Devil's Night

Asphalt Warrior #8

by Gary Reilly

Denver cab driver Brendan Murphy, a.k.a. “Murph,” drops off four costumed teens at a Halloween-themed haunted house party. Later, worried about whether the kids made it home safely, he is pulled into the vortex of an eerie con game. He endures a hellish week of seances, arson and a spooky graveyard chase. Murph has only himself to blame for his troubles. He’s violated his most cherished Never, under any circumstances, get involved in the personal lives of your fares.

Genres: Fiction

296 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 16, 2016

About the author

Gary Reilly was a writer.

Simply stated, that was the essence of the man.

Born in Arkansas City, Kansas he spent his early years in Kansas and Colorado in a large Irish-Catholic family–seven brothers and sisters. The family moved to Denver where Gary attended parochial high school, graduating in 1967.

He served two years in the army, including a tour in Vietnam as a military policeman.

After discharge, Gary majored in English at Colorado State University and continued studies at the Denver campus of the University of Colorado.

All along, his overarching ambition was to write fiction. And he did, prodigiously. His first published short story, The Biography Man, was included in the Pushcart Prize Award anthology in 1979.

Later he turned to novels, several based on his army experiences. While he wrote both serious and genre fiction, his greatest invention was the character, Murph, a likable, bohemian Denver cab driver. Starting with The Asphalt Warrior, Gary cranked out eleven Murph novels.

His dedication to writing did not include self promotion. Instead of seeking agents and publishers, he focussed on his craft, writing and rewriting, polishing to perfection. He wrote well over twenty novels before he thought he was ready make his work public.

Unfortunately, he passed away in March, 2011, before he could realize that dream.

Friends and family remember Gary as a fun-loving, generous soul who always had time for other writers, helping them shape their work, getting it ready for print.

Now, through Running Meter Press and Big Earth Publishing in Boulder, Colorado, Gary Reilly’s fiction is finally coming to bookstores in Colorado and across the nation.

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd be surprised if someone didn't enjoy reading Murph talk. He has a good patter and there's always something going on, and the story doesn't seem forced. I enjoyed it.

[Christine Whittington · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Devil's Night" is the first of Gary Reilly's books I have read and I am so enchanted by his taxi driver, Murph, and his quirky mind that I am going to start from the beginning and read at least some of the other books in the Asphalt Warrior series. I would have given the book 4-4 1/2 stars except the Denver setting adds another star, as I suspect it will for many Denverites. I loved being allowed into the inner sanctum of taxi driving and obscure Denver neighborhoods as well as those I know very well. There was some weirdness in this book about Murph becoming involved with a bunch of teens who he takes to a haunted house in Golden, subsequently getting sucked into their lives. The story involves a decrepit mansion on the edge of Riverside Cemetery (which I have never seen but now must visit), a seance, several cases of arson, a big bag of flashlights purchased at Safeway, a lot of fast food and, except for a few white lies, absolutely gentlemanly behavior by Murph. I suspect that these days, 40-something taxi drivers would never get involved in the personal lives of teen passengers, which left me waiting for the police to knock on Murph's door. Murph discloses quite a bit of past misbehavior involving booze, women, arrests (and aquittals), and auto misdemeanors like u-turns, but his personal life in this book seems to consist of Burger King and watching Gilligan's island, always intend to start writing that novel. I am glad that Reilly (also a taxi driver) finally did. Mr. Reilly died in 2011 before he realized his local (and now expanding) fame. I hope that there is an afterlife for taxi drivers in which Reilly knows how much Denverites love his books.

[Jay Pees · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting novel...

I really like his style. I always had the feeling he was talking directly to me on a one to one basis. It was as though I was in his taxi and we were just chatting. I'll definitely read more of his work.

[Chris Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this author. Murph, Gary Reilly's protagonist , is quirky, hilarious and smart. I have laughed my way through all of his books. As much as I love this series, I recognize it may not be for everyone. It is really all about the voice. You have to fall in love with the wanderings of Murph's eclectic mind. If you are looking for a straight plot driven novel this may not be for you. But if you can imagine a concatenation of The Big Lebowski, the TV series Taxi and a Robin Williams monologue you would just about hit on the sensibilities of this series. Great stuff.

[Jeanette Abbott · Rating 1 out of 5]

It took way too long to get to any real action, and that action was a letdown. I liked the voice of the main character, but mostly this was a rather boring book. Back it goes to the Little Free Library!

[Dave Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insights into the human soul and off the cuff humor as our stand-in for humanity 'Murph' gets into another fine mess just trying to help some teenagers. Sadly this is the last one of the series, there will be no more.

[Stan Pedzick · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book of the series. Well plotted and a fun read.

[Lisa Keipp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll read more of his work.