Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis by Keith Hirshland
Publisher: Beacon Publishing Group (May 1, 2020)
Category: Mystery, Humor
Tour Dates June and July, 2020
ISBN: 978-1949472124
Available in Print and ebook, 308 pages
Description Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis by Keith Hirshland
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.
Excerpt Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis by Keith Hirshland
THE STORY BEGINS
Murphy Murphy stood under the steady stream of hot water pouring from the shower head for a few minutes longer than normal. He closed his eyes and gave thought to his paternal lineage, from great great grandfather down. They were all Murphy Murphy’s, and they were all cops.
Another characteristic of Murphy progeny was that the men, after marriage, sired one, and only one, male offspring. A lad that, tradition held, would be named Murphy. They fathered girls as well, of course, as many as they wanted or could afford. But only first. Once a baby boy, a male Murphy, was christened into the world, the baby making stopped. As you can imagine, that placed an inordinate amount of pressure on each and every Murphy to continue the family bloodline. Most made quick work of the obligation by marrying young and getting right to work at keeping the line moving. Most, but not all. The currently soaking wet Murphy Murphy seemed to be thumbing his nose at the family custom, having recently celebrated his 31st birthday as a bachelor.
No Murphy Murphy’s had brothers, but this Murphy Murphy had a sister who was, as another family ritual dictated, named Muffy. This Murphy’s Muffy rebelled, ran away from home, changed her name to Lisa Lisa, then formed a rock and roll band. As the water started to cool, Murphy Murphy thought of her and hummed her number one hit, “Lost in Emotion”.
THE STORY CONTINUES
Murphy wrapped the towel around his waist and slid his size eleven feet into a brand-new pair of navy, Nappa leather slippers. They looked just like the ones he remembered running up the stairs to get whenever Grandpa Murphy Murphy, and later his own “Pops”, Murphy Murphy, asked for them. He knew for a fact great Grandpa Murphy Murphy had a similar pair as well. He’d heard stories of his Grandmother’s scolding cries about the “waste of a hard earned two dollars and ninety cents!” The memory made him smile; he only wished his modern day “house shoe” indulgence cost so little. All clean, with tootsies warm and cozy, he grabbed his phone. A red dot indicated he had missed one call.
“Murph,” Murphy heard the voice say the nickname he disliked. Truth be told he didn’t really mind the abbreviated version of his given name, he just resented the fact that his captain frequently used it. “Captain Hill here. I need you back at the precinct bright and early tomorrow.” Murphy Murphy was a seven-year veteran of the force and, as of now, the only member of the recently formed Department of Redundancy Department at the cop shop. The irony, while oblivious to some, was obvious to Detective Murphy Murphy. He hit the pause button on the phone and rolled his eyes.
At the Captain’s request he had stayed late that night copyreading and editing the paperwork that was scheduled to be filed by other officers and detectives. Captain Hill liked clean, concise reports and he knew Murphy was a stickler for good grammar. Murphy hoped the additional hours spent at work might translate into a little extra shuteye the next day. Clearly that was not meant to be. He hit the play icon and the message picked up where he had left it off.
“I’ve got something special for you, pal. A case that, I think, is right up your alley. Let’s say I see you standing at attention, in front of my desk, at 8 AM in the morning.” There it was. Murphy Murphy cringed after hearing the redundancy even though he knew it was coming. Captain Hill was well aware of Murphy’s aversion to redundant phrases. In fact, Hill took particular glee in telling everyone who would listen that the young detective “hated them with a passion” and he made every effort to use as many of them as he could think of around Murphy Murphy. The Captain had made his mocking abundantly transparent at the outset. When telling Murphy of his promotion and new assignment the Captain added, with a smirk, “I debated giving you a partner but figured, considering the caseload, that would be,” he paused for effect, “redundant.”
“Jerk,” Murphy practically spat as he deleted the message. Then he kicked off his slippers, shed the towel, pulled down his Murphy bed, and called it a night.
Praise for Keith Hirshland
“I really enjoyed following along with each person as you discovery more about each one along with how four unsolved mysteries may be linked to everything..’Big Flies’ story takes off like a flash.. This is a great adventure and one that I recommend you check out. You will not be disappointed.”-JBrownder Book Reviews
“ I found myself intrigued by this talented writer’s style.. A mystery woven into another mystery. The suspense was great. I enjoyed following the characters throughout the book.. this novel was realistic, stunning, and one that all readers can easily connect to in one or more ways. Brilliant, clever, and mysterious. Keith Hirshland has a way that lured me in deep. I couldn’t stop reading it.”-Urban Book Reviews
“This is an engaging story well told. The plot hinges on the power of secrets and secrets revealed but Keith fully understands the heart of the story is the unfolding of relationships fulfilled or not. Can we ever really know who we know? While this novel works beautifully as a nostalgic and fun caper tale it’s all wrapped up in fathers and sons, true and lasting friends and of course intriguing women. Keith is aiming high here. Really, really well done.”- David R. Hill, Amazon Reviewer
“I had to dig my teeth in the first pages but once I did I was on a twisty turning ride. This one turned out to be worth the ride. A fast paced story with great characters. The plot had some twists making it entertaining. As the bodies begin piling up it’s a race to solve the mystery. I enjoyed reading ‘The Flower Girl Murder’. and look forward to reading more from this author. “-My Reading Journeys
“Author Keith Hirshland provides a multi-layered storyline that has enough mystery, suspense, drama, treachery, secrets, and intriguing twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing, while weaving an intricate and complicated web of what the motive of the murders could have been, and the spectrum of possible participants who could have been involved in committing them. And if that isn’t enough to captivate the reader, the author adds a wonderful touch of humor and a bit of romance into the mix to keep them entertained.”-Jersey Girl Book Reviews
Awards and Recognition for Keith Hirshland
Book Talk Radio Club Memoir of the Year (Cover Me Boys I’m Going In)
New Apple Awards Solo Medalist True Crime Category (Big Flies)
Shelf Abound Award Winner Indie Book Competition (Big Flies)
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: https://www.keithhirshland.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/khhauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeithHirshlandAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/khhauthor/?hl=en
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Giveaway Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis by Keith Hirshland
This giveaway is for 3 print copies and is 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.
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