Rating: 
Summary: More Than You Expect
Review: Where Legends Roam by Lee Murphy
This book is much more than most readers will be expecting.
It is, to begin with, an interesting work by one of the few writers in the emerging genre of Cryptozoological fiction. If that sounds like a mouthful, it is. And if it sounds like it might be worthwhile reading, you are right again.
By drawing together information from many diverse sources Lee Murphy has managed to give us a long list of interesting things to contemplate in regard to the nature of the Sasquatch. He skillfully weaves in theories from the fields of paleontology and anthropology to help us understand what may indeed be the morphology of this mysterious animal. However, he goes beyond that to identify these hidden creatures as possibly being relict examples of the ancient ape, Gigantopithecus. The case he puts forward is a good one, and may someday prove to be exactly what has been reported on so many continents for so many years.
If reading a textbook on this theory sounds dry or boring, there is no need to worry. Mr. Murphy has woven a story around a list of characters that would be hard to duplicate in any one book. His villains, and they abound, are believable and revolting. His heroes, while fewer in number, are likeable and exhibit extreme strength of character as they fight to thwart the plans of their evil protagonists. The end result is that one does not want to put the book down. The reader feels compelled to turn the pages to see if the revolting characters are overcome by those determined to set things aright. The story is told in such a way that one is not sure what the outcome will be until the very end. Even then, there is fodder for speculation and future adventures.
This is not, however, a simple story of good and evil set in the field of Cryptozoology. Mr. Murphy's use of detail and adjectives creates word pictures that are unbelievably vivid. He draws the reader into the novel one sentence at a time. And, we should note, that if one takes the time to stand back and observe, many of the sentences are a delight to read in and of themselves. We have before us a true craftsman of the English Language who yields it as skillfully as a master swordsman yields his weapon. You will not be disappointed. In fact, you will be mesmerized by his skill even as you read the first chapter; "Hong Kong, 1935."
There is no reason to give away the conclusion of this book. However, the reader cannot help but be impressed by the bar fight near the end. This is a scene that would make any action writer or action filmmaker proud.
We send our best to Mr. Murphy. It seems inevitable that we will see more from him over the coming months and years. That is an eventuality to which we look forward with great anticipation.
Rating:
Summary: Murder and Mayhem in the Olympic Forest
Review: As much a commentary on the consequences of solving the greatest of cryptozoological enigmas, "Where Legends Roam" is an indictment of the greed and avarice with which some would seek to profit by the discovery or disappearance of Bigfoot.Enter into this scenario of ulterior motives one George Kodiak. He is an amalgam of the two types of cryptozoologists living and working today - the scientist and the adventurer. While the two seldom meet in real life as they do here, the results are anything but unrealistis. On the contrary, the human condition explodes into violence and chaos, through which trods not one but two of the giant creatures that only wish to be left alone to wander the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The prolog and the opening chapter are worthy of a Spielberg-esque rotoscopic camera vignette, complete with a John Williams underscore. The writing is unadorned, as a two-fisted saga should be. Because Mr. Murphy does not try to fill in every blank for us, we are left to enjoy the roller coaster events of conflict and retribution unimpeded by an overabundance of soapbox opinionations and rambling narrative. I enjoyed this book as much for its depiction of a seldom used subject matter as a reluctant hero that mostly kills only to defend or to end suffering. George Kodiak is drawn not only as a third party into the struggles over such creatures but is pragmatic enough to know what it will take to save them. While I would not recommend this book for younger readers due to the violent content and sexual overtones, consider it more of a height chart before the latest thrill attraction at your local theme park. If you're big enough to read this, prepare for the ride of your life!
Rating:
Summary: A exciting journey for the capture of bigfoot
Review: I have an interest in unknown animals like bigfoot and the lochness monster, and was very impressed how Mr. Murphy took on this subject. First when I read the foward by Dr. Mackal I had a feeling that there was promise in the story. I like the way Murphy described Bigfoot as a real animal not the typical tabloid garbage where Bigfoot is a space alien or a blood thirsty monster that goes around killing people. Murphy seems to have a great knowledge on the subject of Bigfoot and bases the animal on what some scientist believe this animal to be. The action and characters in this story are non-stop. You think things are calm and something or someone comes out of left field and throws you for a loop. I enjoyed this book fully and look foward to future novels featuring George Kodiak. It's nice to see a good action adventure novel on this subject taken seriously.
Rating:
Summary: Not for the faint of heart!
Review: Lee Murphy is one of my favorite authors of cryptofiction, and this particular novel is my favorite. There are a few shocking scenes that made me shudder...and it was not the giant Bigfoot who did the frightful action, but rather, renegade humans! As for the Bigfoot, Lee uses Gigantopithecus as the unknown creature, which I adamantly don't believe is correct, but that incredible furry hulk works wonders in this action-packed, non-stop, suspenseful novel.
Most of all, I've fallen in love my (and Lee's) hero, George Kodiak. But sorry ladies--George is slicker than tar on asphalt, in south Texas in August, as far as evading romantic entanglements is concerned. His avoidance skills are even more sharply honed than a Bigfoot's! If he were a real-life rather than fictional hero, he'd leave a long string of broken hearts in his wake, including my own. He's an older (and younger!) lady's dream--brilliant, dedicated, gentle, compassionate and extremely intuitive. But in the next novel, "Naitaka", the lady he seemed to take a shine to and literally walked into the sunrise with, hand in hand, is nowhere to be found.
