Walking Dead

Yet another series I CANNOT get enough of. "Walking Dead" is C.E. Murphy's latest in her 'Walker Paper' series about Joanne Walker, shamaness/auto mechanic/cop. Now if that combination doesn't make you want to read this series, I don't know what would!

It's been a chaotic year for Joanne. Her otherworld mentor, Coyote, died in the last book. But as in real life, major events presage major life changes and Joanne has finally (well, mostly) come to terms with all the weirdness that goes with being who she is. She's even spending time learning and practicing. And that's a good thing when her Halloween party is crashed by a few ghosts looking for a body. Then she and her police partner are called to investigate a robbery/murder at the local show more museum. You would assume the murder part would be the worst...but that would only be true if the robbery didn't involve a relic called Matholwch's Cauldron. So now Joanne has to figure out how to find and destroy a relic while dealing with: the two love interests in her life, an insurance adjustor who's being nosy about Petite, zombies in graveyards, the Wild Hunt, and a teenager who's had a sure vision of Joanne's death! What's a shamaness to do?

I enjoy this series so much. Joanne is NOT your typical heroine. She's almost six feet tall, more into muscle cars than muscle men, and is often resentful of what her birthright has given her. I guess that makes her the 'reluctant heroine' instead of the 'reluctant hero'. Yet her complaints fall just short of 'whine' territory and the combination of mystery, action, and magic is perfectly suited to my tastes.

On a more serious note, this series has much less typical 'romance' and I would rate it PG which means I don't have any problems letting my sons read it...and they love it too! Another keeper for my bulging shelves and another long wait for the next chapter in Joanne's life. show less

http://nhw.livejournal.com/1092954.html

I've described these books before as being slightly in the Buffy mode (and if you like one you'll probably like the other). One difference, though, is that Joanne is part of the normal system of authority, rather than revolting against it in the way that Buffy does. However, mystical powers and police procedure are not easy bedfellows, and a lot of the tension underlying the narrative comes from her (and to a lesser extent her colleagues) attempting to reconcile her two roles as shaman and detective. I think this book explores this interesting side of things rather more than its predecessors.

In Walking Dead, as apparently it is to be called, Joanne is called on to investigate the disappearance of show more an ancient cauldron, and soon finds herself dealing with the consequent undead zombies, calling on mystical and human (and half-human) allies to find the person responsible, while also dealing with her mildly messy personal life. As ever, both the mundane streets of Seattle and the supernatural forces spilling into them are vividly imagined, along with Joanne's more personal dilemmas. Fun. show less

Joanne Walker is back. And she's hosting a Halloween party and wearing a skimpy Xena costume. No, hell hadn't frozen over, but the party doesn't go too smoothly after a bunch of malevolent spirits arrive and try to take over a few bodies. Joanne steps in and saves the day with her shamanic powers, but things aren't all rosy yet. The next day is Halloween, after all. When a museum guard is murdered and an exhibit stolen - and exhibit featured the famed Black Caldron - Joanne investigates with her police and supernatural skills. As more of the living dead pop up around Seattle, one thing is very clear: it's going to be a very interesting Halloween.

This is the fourth book in the Walker Paper series, and brand new. I absolutely loved it. It show more has the frantic pace and wit of the predecessors. Actually, I'd say this one is as good as Urban Shaman, the first in the series. Joanne is just a delightful character - geeky, sarcastic, and still a bit reluctant about using her shaman powers. Her partner in the homicide division, the cross-dressing family man Billy Holliday, is tremendous fun, too. Also, I loved the use of the Black Caldron as The Prydain Chronicles are a childhood favorite of mine. This book was everything I hoped it would be. Now I just have to wait another year for the fifth book to come out. Sigh. show less

Joanne Walker needs a Manual. Not a manual for Petite, her much-beloved classic purple Mustang, but a Manual on Shamanism. Cause believe her, this whole Shamanism thing is tough! Especially when your mentor has disappeared, and zombies are pouring out of the cauldron at your Halloween party! And just when you are finally getting a handle on this whole 'boyfriend' thing, too. Ah, well, saving the world comes first, and Joanne, in all her 6' glory, is just the girl for the job.

