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Trace #5
Once a Mutt
Trace Series Book 5 Trace needed money fast, big money, or he'd be in a hole that could turn out to be his financial grave. His heavenly hooker girlfriend Chico wouldn't lend him any of her hard-earned cash, which forced him to take an assignment from the giant insurance company that hated to have to use him as much as he hated to be of use to them. A kinky, animal-loving tycoon was missing...his widow demanding two million dollars insurance...and for those kinds of bucks Trace was told to do anything he had to. So, obeying orders, he went after the wildest bunch of characters ever to be on the wrong side of an animal cage at the zoo, from a man-eating adulteress who lusted to swallow him whole...to a couple of human sharks who wanted to spit him out in pieces...
- GenresMystery
Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
2 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Warren Murphy
245 books120 followersWarren Murphy was an American author, most famous as the co-creator of The Destroyer series, the basis for the film Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. He worked as a reporter and editor and after service during the Korean War, he drifted into politics.
Murphy also wrote the screenplay for Lethal Weapon 2. He is the author of the Trace and Digger series. With Molly Cochran, he completed two books of a planned trilogy revolving around the character The Grandmaster, The Grandmaster (1984) and High Priest (1989). Murphy also shares writing credits with Cochran on The Forever King and several novels under the name Dev Stryker. The first Grandmaster book earned Murphy and Cochran a 1985 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, and Murphy's Pigs Get Fat took the same honor the following year.
His solo novels include Jericho Day, The Red Moon, The Ceiling of Hell, The Sure Thing and Honor Among Thieves. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books.
He started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, to have a vehicle to start The Destroyer spin-off books. Ballybunion has reprinted The Assassin's Handbook, as well as the original works Assassin's Handbook 2, The Movie That Never Was (a screenplay he and Richard Sapir wrote for a Destroyer movie that was never optioned), The Way of the Assassin (the wisdom of Chiun), and New Blood, a collection of short stories written by fans of the series.
He served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and was a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League and the Screenwriters Guild.
Murphy also wrote the screenplay for Lethal Weapon 2. He is the author of the Trace and Digger series. With Molly Cochran, he completed two books of a planned trilogy revolving around the character The Grandmaster, The Grandmaster (1984) and High Priest (1989). Murphy also shares writing credits with Cochran on The Forever King and several novels under the name Dev Stryker. The first Grandmaster book earned Murphy and Cochran a 1985 Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original, and Murphy's Pigs Get Fat took the same honor the following year.
His solo novels include Jericho Day, The Red Moon, The Ceiling of Hell, The Sure Thing and Honor Among Thieves. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books.
He started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, to have a vehicle to start The Destroyer spin-off books. Ballybunion has reprinted The Assassin's Handbook, as well as the original works Assassin's Handbook 2, The Movie That Never Was (a screenplay he and Richard Sapir wrote for a Destroyer movie that was never optioned), The Way of the Assassin (the wisdom of Chiun), and New Blood, a collection of short stories written by fans of the series.
He served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and was a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League and the Screenwriters Guild.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 3, 2024
3.5 stars
September 9, 2014
In Once A Mutt, Warren Murphy's 5th Trace novel, insurance investigator Devlin Trace is asked to figure out why, after 7 years, the widow of a missing man is finally asking for her $2,000,000 insurance payout. His boss, Walter "Groucho" Marks, is sure there's something amiss, but previous attempts to ferret out the truth have failed, so in goes a very reluctant Trace.
A typically light Trace novel from the prolific Murphy, with tons of sardonic wit, crazy internal dialog and even crazier characters. This time, Trace shows a bit more self-pitying whining than usual, as he's been suckered into investing all his life saving in a New Jersey seaside restaurant. And, as everyone is anxious to point out to him, 75% of all restaurants fail, so when his friend needs more money to pay for hurricane damage, he becomes really depressed. Especially when his on again, off again girlfriend, Chico, wisely refuses to help out.
In the end though, Trace does all the legwork but it is a late arriving Chico that puts all the pieces together. To be honest, I saw this on coming from a mile away. I wonder if there wasn't a similar setup in a Travis McGee novel? But Marks isn't real happy with him, as they do end up having to pay out the insurance claim.
Probably the weakest Trace novel thus far, more deserving of 3.5 stars. It still has its fair share of laugh out lines, esp. with everyone telling him the failure rate of new restaurants. I just love these "filler" novels!
A typically light Trace novel from the prolific Murphy, with tons of sardonic wit, crazy internal dialog and even crazier characters. This time, Trace shows a bit more self-pitying whining than usual, as he's been suckered into investing all his life saving in a New Jersey seaside restaurant. And, as everyone is anxious to point out to him, 75% of all restaurants fail, so when his friend needs more money to pay for hurricane damage, he becomes really depressed. Especially when his on again, off again girlfriend, Chico, wisely refuses to help out.
In the end though, Trace does all the legwork but it is a late arriving Chico that puts all the pieces together. To be honest, I saw this on coming from a mile away. I wonder if there wasn't a similar setup in a Travis McGee novel? But Marks isn't real happy with him, as they do end up having to pay out the insurance claim.
Probably the weakest Trace novel thus far, more deserving of 3.5 stars. It still has its fair share of laugh out lines, esp. with everyone telling him the failure rate of new restaurants. I just love these "filler" novels!
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews