s review
is used on the cover: “D.P. Lyle writes the perfect prescription for a psychological thriller.”

Charlyne Kilpatrick, who sang with Gregg Allman, said of my A Simple Act of Violence review: “You have a most
amazing command of the English language. When you write, it takes readers exactly where you want them. The
review is very good. I want to read the book!” The review states that “R.J. Ellory is the Stephen King of crime fiction.”

Reviews news: Authors often speak well of others but when they reference reviews on their websites, that speaks volumes.
Some website blurbs and review links follow. Visit the authors’ websites and let ‘em know their novels are appreciated.
Click on the hyperlinked titles or book photos to read the reviews. The Interviews page has additional links.

Ridley Pearson’s Killer Summer “has readers holding onto this cliffhanger with fingertips as strong
and manicured as his poetic prose. He leaves subtle clues, and then, like freezing water in a shower,
shocks readers with how obvious are circumstances that lead to a killer conclusion.” [See Interview.]

Michael Connelly’s Nine Dragons “is the culmination of Connelly’s craft. With cherry-hued herrings
to tease readers, Connelly is a righteous writer of unparalleled skill, Jonathan Kellerman on steroids.”

Julie Compton’s Rescuing Olivia is an “intriguing read with more twists than a plate of rotini
pasta, a five-star story of devotion as Anders questions how far he will go to rescue Olivia.”

James Swain’s Night Monster “grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until the last page.”

Bad Cop by Paul Bacon “deserves a galaxy of stars.”

The Beijing of Possibilities by Jonathan Tel “...captures the essence of that rapid change
in a collection of endearing short stories, set in a country where storytelling is an art form.”

Featured reviews: Dean Murphy’s Top Ten picks for 2011 on Bookreporter.com.
The Dark Rose is a dark drama about love betrayed by literary virtuoso Erin Kelly.
A Quiet Vendetta is a thriller that causes readers to question justifiable homicide, by R.J. Ellory.
Sue Grafton’s V is for Vengeance: “Kinsey is back with a vengeance!” Amazon’s top-rated review.

Thrillers & Mysteries:
Stay at Home Dead by Jeffrey Allen: “Erma Bombeck is reincarnated as Kinsey Millhone.”
What Happened to Hannah shouldn’t have, a tale of abuse/redemption by Mary Kay McComas.
Egypt: The Book of Chaos is the finale of Nick Drake’s trilogy, and Egypt’s final pharaoh.
Kill Switch by Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene of Law & Order fame is the first of a thriller trilogy.
Eoin Colfer’s Plugged: “If Carl Hiasson married Raymond Chandler and engaged Dave Barry to be a surrogate mother, Plugged would be the progeny. Oh, grow up! This is a zany crime caper where such things are possible.”
A Killer’s Essence by Dave Zeltserman is “Chef Zeltserman’s zesty secret sauce of subtle horror...”
Eric Van Lustbader’s The Bourne Dominion has more twists than Napa Valley’s grapevines.
Threat Warning by John Gilstrap is “A wake-up call.”
Graham Joyce’s The Silent Land. Amazon’s top-rated review from Bookreporter.com.
The Bone Yard by Jefferson Bass. Amazon’s top-rated review.
A Simple Act of Violence by R.J. Ellory, “the Stephen King of crime fiction.”
D.P. Lyle thrills readers with Hot Lights, Cold Steel, second of the Dub Walker series.
Erin Kelly’s The Poison Tree is literary fiction at its finest, disguised as a psychological thriller.
Norb Vonnegut’s The Gods of Greenwich is about “Gods keeping up with the Joneses.”
Ted Bell’s Warlord is an explosive Alex Hawke international thriller.
Charles Finch’s A Burial at Sea & A Stranger in Mayfair are mysteries set in the Victorian era.
Caretaker of Lorne Field by Dave Zeltserman is a haunting tale that really is literary fiction!
Daniel Judson’s Voyeur has the tension of a tuned violin string.
John Gilstrap’s Hostage Zero and No Mercy make Jonathan “Digger” Grave more human.
Nick Drake’s Tutankhamun brings to life a last pharaoh in a historical whodunit thriller.
Did Not Survive by Ann Littlewood is at par with Nevada Barr (“reading time at the zoo”).
The Anniversary Man by R.J. Ellory [Bookreporter.com review; see also The Big Thrill interview].  
Carol O’Connell’s Bone by Bone is a down-to-the-bone excellent psychological thriller.
Bad Things by Michael Marshall is a good thing!
The Spy & The Wrecker by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott take readers back a century.
Noir by Robert Coover is a hilarious look at Bogey & Bacall detective lure.
From Away by David Carkeet is a hilariously serious mystery.

Literary fiction:
Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich is sure to earn the Pulitzer Prize.
The Infinities by John Banville is a modern-day Shakespearean comedy/tragedy.
New World Monkeys by Nancy Mauro is a refreshing and memorable debut.
Pearl of China by Anchee Min brings to life Pearl S. Buck’s love of China.

And:
R.J. Ellory enthralls fans with a reading of Saints of New York [to be released in the US by Overlook Press].
Let’s Talk is FWA’s third anthology, a collection of 60 dialogue-only short stories.
Slices of Life is an anthology by Florida Writers Association members. [Dean Murphy included.]
Mary Ann in Autumn by Armistead Maupin reads like a letter from a long, lost friend.
CHINA: Portrait of a People is Tom Carter’s portrayal of China’s “kaleidoscope of culture.”
Sweet Mary is a debut novel by Liz Balmaseda, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-earning journalist.
Church Signs Across America by Pam and Steve Paulson is a pictorial American journey. 

Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and Florida
Writers Association have strongly influenced Murphy’s reviews, interviews and
short stories. Visit their websites by clicking on the links above or logos to the right.