MURPHY'S LORE:

Tales From Bulfinche's Pub

For Reviews Read On:

 “Patrick Thomas  once again entertains us at the pub we all wish we could hang out in.  Murphy’s Lore: Through the Drinking Glass is an entertaining ride that leaves you  wanting more. The cast of characters at Bulfinche’s Pub is always chang-ing, bringing  new laughs, perils, & adventure.  Don’t miss the  latest installment of this wonderful series.”  -Edward McFadden, FANTASTIC STORIES

“SLICK... ENTERTAINING.” -Paul Di Filippo,  ASIMOV’S

    “HUMOR, OUTRAGEOUS ADVENTURES,  & SOME CLEVER PLOT TWISTS.”    -Don D’Ammassa, SCIENCE FICTION CHRONICLE 

“JOIN HEX, PADDY & THE GANG IN THEIR RACE TO UNDO THE FUTURE IN PATRICK THOMAS’S FOOLS’ DAY, PART OF HIS COMIC MURPHY’S LORE SERIES.”  -PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY

"A delicious cocktail of humor, fantasy & heart with a dash of suspense that you won’t be able to put down.” Beth Hannan Rimmels, THE LONG ISLAND VOICE (Full review below)

"Patrick Thomas takes us into a world where magic is the norm, where gods roam the Earth and faeries aren’t so cute... we see that gods and other supernatural beings are just like us, if not more twisted... an exciting read with great dialogue, interesting ideas and great depth, each page was packed with action, intensity, and wit.”     -Jon Minners, BANDWIDTH (Full review below)

“I was thoroughly enchanted... An off the scale book.”  -Leann Arndt, THE BUZZ BOOK REVIEW

“Outrageous...” THE TIMES BEACON RECORD

“Amusing Stuff. Wonderful Stuff.” -Andrew Andrews, TRUE REVIEW (Full review below)

“Want to leave your life behind? Then follow me to Bulfinche’s Pub... the clientele  will  never cease to amaze you.” -Michael Laimo, PIRATE WRITINGS

“Here magic is the norm... Murphy’s Lore offers the reader a look  at  the world beyond."   -Alan Zimmerman, THE NEW YORK PRESS

 

 

Some full reviews with permission of reviewers

  “Patrick Thomas takes us into a world where magic is the norm, where gods roam the Earth and faeries aren't so cute. Looking through the eyes of Joe Murphy, a mere mortal, we see that gods and other supernatural beings are just like us, if not more twisted. On April 1, the likes of Hermes, Hex, Will O' Wisp, and even Loki, the Nordic god of Mischief, come to New York City's famous Bulfinche's Pub and compete against each other to see who the greatest trickster is. Yep, you heard me right. They aren't fighting for world domination, they are fighting for a trophy and the honor of saying they committed the best practical joke. Most people flee New York City until the contest is over for no one is safe during this fun time.

     Sun Wukong, the Monkey King makes several astronauts stay in their ship after convincing them that since they left, a strange disease has led to monkeys taking over the world. Pan, Lord of the Satyrs, messes with some poor schmuck in first class by using his pheromones to get more attention from the stewardesses while being seated in coach. To put icing on the cake, he even sleeps with the man's wife.

     All jokes aside, the story really begins when Hex, the cursed Magi, is possessed by his future self and comes to Bulfinche's on April 1st, to warn the fun loving gang of the future Armageddon. The Faerie Warrior Queen Mab will take possession of a nuclear warhead to use against the Faerie King Oberon. The US Military launches a strike against the faerie world, destroying it. As a result nuclear magic leaks from the faerie world into ours and all hell breaks loose. Monsters roam the Earth and evil takes over, killing millions of people. Murphy ends up actually being the leader of a rebel force and to rectify the past events, Hex is sent to the past to prevent the future. Unfortunately, Hex comes at the wrong time and everyone thinks it is a prank. Thankfully, the gang has nothing better to do and believe in Hex's word enough to go out on an adventure to save the world.

