Kindle Edition Amazon Murdo Category:  Children Publisher: Black Leaf Publishing ISBN-10:  1907407278 Pages: 314 Copyright: Dec 2010 ISBN-13: 9781907407277 Murdo is a chlidren's and adults adventure/thriller about a young girl, who whilst trying to escape her kidnappers is rescued by a stray dog, who she names Murdo. Thus begins their adventure as they go on the run together. When Jessica Bryant pesters her parents to allow her to habe a dog as a pet, the answer is "No"; but they soon come to regret their decision when their home is broken into one evening whilst they are out and their daughter is kidnapped and held for ransom. The kidnappers, in the form of four seedy and incompetent characters wearing Disneyland-type masks, take her hostage and keep her incarcerated in a place from which there appears no escape. However, they have reckoned without the resourcefulness of our heroine and the courage of a wonderful stray dog who comes to her aid and whom she names 'Murdo'. And so begins an exciting and humorous accounting of the couples' adventures together as they consistently foil and outwit the abductors whilst on the run together, This is a lovely story of the friendship between a girl and a dog, bringing out the themes of responsibility, camaraderie, redemption, salvation and self-sacrifice. It includes some wonderful dialogue sequences as Jessica teaches her new four-legged friend how to communicate with her, with additional delightful conversations between the animals when a rabbit and a sparrow join forces in an effort to outwit the kidnappers and restore Jessica safely back to her parents' home.

Murdo by Edward Johns
Murdo
by Edward Johns
MURDO BY Edward Johns reads like a crime thriller
wrapped around a children’s fantasy novel.
Framed by the relationship between a girl and a stray dog, this beguiling
story weaves together a number of compelling themes, including
friendship, self-sacrifice, and responsibility.
When Jessica Bryant pesters her wealthy parents to allow her to have a
dog as a pet, the answer is a resounding ‘No’; but they soon come to regret
their decision when their home is broken into one evening whilst they are
out and their daughter kidnapped and held for ransom.
Jessica is kidnapped by four incompetent criminals and taken to a place
from which there appears to be no escape. However, the kidnappers
underestimate the quick-witted heroine, and the courage of a faithful stray
dog called 'Murdo', who comes to Jessica’s aid. And so begins an exciting
and humorous adventure which sees the pair consistently foiling and outwitting
the gormless abductors.
This heart-warming tale is perfect for adults and teenagers alike. OUR
DOGS readers will especially enjoy the chapters that deal with the relationship
between Jessica and her four-legged companion, as well as the
delightful conversations she has with the woodland creatures.
Murdo is a finely layered, well-written thriller, which is light and easy to read

Every dog has its day in this touching kidnap drama.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/lifestyle/books/every-dog-has-its-day-in-touching-kidnap-draA wealthy father's priorities are called into question when his young daughter is kidnapped and held to ransom for £2m.
Unconditional love, sacrifice and loyalty are all themes in this very engaging read from Lurgan author Edward Johns.

When Jessie is plucked from the comforts of her beautiful home by an incompetent and malevolent group of masked men, a world of torment unleashes itself upon her middle-class parents.

Despite her incarceration, a precocious Jessie remains upbeat and resourceful - never allowing her predicament to discourage her fight for freedom.

Enter the canine hero 'Murdo' who comes to Jessie's aid and helps her outwit the haphazard criminals who are hellbent on collecting the ransom at any cost.

Jessie and Murdo embark on an occasionally funny, other times sinister hide-and-seek game with the 'Monsters' as Murdo refers to them throughout the narrative, while Sara and Dave Bryant liaise with top police detective Monroe in a battle to get their beloved daughter back.

Whilst aimed at a teenage audience (Murdo can understand human language and also enlists the help of Reggie, a sparrow and Rusty, a rabbit along the way) the novel also deals with the serious issues at play - the adults' turmoil and the realisation that dawns on the father of what in life is really important.

Although Jessie can only communicate with Murdo through hand signals and her expressions, we are given an insight into his psyche. Not just a dog, Murdo - a name bestowed on him by Jessie for his strength of character - sees rescuing Jessie from evil and delivering her home as his life's mission and puts his life in danger to do so.

The author even makes a note on the cruelty of human nature through the dog's eyes: "He was an independent spirit, reliant on no-one; he had shunned brutal mankind and its misanthropic masses, had sworn never again to be in its debt, be dependent on its sparse goodwill ... "

Murdo almost even takes on a human form as one of the kidnappers comments: "It's as if he's taken all the thought processes from the canine world and intermingled them with the human and chose the best from each."

This is a tale of man versus beast - though in this case 'beast' would be a more fitting term for the kidnappers - innocence against corruption and hope over despair. There are many illuminating moments such as when Murdo realises his purpose and Dave Bryant's epiphany, near the novel's climax, that the one thing that had motivated him all his life was also the one thing that could ruin his life and tear his daughter away:

"Losing his daughter to the one gauge of success - money - hadbeen the sole cause of guilt which now overwhelmed him. It was a void which money could never fill, and for which he could find no compensation or peace, and hisguilt had now manifested itself into hatred for his enemy and his own selfish desires."

While dealing with serious issues, this is overall a light read and has many amusing scenes specifially where Jessie and Murdo try to get around the language barrier and the secret dialogue between Murdo and other wildlife that join in the rescue effort to bring our female heroine home.

An enjoyable, touching read with a moral message.


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