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The Murphy Experiment
My name is Oriel Murphy. There are three things you should know about me.
I am a nobody.
I will never bow to the god that is our government.
I was the sole survivor of a bioterrorist attack that turned my genome into a scientific breakthrough of the century. Against my will.
I never asked for this. The only thing I wanted to do was run from my past and build a new life, a Messianic Jew living in the gutters of Boston. Scrambling to find my footing in a heartless world where genetic editing is illegal.
But my world as I knew it imploded when I started developing abnormalities. The doctors told me I was fine, but I was not fine—since when were lightbulbs so loud and walls so easy to climb?—and I’m faced with the Agency whose job is to eliminate prohibited gene editing projects.
They said I was a loose cannon, a danger to society, a land mine in the making that needed to be contained. And this guy, Jonah Trusov, a deaf agent, keeps telling me I have to trust the Agency, but I can’t trust anyone when my very existence becomes a crime in this society.
Your history books won’t mention me. My name has been scrubbed from every medical journal and media outlet. But I’m here. You better believe I’m here. I’m the weed growing from the cracks in the pavement. Resilient. Persistent. Stubborn. You can’t get rid of me, even when you try.
My name is Oriel Murphy… and I never meant to set the world on fire.
I am a nobody.
I will never bow to the god that is our government.
I was the sole survivor of a bioterrorist attack that turned my genome into a scientific breakthrough of the century. Against my will.
I never asked for this. The only thing I wanted to do was run from my past and build a new life, a Messianic Jew living in the gutters of Boston. Scrambling to find my footing in a heartless world where genetic editing is illegal.
But my world as I knew it imploded when I started developing abnormalities. The doctors told me I was fine, but I was not fine—since when were lightbulbs so loud and walls so easy to climb?—and I’m faced with the Agency whose job is to eliminate prohibited gene editing projects.
They said I was a loose cannon, a danger to society, a land mine in the making that needed to be contained. And this guy, Jonah Trusov, a deaf agent, keeps telling me I have to trust the Agency, but I can’t trust anyone when my very existence becomes a crime in this society.
Your history books won’t mention me. My name has been scrubbed from every medical journal and media outlet. But I’m here. You better believe I’m here. I’m the weed growing from the cracks in the pavement. Resilient. Persistent. Stubborn. You can’t get rid of me, even when you try.
My name is Oriel Murphy… and I never meant to set the world on fire.
317 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 22, 2025
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 25, 2026
5 stars!!!! That was incredible!!!! Rtc
January 13, 2026
I have only one complaint....where is a follow up?
Nooooo you cannot leave me hanging,
with out explaining all the rest!
Authors! Can't live with them
can't live without them.
I want the sequel
yesterday...
got it?
Sheesh!
Nooooo you cannot leave me hanging,
with out explaining all the rest!
Authors! Can't live with them
can't live without them.
I want the sequel
yesterday...
got it?
Sheesh!
January 18, 2026
Another FANTASTIC read from Raven Markov! I was so thrilled when my preorder showed up in my kindle library, devoured the book almost in one sitting.
As per her usual, Raven has blended faith, suspense, and personal conflict with the skill of a master.
I loved all the characters, and was torn between them choosing a favorite, but in the end I had to choose Jonah.
Content warnings: there’s some violence, medical experimentation, explosions. . . 🤔 It’s sci-fi. 😂 I’d hand it to my teen siblings without a qualm.
As per her usual, Raven has blended faith, suspense, and personal conflict with the skill of a master.
I loved all the characters, and was torn between them choosing a favorite, but in the end I had to choose Jonah.
Content warnings: there’s some violence, medical experimentation, explosions. . . 🤔 It’s sci-fi. 😂 I’d hand it to my teen siblings without a qualm.
January 17, 2026
I read Markov's Initiation trilogy and loved it. I was expecting a whirlwind of a story with intriguing characters once again. Did I get it? Yes! And I was so impressed by the drastic improvement of her prose in The Murphy Experiment! Her writing was good to begin with, but now it is phenomenal. Easily makes it into my small list of authors with beautiful, poetic prose. Right up there with the likes of Patrick Rothfuss.
Without spoilers, this story is about a girl just trying to survive. Her genetic code is no longer what she considers her own. All she has known has crumbled around her. And then there's the male main character. What can I say? Markov knows how to write interesting characters. Jonah is a deaf agent in the Agency, just trying to prove his worth. But then comes a girl named Murphy who turns his world upside down.
This story was moody, but hopeful. Fun, but thrilling. And oh man, so much humor. Markov has great sarcastic ability. Be prepared to smile while you read this (but be wary, no one is safe. These characters definitely go through their fair share of troubles).
This was a beautiful story about faith and what it means to become (somewhat) comfortable with change that seems terrible. This was an excellent entry into a new series. I look forward to reading book 2!
Without spoilers, this story is about a girl just trying to survive. Her genetic code is no longer what she considers her own. All she has known has crumbled around her. And then there's the male main character. What can I say? Markov knows how to write interesting characters. Jonah is a deaf agent in the Agency, just trying to prove his worth. But then comes a girl named Murphy who turns his world upside down.
This story was moody, but hopeful. Fun, but thrilling. And oh man, so much humor. Markov has great sarcastic ability. Be prepared to smile while you read this (but be wary, no one is safe. These characters definitely go through their fair share of troubles).
This was a beautiful story about faith and what it means to become (somewhat) comfortable with change that seems terrible. This was an excellent entry into a new series. I look forward to reading book 2!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews