Murphy’s Herd by Gary Paulsen

 

If Murphy had held any worry about being able to follow the riders or losing their tracks, during the next six days he needn't have been concerned. It was like following a bad wind, a plague over the land.

The fourth in Paulsen’s “Murphy” series—the first is reviewed on this blog.

Before we delve further, I need to say that this volume should be read last—had I known what I know now, I would have acquired the middle two of the series first.

With that being said—this is a brief exemplary work.

The first half plays as a love story, a tale of two no-longer young people making a second stab at life in one another’s company.

This section has charm to spare.

The second half goes to dark, desperate territory.

It does not do so with excess—Paulsen’s darkness is lean, his spare prose gets the job done.

Even when the story seems to veer towards formulaic tropes, the author has a twist in the tale to remind us he is in command the entire journey.

As series well worth greater attention.