If you have a daughter, a niece, a daughter of a friend, or most especially yourself, run, don't walk, to purchase every book in this series! I HIGHLY recommend this series. Joanne is flawed, without a doubt. She is low on confidence, but high in sense of self, and show more her journey is a fascinating one. Unlike a lot of the series out there that feature women leads, Joanne admits her flaws, but stands, for the most part, on her own. She accepts, and appreciates, the help of her friends, including a 70 year-old mentor whom you can't help but come to love, but she never just lays down and becomes a damsel in distress. She may wind up in distress multiple times during the series, but by golly, she can haul her own ashes, thank you very much. If someone else is around to assist, well, great, wonderful, but this is NOT the "Oh, help me, someone, I am so weak and helpless!" main character written by a lot of women authors who should know better. Neither, thank goodness, does Joanne hop from bed to bed, taking advantage of what each can give her. She is stronger than that, and a terrific role model for today's modern girls.

Neither does Ms. Murphy write an 'unbelievable' character. Yes, Joanne has powers, but she takes that power for her character and grows it within a series of logical boundaries, built on an understanding of Native culture and belief systems. She doesn't grab a new superpower every new book that comes out, which makes her strengths believable within the development of an urban fantasy, and gives you an insight into the character. It is a great deal of fun to watch Joanne grow and change, and begin to understand her own personal potential as the series develops.

The secondary character development is marvelous. There is a core group of secondary characters, whose development is very well managed - you come to know them as people, and truly like them. Additional players are added, whether good, bad, or indifferent in character, when needed. Each has their own series of quirks which make them great additions to the story lines.

Overall, this is a marvelous series of books, well worth adding to anyone's library. I have read them all multiple times, and can hardly wait for the next!

Urban Shaman (The Walker Papers, Book 1)
Thunderbird Falls (The Walker Papers, Book 2)
Coyote Dreams (The Walker Papers, Book 3)
Walking Dead (The Walker Papers, Book 4)
Demon Hunts (The Walker Papers, Book 5)
Spirit Dances (The Walker Papers, Book 6)
Raven Calls (The Walker Papers, Book 7)

And also, don't forget to check out C.E. Murphy and Faith Hunter's

Easy Pickings show less

Joanne Walker needs a Manual. Not a manual for Petite, her much-beloved classic purple Mustang, but a Manual on Shamanism. Cause believe her, this whole Shamanism thing is tough! Especially when your mentor has disappeared, and zombies are pouring out of the cauldron at your Halloween party! And just when you are finally getting a handle on this whole 'boyfriend' thing, too. Ah, well, saving the world comes first, and Joanne, in all her 6' glory, is just the girl for the job.

If you have a daughter, a niece, a daughter of a friend, or most especially yourself, run, don't walk, to purchase every book in this series! I HIGHLY recommend this series. Joanne is flawed, without a doubt. She is low on confidence, but high in sense of self, and show more her journey is a fascinating one. Unlike a lot of the series out there that feature women leads, Joanne admits her flaws, but stands, for the most part, on her own. She accepts, and appreciates, the help of her friends, including a 70 year-old mentor whom you can't help but come to love, but she never just lays down and becomes a damsel in distress. She may wind up in distress multiple times during the series, but by golly, she can haul her own ashes, thank you very much. If someone else is around to assist, well, great, wonderful, but this is NOT the "Oh, help me, someone, I am so weak and helpless!" main character written by a lot of women authors who should know better. Neither, thank goodness, does Joanne hop from bed to bed, taking advantage of what each can give her. She is stronger than that, and a terrific role model for today's modern girls.

Neither does Ms. Murphy write an 'unbelievable' character. Yes, Joanne has powers, but she takes that power for her character and grows it within a series of logical boundaries, built on an understanding of Native culture and belief systems. She doesn't grab a new superpower every new book that comes out, which makes her strengths believable within the development of an urban fantasy, and gives you an insight into the character. It is a great deal of fun to watch Joanne grow and change, and begin to understand her own personal potential as the series develops.

