The Temple Dogs

Product Information

urn:lcp:templedogs0000murp_q6s7:epub:0eb565c5-649d-4a6a-ae55-c370d0e1221b Foldoutcount 0 Identifier templedogs0000murp_q6s7 Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t4sk3w380 Invoice 1652 Isbn 0747234248 In Cochran's third and probably concluding volume of her ingenious but complex Arthurian fantasy set in the modern world (The Forever King; The Broken Sword), young Arthur Blessing is still Continue reading » Ocr tesseract 5.0.0-beta-20210815 Ocr_detected_lang en Ocr_detected_lang_conf 1.0000 Ocr_detected_script Latin Ocr_detected_script_conf 0.9393 Ocr_module_version 0.0.13 Ocr_parameters -l eng Old_pallet IA-NS-2000404 Openlibrary_edition

Combining myth with modern adventure (as they did in The Forever King, 1992), and fantasy with science fiction, Cochran and Murphy imagine the fall of Atlantis. The heroes and rulers of that ancient Continue reading »Warren Murphy was an American author, most famous as the co-creator of The Destroyer series, the basis for the film Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. He worked as a reporter and editor and after service during the Korean War, he drifted into politics. The story-telling itself reminded me of Robert Ludlum, but it was written in a much simpler voice. The transitions were smooth and the characters were fascinating. The action scenes were awesome, too! I could just imagine this book being made into a movie. I would definitely watch it! Also, the heir apparent to the Yakuza, Sato, starts out very antagonistic (to say the least) to Miles, and about 2/3 of the way through the book undergoes an amazing change of heart, which carries the whole outcome of the novel. I just couldn't sustain my belief in the sudden turnabout. He was arrogant, cruel, and abusive, and suddenly becomes humble, kind and compassionate. In the authors' The Forever King (1992), King Arthur was reborn into our world. Now 13 years old, Arthur is guided and guarded by Hal Woczniak, an ex-FBI agent who regains memories of life as Continue reading » Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2021-09-22 15:11:11 Associated-names Cochran, Molly Boxid IA40240704 Camera Sony Alpha-A6300 (Control) Collection_set printdisabled External-identifier

For one, I am a huge fan of action and suspense. Second, I have always been fascinated with the Japanese culture. Hence, this book was a total treat for me. And come on, you have to admit, Japanese Yakuza versus Italian Mafia is really just all kinds of awesome. I just had to give it five stars out of five!

In Temple Dogs, Murphy & Cochran tell a pretty fair yarn about the conflict between a Yakuza family and a Mafia family. The plot revolves around the killing of a newlywed couple by the heir to a Mafia family, who is humiliated by being thrown out of the hotel where the wedding reception is being held. The bride's grandfather decides to avenge their murder, as the police cannot bring the murderer to justice, and is himself beaten to death by thugs. The brother of the bride, Miles Haverford, journeys to Japan to ask the help of the Yakuza chieftain, and old friend of his grandfather. The novel opens with bubbly Suzi and her husband preparing for their wedding. The characters were little more than cliches and when they are killed at the end of chapter one, I sadly hadn't invested anything in them to care. Suzi's brother's revenge therefore, carries little weight throughout the rest of the novel. The narrative continues to spiral into violent absurdities as the story progresses. Why the Yakuza would spend time, energy, and effort training a rich American boy to be a warrior confounds me and the story never really gives me a good reason. Lines such as "you had you your chance to go home, little boy" are straight out of any bad Hollywood gangster script. I'm not familiar with Japanese culture, but it seemed to me that the portrayals here were overly stereotypical. Geishas and ninjas? Really? The premise for The Temple Dogs is quite interesting. Cochran and Murphy delve into the criminal underworld not only in the United States, but Japan as well. Exploring the infamous Yakuza, this novel had the potential to be a fascinating comparison between the Asian and Western mafia within the framework of the larger thriller story. What we have instead is a glorification of violence in all its excess with little else. The first chapter of the book really got my attention and pretty soon, I was devouring the whole thing with much gusto. There is something masterful about the way the authors narrated their story and even the way they presented their characters. I loved the supporting cast characters. All interesting, exotic and fun. There is some action, though it's mostly a crime-drama with a distinctly eastern influence. And, oh yes... THERE BE NINJA HERE!

To be honest, this book is a welcomed break from all the romance novels I've been reading and reviewing. I don't know much about other reviewers, but personally, I would appreciate more action and suspense stories to read and review. Cochran and Murphy's ( Grandmaster ) new novel melds two plots, one taking place in Arthurian England, where the evil knight Saladin is trying to gain possession of the Holy Grail and make himself Continue reading »

His solo novels include Jericho Day, The Red Moon, The Ceiling of Hell, The Sure Thing and Honor Among Thieves. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books.