![]() Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis by Keith Hirshland Publisher: Beacon Publishing Group (May 1, 2020) Category: Mystery, Humor | ISBN: 978-1949472124 Tour Dates June and July, 2020 Available in Print and ebook, 308 pages Book Description: Murphy Murphy comes from a long line of male Murphys. All were named Murphy and all were cops. This Murphy heads the Department of Redundancy Department and his superior officer, Captain David “Dud” Hill has found him a case. The Captain’s niece is in a rock ‘n roll band called Serious Crisis, and it seems items belonging to members of the band have started to disappear. Were these items stolen? Were they simply lost? As Murphy Murphy works the case, he must chase down the clues all the while dealing with grammatical anomalies that drive him crazy. As Murphy gets closer to the answers he seeks, one more “thing” goes missing; the Captain’s niece. Suddenly, in an instant, the stakes in the case of Serious Crisis become a lot more dire. Part Jasper Fforde, part Michael Connelly; Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis combines humor, mystery, and grammar goofs as the detective pursues clues and suspects from coast to coast. It’s an entertaining and educational read for all ages. Buy Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis by Keith HirshlandAmazon Barnes&Noble IndieBound REVIEW by LAWonder10: From the first of the book, Murphy Murphy's unusual beginning's are given. Be sure not to skim over this section. It offers the foundation, plus the conclusions Murphy has drawn, concerning his life. Because of his family's background, he felt he had no alternative occupation than that of a police officer. He would just make sure he was the best police officer there can be. A special department of the precinct was created for him - Department of Redundancy Department. Others could joke about it, but he didn't care because he got a pay raise and he was "top dog" in his department. He also had the distinguished rank of being a detective. The Captain called him in with a special assignment. He was excited because this was a real assignment... One he could use to truly prove himself capable and intelligent. As his case progressed, so did the complications. He was determined he would not fail. In the first pages of the book, I felt skeptical. However as the story progressed, it was a humorous spoof, yet with very real elements of a good mystery novel. It is one that will surely appeal to young and old, alike. From the first to the last page, one's interest is peaked and captivated. It is a novel one will surely not want to put down until the end. It is a great for family group reading or for Summer Reading programs The characters are believable and endearing. The mysteries increase and expand. The scenes are described in a way they are easily visualized. The Title and the Cover image are very well chosen. I offer a Five Stars rating. This book was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review. How to Research Your Story Before Writing Your Book I am hesitant to suggest I am skilled enough in the craft of writing to pen a “how to” for authors about anything but I am more than happy to tell folks how “I” research a story before writing a book. Every one of my stories starts with the seed of an idea. For Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis that seed was to tell a tale while incorporating as many redundant phrases as I could. To accomplish this the story needed a main character whose name had to be redundant. I explored several options of people with last names that could also be first names like David David, Grace Grace, Francis Francis and Abraham Abraham but fell in love with Murphy Murphy. Next, I visited search engines on the computer and the library in person to compile a list of as many redundant phrases as I could find. There were more than a hundred so I put them all in one place and when I used a redundancy in the manuscript, I checked it off the list. That way I eliminated the risk of repeating the phrase at another time because, as you know, that would be redundant. Up to this point in my career as an author every one of my books has had, at its heart, a real-life element. A place, a person, a situation, or a combination of those has always been present so I guess you could say my fiction is based on fact. Personally, I can’t imagine writing fantasy or science fiction. My brain just doesn’t work that way. For that reason, much of my research has stemmed from real people or an actual circumstance. For me that makes the research more interesting and enjoyable. It allows me to build from that real-life element and dig deeper into it or send it off in a fictional world to make it more engaging. How to do that is the challenge. I wont lie, Google is an amazing source but it is never my only source. Those trips to the library are critical. I have relied on books, magazines, maps, and other resources to and substance to my stories and give them a fact-based gravitas to propel the manuscript forward. Personal visits to police stations, courtrooms and city halls have also proved invaluable. So have conversations with people. For Murphy Murphy I spoke extensively with an actor friend who actually became part of the story. I also spent hours with members of a rock ‘n roll band to get a better sense of what life was like on the road. For the book I am currently writing I sat down with the CEO of USA Boxing because one of my main characters pursued the dream of being an Olympian. Those conversations have been, and will continue to be, incredibly important to the stories I have told and will tell in my work. Truth and facts, in my humble opinion, are always among the best foundations from which to build any story. The reader that knows how things work will appreciate the fact that the author has done the research to make the work believable and the reader who knows nothing about the topic just might come away from the experience of reading the book having learned something. That, to me, is a win win. I would end by stressing that I believe there is no right way or wrong way to do the research. Above, I described some of my ways. There are few things in this world more personal than writing. The process the writer goes about to accomplish his or her goal of writing a book is personal too. My cautionary tale would be to do as much research as possible to make sure the story and the characters in it are believable. Readers are too savvy and writers owe them the courtesy of putting in the effort. Thank you, LuAnn, for allowing me the opportunity to share some insight with your friends, fans, and followers. ~ ~ ~ You are more than welcome, Keith, It is my pleasure. ![]() About Keith Hirshland Keith Hirshland is an Emmy Award–winning sports television producer with more than three decades of experience producing live and pre-recorded programs that aired on ESPN and ESPN2. Among the first forty people to be hired by the Golf Channel in 1994, Hirshland was in the middle of the action when that network debuted in 1995. He provided his talents for Golf Channel, as its live tournament producer, for two decades. Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In: Tales of the Tube from a Broadcast Brat is a memoir about his experiences in the television industry. Published by Beacon Publishing Group, Cover Me Boys was recognized as the Book Talk Radio Club Memoir of the Year. Hirshland’s second book, and first work of fiction, Big Flies, was published in 2016 and is the recipient of the New Apple Awards “Solo Medalist” in the True Crime Category. Hirshland followed that success with his third book, The Flower Girl Murder. In 2020 Beacon Publishing Group will release Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis, Hirshland’s third mystery novel. All four books are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other bookstores. Keith Hirshland lives in Colorado with his wife and two dogs. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Tour Schedule HERE! ![]() This giveaway is for 3 print copies open to the U.S. only. There will be 3 winners. This giveaway ends August 1, 2020,midnight pacific time. Entries are accepted via Rafflecopter only. To Enter the Giveaway, Click on HERE!
2 Comments
6/9/2020 07:10:15 am
Thank you SO much for participating in the Teddy Rose Virtual Book Tour and giveaway. I am very pleased you enjoyed the read and recommend the book. I appreciate your thoughtful review.
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6/9/2020 01:42:23 pm
I'm so glad glad you you enjoyed enjoyed 'Murphy Murphy'! Thanks so much for hosting Keith!
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