The Spirit Man

Rating:
Summary: Innocence never lost
Review: Forty-something Johnny Sullivan, superficially successful (but inwardly empty) businessman stops his green Jag at a little spot in the road in the Arizona desert and meets a weathered Native American named Huber. "Probably Navajo." "Odd name for a Navajo."

He is the spirit man and he takes Johnny back in time to his last year in high school, to three days prior to the accidental death of his high school sweetheart, the love of his life, the only love of his life. What's Johnny to do? Save her, of course. But what will be the consequences? Beware. "Nature rights itself."

Murphy does a good job of maintaining the tension throughout. He has a nice sense of story and spins it well. Only problem is, after reading this 108-page novel of a perfect love retrieved from death, I felt as though I had experienced a Disney production of a romance novel written from a male point of view by a very skillful and dreamy teenager who dotted every "i" and crossed every "t" in the young adults fictional canon. It was like a visit to Pleasantville or a mid-fifties sit com. I mean, how perfect is Amanda? She's flawless. What about Johnny Sullivan, Golden Gloves Champ who in one lifetime conquers the business world? "...[T]he story of his life read like a resume. MBA by twenty-two, graduated at the top of his class. A successful management consultant. High tech entrepreneur made rich by an exuberant stock market." In another life he is set to "take advantage of his blue-collar roots and tell the stories of average people" inspired and helped in publication by his "guardian angel" who is, clever guy, a black CEO.

I think what Sean Murphy needs to do for his next opus is to give his players some really bad qualities, something worse than a little arrogance and the mercantile use of people, and have them commit some crime worse than punching a bully in the stomach. And no use of wise and wrinkled Native Americans and wise and black mentors. No more cliches. Just the awful, banal truth. A little fantasy is okay, but dream up something original. No Don Juan Coyote medicine men. And please make your heroine just a little bit of a...witch.

Rating:
Summary: A Romance Novel That Will Make You Think
Review: Part romance, part mystery and all compelling, "The Spirit Man" by Sean Murphy offers an inventive and thought-provoking twist on the fantasy of going back in time to change a pivotal event in one's life. For Johnny Sullivan, the novel's protagonist, that event is the death of Amanda, the love of his life. Twenty years later, a chance(?) encounter with a mystical Navajo gives Johnny the opportunity to prevent history from repeating. In the process, he learns that second chances carry unanticipated consequences.

Although its central theme is a fantasy, the novel is solidly rooted in reality: the characters, plot developments and emotions all ring true. It also shows how even seemingly-insignificant choices can shape our path in life. As it entertains and challenges the reader, "The Spirit Man" accelerates to an unexpected yet rewarding conclusion that leaves open the possibility of sequels to come...and I hope the wait won't be long.

Rating:
Summary: Let the Spirit Man speak to you
Review: Sean K. Murphy's The Spirit Man is a compelling written novel about Johnny Sullivan, a middle-aged man who seems to have everything, yet carries bitter regrets over the death of a high school sweetheart years before. A mysterious Native American grants him the power to go back in time and change the history of his life - but to what ends? Emotional, gripping, and thoughtful in its portrayal of love and the human struggle for redemption, The Spirit Man is highly recommended reading for those who enjoy an original and well crafted story. The Spirit Man is also available in a trade paperback edition (1401058019)

Rating:
Summary: If only we could!
Review: Sean Murphy's brother asked me to read The Spirit Man as a favor, and since I owed him, I read it on a flight from Palm Beach to Philadelphia. Well, I still owe him because this book was a joy to read. The story was very engaging with a solid plot twist, the characters were nicely developed and the reader is drawn to care about Johnny Sullivan and to discover how his journey will end. The highest compliment that I can pay this work is to say that my companion on the flight, who is a very experienced traveler, commented when we landed that the flight was one of the roughest that he had been on. I told him that I had not noticed at all because I was so wrapped up in this story. Thanks Sean.

Rating:
Summary: A Joy to Read...
Review: Sean Murphy's, The Spirit Man, is a delightful, captivating read: a great book to bring for a long weekend. Mr. Murphy's fluid writing style takes the reader back in time not only through the mind of protagonist Johnny Sullivan, but through our own minds as well. This book will strike a chord with anyone who has ever wished that they could relive that certain part of their life. And doesn't that describe all of us? From the striking cover art to the final page, this is a book worth reading and sharing with others. A great book for men or women and prime material for a weekly book club discussion. Let your spirit soar while enjoying this book.

Rating:
Summary: A Joy to Read...
Review: Sean Murphy's, The Spirit Man, is a delightful, captivating read: a great book to bring for a long weekend. Mr. Murphy's fluid writing style takes the reader back in time not only through the mind of protagonist Johnny Sullivan, but through our own minds as well. This book will strike a chord with anyone who has ever wished that they could relive that certain part of their life. And doesn't that describe all of us? From the striking cover art to the final page, this is a book worth reading and sharing with others. A great book for men or women and prime material for a weekly book club discussion. Let your spirit soar while enjoying this book.