Review of URBAN SHAMAN by C. E. Murphy (see her website)

Luna, June 2005

On her way back from burying her mother, Joanne Walker spots an assault in progress and is compelled to investigate. Since she's a cop, that isn't really too strange--except that she spotted the assault in perfect detail from a jet airplane and the attackers seem to be Cernunnos and the Great Hunt of Celtic mythology. Murder, rivalry between a father and son, and magic threaten the entire earth--and it's up to Walker to figure out a way to control a god, defeat a demigod, and escape the Hunt--all within a couple of days.

Walker had always been a sceptic and more of a mechanic than a standard cop. But when she's stabbed with a fairie blade--and only a cayotte spirit guide (with a nasty personality) can help her, she figures she needs to put scepticism behind and deal with the real world, drawing on her mixed Native America and Irish herritage. A sexy boss who's always had problems with her only makes things worse.

Author C. E. Murphy maintains a steady stream of danger and adventure as Walker is tossed from murder to ritual sacrifice to alternate universes. Along with her trusty sidekick, an aging taxi driver who still has just enough fight left in him, Walker needs to learn to control the magic, and to understand the danger.

Fans of contemporary urban fantasy will want to give Murphy a chance. While URBAN SHAMAN doesn't equal the best from authors like Emma Bull or Charles de Lint, it's a welcome addition to the genre. For a first book, this is an accomplishment. I'll be looking for more by Murphy.