The secondary character development is marvelous. There is a core group of secondary characters, whose development is very well managed - you come to know them as people, and truly like them. Additional players are added, whether good, bad, or indifferent in character, when needed. Each has their own series of quirks which make them great additions to the story lines.

Overall, this is a marvelous series of books, well worth adding to anyone's library. I have read them all multiple times, and can hardly wait for the next!

Urban Shaman (The Walker Papers, Book 1)
Thunderbird Falls (The Walker Papers, Book 2)
Coyote Dreams (The Walker Papers, Book 3)
Walking Dead (The Walker Papers, Book 4)
Demon Hunts (The Walker Papers, Book 5)
Spirit Dances (The Walker Papers, Book 6)
Raven Calls (The Walker Papers, Book 7)

And also, don't forget to check out C.E. Murphy and Faith Hunter's

Easy Pickings show less

I've enjoyed the other Walker Papers novels, but Walking Dead definitely showed more depth and maturity than the earlier volumes. Both the author and her lead character have grown very nicely. It's refreshing to read a series that does not fall into the all-too-familiar paranormal romance formula!Another thing I enjoy about this series is that heroine Joanne has a supporting ensemble of friends and coworkers who have their own talents and foibles, including a delightful married couple, a sexy father figure (who isn't related to anyone we've met so far), and an even sexier boss. This time around we were treated to the return of a character Joanne rescued in an earlier volume who has grown into some of her own ass-kicking abilities. show more Joanne is far from perfect, but she doesn't make the same mistakes over and over again, which is a pet peeve of mine and occurs all too often in some other authors works. (There's consistency, and then there's refusing to learn from mistakes to the extent that I have to believe that a character is too stupid to live.)There is a thread that ties all of the Walker Papers together, but C.E. Murphy is keeping things fresh enough that I, at least, am not getting bored. I would, however, caution that this is a series that is best read completely and in order. I began reading one of the novels without realizing that there had been a novella published between it and the previous one, and found myself well and truly confused. Walking Dead definitely is not a good starting point for the series! While a new reader wouldn't necessarily be completely lost, she would miss far too much of the magic. show less

Normally I don't care for zombies in my fantasy literature - the ick factor is just too high for me. (I don't do horror movies, either.) This book is probably the first exception as Joanne disliked them as much as I do. I love that she now as a better sense of what she is doing with her shamanic abilities, and she has even studied a few things related to this so that she is better prepared for future needs. It seems to me that as Joanne better understands the mechanics of what she is doing, the better I, as the reader, can understand them, too.
At the beginning of the book Joanne is dating the mechanic she has nicknamed Thor. I really like the guy and how genuine and honest he is with her, but I feel sorry for him because I know that it show more is not him that Joanne really wants. She takes him for granted and does not give the relationship any real chance at surviving.
The mess with the cauldron is an interesting bit of folklore that ironically ties back to Ireland, where Joanne's mother comes from. I like also that it introduces some new characters, such as the medium Sonata, and brings back Suzanne Quinley from the first book. Suzanne has got some serious magic of her own, and the courage to use it wisely. This makes me wonder if the author couldn't give her a series of her own in the YA genre. My favorite part of the book is when Suzanne uses her future-seeing abilities and Joanne tunes in. Joanne gets to see all of her possible past, present, and future selves based on alternate choices she could have made throughout her life. This was absolutely fascinating for me because I am always wondering about the "what ifs" with the main characters of the books I read. How I wish more of the books I read would find a way to employ this tactic, heck I would not mind it in real life!
As for loose ends, there are two that really bug me. The first is the outcome of the annoying insurance adjuster, since he just seemed to fall of the radar at the end. The second is Captain Morrison and his ever-evolving relationship with Joanne. He plays a major part at the climax, but the reader does not get to see any sort of personal reaction on Morrison's behalf or his reaction to Joanne's new relationship status. I will just have to wait to see what happens in the next book, Demon Hunts (Walker Papers, Book 5). show less