However, there may be hope. Lee is currently at work on this third novel, "Heretofore: Unknown", and maybe she will reappear in it, or perhaps the elusive George Kodiak will meet his match at last. I'm holding my breath, and I hope Lee won't be slothful in getting it the publisher STAT.
"Where Legends Roam" is indeed a unique story, and Lee Murphy is a unique novelist. I recommend it to cryto lovers, and to adventure lovers, without reservation.
Rating: 
Summary: Gigantopithecus....If you can pronounce this, a must read!
Review: Okay, even if you can't pronounce Gigantopithecus you will have no problem relating to the Big Foot Legend. Where Legends Roam kept me intrigued with it's fast paced storyline. Mr. Murphy's character descriptions were quite easy to imagine. In fact, one of his bad characters, in particular, gave me the creeps for weeks after finishing the book. Because of man's inevitable, curious, destructive behavior, I hope that The Sasquotch theory remains a mystery, as this story could quiclkly become a reality. In that case we would need to wish for our Kodiak hero to truly exist.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful start
Review: Well, I have finished the two books that are so far, and I must say they were both awsome..but for some reason I must disagree with everyone, I found the first book more exciting... The first book has much more action, which I enjoy, and the 2nd one has a lot more Cryptozoology, which I also enjoy... But when you mix the two I will have to go with the one that has more action... The first one had a few sad parts and that really added to the feel of it, not to mention I read it in 5 hours! and didn't move the entire time...SO BUY BOTH OF THEM...wonderful books..Good Job Lee!!!
Rating:
Summary: IS BIGFOOT REAL?
Review: What if Indiana Jones went on an expedition to find Big Foot? What if the Sasquatch (Bigfoot) was lurking in Jurassic Park? Is Bigfoot real or just a legend? What would most people be willing to go through to make an actual capture of this Icon of the unknown? At first I was skeptical that a book could hold my attention on such a controversial subject, but I was immediately swept into an adventure that revealed very compelling evidence that the Bigfoot was more than a legend. In fact, the adventure unfolds in such a way that I was not only captivated by the plot, but historical and archeological findings were woven into the story in a way that was more than persuasive. Few books could have held my attention to both fact and adventure in a manner that made the book impossible to put down. The story is a gripping adventure, but the evidence leaves no doubt that Sasquatch is anything but fiction. George Kodiak, the primary character holds no less than hero status as he understands and respects man's relationship with not only nature but especially with the all but extinct species of creatures such as the Sasquatch. Few authors paint a description of the sacred beauty of nature with words in the manner Lee Murphy does as he leads us to the incredible sanctuary of the Pacific Northwest. The competitive and egotistical nature of the members of this expedition leave us wondering who will win the capture!
Rating: 
Summary: A Good Start for Cryptozoological Pulp-Fiction
Review: Where Legends Roam by Lee Murphy is a quick and fun read chocked full of cryptozoological tidbits. From the opening chapter's title, "Hong Kong, 1935" I knew it would be just a few hours before I was finished with the book. I must admit to being a little put-off by Murphy's at times Hemingway-like descriptions, but as the book progressed they made things even more tangible. The characters in the book are solid, from the stoic and righteous George Kodiak to the downright revolting Norm Cocke. Real life folks are also mentioned, like the ISC and Peter Byrne. However most of the characters associated with the search for Bigfoot in this first installment of the Kodiak Books are more akin to something out of Deliverance than they are to real Hairy Hominid researchers... well, for the most part. Buy it. You'll enjoy it. I did, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
Rating: 
Summary: Kodiak arrest
Review: Where to begin... in a nutshell, this is just an average book with average characters and a not-so-heroic hero. George Kodiak is more of an anti-hero, he's violent and has social issues. The romantic interest between Kodiak and Cyrena is poor and is reminiscent of an elementary school crush on Cyrena's part, Kodiak could care less. The 'bad guys' Norm, Dave, and Montagna are over the top with Dave's obsessing of raping Cyrena, Norm's hygiene, and Montagna's greed and his implied government involvment is lackluster. The money man behind the whole hunt is simply so far fetched it is completely unbelievable what with his zoo and all. The only truly decent characters are Mrs. Hunnicutt, her development and involvement with the bigfoots was more interesting than the Bigfoot Hunter's group of the above mentioned characters. The most intriguing character is Ruth and there is a hint of a good possible story behind her origins but the author doesn't pursue the hints Montagna talks about earlier in the book. Murphy begins laying out a possible decent story with the Hunnicutt character but then turns his focus on showing how despicable a person can be when he begins to push the bad-guys storyline. After this point, Murphy turns the book into a B-rated movie plot. There's no real speculation or development for the sasquatch, he makes them very uninteresting. The beneficial point he makes is that they are just animals with animal instincts and some higher brain functions, not horror monsters out to kill. As a story, it's certainly readable and holds your interest enough to get through it. "The Kodiak books" will easily fall into a routine mystery formula that is so common throughout the literary mystery genre.
Rating:
Summary: Point and Counterpoint
Review: With cryptozoologist George Kodiak (great name!) as a modern Byronic hero, this is a roller coaster ride of a book, laden with fascinating and eclectic characters - some dark and some not-so-dark. A fast and fascinating read for anyone with even a passing interest in cryptozoology (the study of unknown animals), or for anyone who likes dark, angst-ridden thrillers. With Bigfoot as the quarry, our hero leads an expedition deep into Washington's Olympic National Park. But who, or what, is the real monster here? Note of caution: plenty of violence in this one.
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