We can all identify with the troubles that can arise from
oversleeping and getting to work late. Such is the start
of
a very bad day, maybe even his worst ever, for aspiring
novelist and Denver taxi drive Brendan Murphy, called
Murph
by friends and foes alike. Murph is a minimalist with
regards to work and most things in life. He works very
hard
to do as little work as possible. His goal is to earn no
more than needed from taxi driving (123 is his favourite
cab) so he had more time to watch reruns of Gilligan's
Island and write scripts. Consequently, much of his time
cabbing is spend in doing arithmetic and calculating his
workload so he seldom exceeds more money than what is
needed
to pay his taxi fees, rent on his small crow's nest
apartment and for hamburger which he fries most evenings
for his dinner.
This late start to Murph's day means he has to take fares
he
normally avoids and that adds even more problems to his
life. Taken in by a little old lady who makes him wait
and
wait while she counts out 800 pennies to pay for a fare,
Murph leaves in a huff. Then after more fares go from bad
to worse, Murph ponders his day. The next day, Murph is
definitely determined not to let the little old lady with
the penny scam get the best of him. Will he get his due?
DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL is the sixth book in the intriguing
Asphalt Warrior series by the late Gary Reilly
featuring our
feckless hero, Murph. Right from the get go, you are
immediately enchanted and held spellbound by Reilly's
quirky
and delightful sense of humour! Whether read by fans of
the
series or as a stand-alone book, DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
will
hold your attention and Murph is a very likeable character
as he struggles with his misadventures.
The author, Gary Reilly, spent considerable time writing
and
re-writing his stories and the polishing makes this story
a
real gem! It is sad that his fans can't let him know
directly how much they like his stories, but I am sure he
knows. Reilly is a writer who has been there, done that
and
DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL rings out with his authentic voice,
humour and insights.
With his strong writing style, Reilly deftly develops his
characters, so they just pop into the reader's head as
they
are so easy to visualize. The situations Murph
encounters,
both serious and otherwise, are described in such an
amusing
ways that you have to smile or burst out laughing as you
read them. Inspired by some of Reilly's own life
experiences, the plot is into woven with and highlights
how
difficult life can be for those struggling to write or are
in the cab driving business. Yet, despite the
difficulties,
these situations are told in such a totally droll manner,
full of delightful quips and quirky insights on life, that
one cannot help but see the dark humour that keeps us
resilient and carrying on in life.
So, for a great ride, escape to the DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL
and get in the cab with Murph!
The utopian world carefully created by Denver cab driver Brendan Murphy is about to be shattered. In fact, it's about to be the worst day of his cab driving career. There's the Land That Forward Motion Forgot. There's a guy Murph comes to think of as "Mister Twenty." And there's an old woman who wants to pay her fare with a saucepan full of pennies. In "Dark Night of the Soul," the sixth adventure in The Asphalt Warrior series, Murph's plan to carefully monitor the intake of cash-for fear of earning too much-challenges every math skill he can muster. Messes grow around Murph "the way a pearl grows around a pebble." Of course "it's best not to think about what might have happened if you had done this instead of that," but it's hard not to wonder went wrong when you're kissing the asphalt and police have surrounded you with guns drawn. To wriggle out of his latest spot, Murph must stare long and hard at who he is and what he's all about. It's the most eye-popping journey of all time.
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