What do people have to say...

"Warren Murphy's Trace novels are the funniest mysteries ever written. Period."

-- Bob Napier, Editor Mystery & Detective Monthly. 
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“Warren Murphy’s Trace books depend heavily on characterization, most specifically the off-the-wall character of Trace himself. He’s an on-again, off-again boozer; he has the sharpest tongue of any private eye in history, and possibly the quickest mind — though not necessarily ‘detective’ quick; and he has opinions about everything and is not afraid to voice them.

“Murphy is in perfect control of his characters and material because he himself is a lot like Trace — and only someone with a mind like his could write a series like this.&rdquo

–From 1001 Midnights, Arbor House, edited by
Bill Pronzini and Marcia Muller.

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“The breadth of Murphy’s talent staggers the imagination. Comic detectives, caper novels, large suspense novels, sword and sorcery spy novels and locked-room mysteries, together with short stories, comic books, movies and countless collaborations do not even begin to mark the parameters of his creative genius…..

“Murphy…is the professional’s professional, the hallmark of work of consistently high quality produced in spite of the mercenary peccadilloes of a constantly changing publishing scene. A warm, generous man, he is often the victim of ‘ricochet discrimination.’ The sharp, snide cutting one line retorts and highly prejudiced viewpoints of some of his characters are wrongfully taken to reflect the author’s personal feelings. Nothing could be further from the truth but such phenomena characteristically fail to bother Murphy. He simply philosophizes, ‘It goes with the territory.’”

— St. James Guide to Crime and Mystery Writers.

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“Murphy and Sapir decided to collaborate on an adventure novel featuring a brash young Westerner trained in the martial arts by an inscrutable Oriental master. While it took some time for the idea to catch on, the theme…became a cherished part of popular fiction (e.g. Karate Kid movies.)”

— St. James Guide to Crime and Mystery Writers.

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And from the L.A.Times:

Those who have not read any of the books in Pinnacle Books’ Destroyer series by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir probably are unaware of the oddball, satiric nature of the exploits of its hapless hero, Remo, and his feisty martial arts mentor, Chiun. The rest of us should not be too surprised at the unbridled weirdness to be found in “The Assassin’s Handbook”, a large softcover filled with material about the series, from Chiun’s obscure Ung poetry to “The Assassin’s Quick Weight-Loss Diet.”

There is also the ubiquitous Chiun’s “Report Card on America.”

Five things he likes about the U.S. –
1. It isn’t China.
2. It isn’t Japan.
3. It isn’t Vietnam.
4. It isn’t Thailand.
5. It isn’t France.

 

Five things he finds displeasing about the U.S. –
1. The country.
2. Its people.
3. Television shows that wallow in filth and violence.
4. Pinnacle Books.
5. Sapir and Murphy.