REVIEW-MILLIGAN AND MURPHY

Jim Murdoch’s Milligan and Murphy, published in 2011 under the isbn number 0955063664, This is the tale of two people in modern day Ireland who are each other’s half brother. Milligan and Murphy had the same mother throughout their whole lives. Due to the fact that both of their first names were John, they were known by their surnames, milligan and murphy respectively. Their mother, who is their primary caregiver and with whom they share a home, will never be considered for the role of Mother of the Year. Because none of her parents nor her grandparents are alive anymore, she had no one to teach her how to be a mother. The sexual cravings of the two adolescents were satisfied by the town whore, who demanded payment in guinness stout from the young guys. They reside in a location known as Lissoy, which cannot be found on any map. Lissoy is the kind of location that, on a good day, may almost approach the level of being a village, despite the fact that it is comprised of nothing more than a collection of cottages grouped around one road. One day when they were both in their 40s, Ma sent Milligan and Murphy to work on a farm located a few miles away at the property of a neighbor. Along the journey, they find themselves at a proverbial fork in the road. There is no major announcement made, but the two individuals come to the conclusion that they want to see the ocean (which neither of them have ever seen). Perhaps they can get a ride on a boat to England or France and make their way there. Therefore, they use the route that leads away from the farm belonging to the neighbor. It is assumed that they will be able to overcome any challenges despite the fact that they have no money, no camping gear, and no knowledge how to get to the ocean. After they have been gone for a few weeks, Ma decides to engage a local private investigator to look for them. It is less out of any parental worry for their safety and more because the neighbors will expect them to make some type of effort to locate her children. The neighbors will expect them to make some sort of attempt to find her children. The investigation into the murder was fruitful. Again, there is no great proclamation made, but the couple does inform the detective that they will not be returning home and will instead go on with their search. Have they been successful in securing passage off the coast of Ireland on a ship? You probably already knew this, but this book doesn’t have a lot of action in it. What it does have, however, is a distinct voice for narration, as well as a distinct voice for the dialog that takes place between the two brothers. Either the reader will believe that this story is interesting and worth their time, or they will find it to be tedious and a waste of their time. It was fun for me (maybe my irish ancestry has something to do with it). Freelance book reviewer paul lappen runs the site dead trees review, which places an emphasis on independently published and small press books.