The Mystery of Things
by Debra Murphy
The myth of St. George-and-the-Dragon comes to new and provocative life in this literary thriller set in Milwaukee.
This is the story of James Ireton, a gifted young Shakespeare scholar haunted by a tragic past and recurring nightmares of a Knight, a Lady, and a vicious Dragon. James thinks they're just dreams, but when two of the people closest to him fall victim in a seemingly motiveless series of brutal murders, James finds himself faced with a singular-and universal-choice: either become St. George, or become the Dragon.
"...it is a great achievement. I literally could hardly put it down." (Leonie Caldecott, co-editor of Second Spring: A Journal of Faith and Culture.)
"...this book should definitely be put on your reading list if you want provocative intellectual reading that hangs you in suspense until the last page....once the ride is over, the scenes and characters are unforgettable, impressed on the mind with the image of Charles Manson or the Son of Sam. Upon arrival in Milwaukee, you'll navigate without a map, because the descriptions are convincingly real." (Pogo's Bookshelf, The Midwest Book Review)
"It brings to the present day many of the same questions and issues that Shakespeare explored in his works. All of which continue to be just as relevant today as they were then. The Mystery of Things provides a good mystery in an intellectual, literary package. The author provides the reader with mental meat to chew on while putting together the pieces of a puzzle. (Barbara Wright, Murder and Mayhem Book Club)
About the Author:
Debra Murphy lives in Salem with her husband and six children. Besides publishing articles on family life and spirituality for the US and UK Catholic press, she is a contributing editor to Godspy.com, and a reviewer of Shakespeare-on-film for bardolatry.com. The Mystery of Things is the the first book in Debra's planned five-book series, The Ashland Grail Cycle. The remaining books in the series will be set in Ashland, Oregon. The next book, All the World's a Stage, is due out in 2007.
Available from www.amazon.com and all online bookstores, or directly from www.themysteryofthings.com
Published December 2004 by Idylls Press
ISBN: 1-59597-000-2
6" X 9" hardcover, 388 pages, $21.95