Warren Murphy

Biography

Warren Murphy's first jobs in life were working on a pig farm, then as a movie usher, a sequin polisher, a public relations man for a brothel, a newspaper editor and a Democratic politician in Jersey City, New Jersey. "And then I went bad," he says, "and became a novelist."

That was back in the last century, and after some 200 books and several threatened retirements later, he is still at it. Now he is moving full-bore into the world of electronic publishing. Murphy has collaborated with his sons in forming his own publishing company, Destroyer Books.

Murphy is probably best known for the Destroyer series, which he created with the late Dick Sapir. With over 150 books and worldwide sales of over 50 million copies, the series is one of the longest-running and bestselling series of all time. The books were made into a movie, "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" (a second movie is threatened to be in the works), a TV pilot, as well as more film and TV rip-offs than anyone could ever imagine.

Called "a mentor and teacher to a whole generation of crime and thriller writers" by Encyclopedia Mysteriosa, Murphy is no one-trick pony. The St. James Guide to Mystery Writers states that "The breadth of Murphy's talent staggers the imagination. Comic detectives, caper novels, large suspense novels, sword and sorcery spy novels, and locked room mysteries, together with short stories, comic books, movies, and countless collaborations do not even begin to mark the parameters of his creative genius...Murphy is the professional's professional, with work of consistently high quality."

Some of the other work on Murphy's resume would include:
- The Trace series
- The Digger series
- The Razoni and Jackson series

Not to mention Leonardo's Law, Ceiling of Hell, Grandmaster, The Forever King (those last two written with Molly Cochran), along with dozens of other works.

His books have won ten national awards, including a pair of Edgars from the Mystery Writers of America, two Shamus winners from the Private Eye Writers of America, and countless nominations.

In Hollywood, he wrote The Eiger Sanction, starring Clint Eastwood, as well as Lethal Weapon II. His Trace books inspired the TV show "Murphy's Law."

He has served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America, and also has been 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 is also a member of the Adams Roundtable, a New York writers' group, whose members also include Mary Higgins Clark, Peter Straub, Susan Isaacs, Lawrence Block, Harlan Coben, Judith Kelman, Mickey Friedman, Dorothy Salisbury Davis, Justin Scott, Stanley Cohen and Whitley Strieber, and who occasionally produce mystery anthologies.

Murphy now lives in Virginia, and says he can be found at his desk or on the golf course. He has five children. Most of them, he says, "wash up pretty well."

His website is http://www.warrenmurphy.com, where he is currently writing a blog on how to write a book.

Where to find Warren Murphy online

Where to buy in print

Books

Legacy, Book 8: Homecoming
Price: $4.99 USD. Words: 42,200. Language: English. Published: May 13, 2021 by Warren Murphy Media LLC. Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Men’s adventure, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure
For eight generations, the Desteen have vowed revenge against the Sinanju…and now, the time has finally come to fight! With Sunny Joe stuck in federal court, will Stone, Freya, and their new friend Ruby Gonzalez be quick enough to stop an armored regiment from destroying the reservation? Or will War Feather fulfill the Desteen’s ancient prophecy, and eliminate the Sinanju once and for all?
Legacy, Book 7: 100 Proof
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 44,850. Language: English. Published: August 21, 2018 by Warren Murphy Media LLC. Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Men’s adventure, Fiction » Science fiction » High tech
Forget nukes! North Korea is about to get rocked as Chiun, Master of Sinanju, takes Stone and Dale to Pyongyang for a history lesson that they — and North Korea — will never forget! With Stone away, it’s up to Ben and Freya to investigate the mysterious Gordons Initiative, only to face off with a sexy, indestructible android hellbent on destroying NASA!
Legacy, Book 6: Laughing Matter
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 48,310. Language: English. Published: January 18, 2017 by Warren Murphy Media LLC. Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Action, Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire
Kwame Afoyalan is no ordinary man. He is HOMO MAGIS: a new, superior species. Haters, be warned: if you don’t believe that “Homo Magis Lives Matter,” you’re a racist, you’re a fascist — and you’re next in line for execution! With a legion of clowns rallying behind Kwame’s every word, will Stone and Freya be able to save an imperiled nation — or will Kwame’s orange-haired army have the last laugh?
Legacy, Book 5: Mother Mine
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 49,760. Language: English. Published: January 17, 2017 by Warren Murphy Media LLC. Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Action, Fiction » Adventure » General
Are Freya and Stone, the deadly assassins-in-training, ready to call it quits? When they find their pasts, will Sinanju lose its future? When Stone discovers his long-lost mother, he’s thrilled. But if he thinks that family life is going to be simple, he’s wrong…dead wrong. Half a world away, his sister is exploring her heritage. But suspicion falls on Freya when the mighty warriors of her hom
Legacy, Book 4: Trial and Terror
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 47,120. Language: English. Published: November 6, 2014 by Warren Murphy Media LLC. Categories: Fiction » Adventure » General, Fiction » Adventure » Men’s adventure
Stone and Freya must try to contain an exiled spy before he teaches the U.S. a lesson it will never forget!
Legacy, Book 3: Overload
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 36,430. Language: English. Published: June 9, 2014 by Warren Murphy Media LLC. Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Action, Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure
A figure from Sunny Joe's past seeks revenge by hiring Stone and Freya for a video game where there are no cheat codes…and death is for real!
Legacy, Book 2: The Killing Fields
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 38,500. Language: English. Published: October 4, 2013 by Warren Murphy Media LLC. Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure, Fiction » Adventure » Men’s adventure
Her name is 14. All she really wants is a new best friend, but it's hard to make friends with someone you're trying to kill. Stone and Freya, the lethal brother-sister duo, must face off against the bionic killer while stuck inside a nuclear death trap! Will they make it out alive?
Number Two: A Special Edition Destroyer Novella
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 23,360. Language: English. Published: February 8, 2013 by Warren Murphy Media LLC. Categories: Fiction » Adventure » Men’s adventure, Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire
Accidents happen. The Vice President has seen enough of them: he’s seen the economy crash, foreign policy bungled, and civil liberties destroyed. When he gives speeches, he puts his foot in his mouth so often his tongue should have “welcome” printed on it. But when the accidents start turning deadly, a plot to assassinate the VP is discovered. ...Time for Remo Williams and Chiun!
Legacy, Book 1: Forgotten Son
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 36,140. Language: English. Published: February 7, 2013 by Warren Murphy Media LLC. Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Adventure, Fiction » Adventure » Action
Sunny Joe Roam will break the ancient traditions of Sinanju, the world's deadliest martial art, by training both Stone Smith and his half-sister Freya Williams. They must keep the dangerous "Great Mexican Ninja Army" from invading the United States! This book, the first in the series, is packed with humor and adventure. The series is based on "The Destroyer," which has sold over 50 million copies.