     At about 200 pages long Murphy's Lore: Fools' Day is an exciting read with great dialogue, interesting ideas and great depth, each page was packed with action, intensity, and wit. The main character Murphy was an excellent focal point for the other characters and together, the group fits like a puzzle, even though you would think they should not. But I admit I loved reading about Loki the most. He was the most interesting character and I like the way they got into his head better than Marvel Comics has ever done. I hope there is more to the Murphy's Lore series so I can continue to be intrigued for many books to come. You're the fool if you do not purchase this book and that is no joke."  -Jon Minners, BANDWIDTH

 

 

“Forget that place where everybody knows your name; the regulars at Bulfinche’s Pub are much more eccentric and fun. What else could you expect from a Manhattan bar owned by a leprechaun, with the Greek gods of wine, food and communication acting as bartender, cook and errand boy, and Hercules as a bouncer?

Murphy’s Lore: Tales from Bulfinche’s Pub is a collection of short stories set in this unusual bar. Patrons find the pub by following a rainbow. Most end up sticking around as regulars, like Father Mike, a devout priest who has literally stared down demons; Lucas, a vampire who survives on animal blood; Joseph, the Wandering Jew who at Bulfinche’s finally finds a respite; Roy G. Biv, a paraplegic clown who regains his spirit thanks to the crew at Bulfinche’s and many more.

The book is very hard to put down with stories ranging from the silly seriousness of "Jinn & Tonic" to the creepiness of the story explaining where socks go to the starkness of "New Heights." The narrator is Murphy, one of the bartenders and a wise guy who always goes for the joke, so even the most serious story has one-liners. Most of the tales mix laugh-out loud bits with serious consequences, but the most amazing part is how author Patrick Thomas blends real-world issues and the magical patrons without being trite, maudlin or predictable.

Homelessness comes up a few times because bar owner Paddy provides meals, a place to stay and a mailing address for any homeless person seeking work. With the help of Rebecca, a homeless regular who won’t take his aid, he’s helped get many people off the street and many children into loving homes. But even Paddy cannot guarantee a happy ending. One child with Down’s Syndrome they helped is later murdered, and while they make sure the killer can’t do it again, they also can’t restore Peter. Gods hanging out in the bar are a huge perk, but these are gods with a little "g" so even their abilities are limited.

A delicious cocktail of humor, fantasy & heart with a dash of suspense that you won’t be able to put down.

Murphy’s Lore should do well for the Farmingdale, NY-based Padwolf Publishing. Just remember two things: hope and happiness never die and at Bulfinche’s, the first drink is always on house.” Beth Hannan Rimmels, THE LONG ISLAND VOICE

 

 

 

This book is Patrick's latest and it is even better than EXILE. I was thoroughly enchanted by this book. I want these characters to be real. Patrick certainly made them live on the page. Bulfinche's Pub gets most anyone or anything as a patron. First drink on your first visit is free. If you try to fool the staff it just isn't going to work. First of all the pub is owned by a leprechaun named Padraic Moran. Among the staff members are Hercules, Hermes, and Dionysus. Read this and KNOW why Hermes wore his helmet. Hear the REAL truth about Dionysus' reputation with women. Wonder WHY Murphy, a mere mortal, hangs out with these fellas. Folks it is a wonderful, off the scale book. Buy it or be condemned to six months a year in Hades.

John Murphy is a bartender at Bulfinche's Pub. There are strange denizens of the place, notably Murphy’s boss, Paddy Moran, and any number of elves, clown’s, seers, wizards, angels, demons, deities, vampyres, cabbies, bagladies, the whole crew. What makes the place so special is that, singlehandledly, by magic and compassion, they can rescue a man from loan sharks, have clowns wipe away tears shed by children in abusive households, answer why socks disappear in the dryer, etc. etc. Amusing stuff, wonderful stuff, and don’t you wonder where you can stop in to talk to the people at a place like that? Padwolf is a small, independent publisher in New York trying to do there own thing, and so far, their material looks impressive.