Author: Keith Hirshland

Publisher ‏: ‎ Beacon Publishing Group

ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1961504030

ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1961504035

“Detective Murphy Murphy, I'll lay my cards on the table. My name is Adalindis Orval Katterwomp and I currently head the world-renowned Commission On Cliches. You can bet your boots I need your help.”

There is nothing Murphy Murphy enjoys more than spending time with his girlfriend. And there is nothing he hates more than unnecessary redundancies. Unfortunately for him, the case that he has to tackle in this book requires a lot more of the latter and a lot less of the former.


Murphy's most recent case, concerning the band Serious Crisis, is being made into a movie in Hollywood. Because of that, when this book begins, he is lounging on the beach with his girlfriend, enjoying the sun and the sand. However, he soon gets a phone call from a man who says that he has a case for him. 

Adalindis Orval Katterwomp is a member of the Commission on Cliches and he has a serious problem. One of their members has gone missing, along with his 'sacred text'---that is, a tome filled with all of the cliches in the English language. Katterwomp wants Murphy Murphy to track the man (and the text) down, but it turns out that the man may not be that interested in being found. 

'Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches,' is a hilarious rollick through a world full of wordplay and mystery. Hirshland's writing is not only impressive but heartfelt and, at times, really touching. 

While reading this book, I found myself rooting for Murphy as a character and I really enjoyed his relationship with his girlfriend, Charlie. Their interactions were probably my favorite part of the book. 

I had a great time reading this, and loved the main mystery and the resolution. I definitely did not see the ending coming, and I have been reading mystery stories for a long time! The twist in this story was definitely one that took me off guard. 

Five wordplay stars for this stellar novel! 

About Keith Hirshland

Award winning author, Keith Hirshland is an Emmy Award–winning sports television producer with more than three decades of experience producing shows that aired on ESPN and ESPN2. Among the first forty people to be hired by the Golf Channel in 1994.

Cover Me Boys, I’m Going In: Tales of the Tube from a Broadcast Brat is a memoir about his experiences in the television industry. It was recognized as Book talk Radio Clubs Memoir of the Year. Big Flies, his first mystery novel, was published in 2016 and is the recipient of the New Apple Awards “Solo Medalist Award. His fourth book was Murphy Murphy and the Case of Serious Crisis, published by Beacon Publishing Group in 2020. Murphy Murphy was named Book talk Radio Club Book of the Year. Murphy Murphy and the Case of the Commission on Cliches is his sixth book.

​Hirshland lives in Colorado with his wife, Sarah, and their two dogs. Please visit his website to find out more about Keith and his books.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF KEITH HIRSHLAND

I hate to dither but “a day in the life of Keith Hirshland” honestly does depend on the day. Most always it includes a morning dog walk on one of the dozens of hiking trails within 10 minutes of our Colorado Springs home. We have two wonderful pups, a 5-year-old Pyredoodle (a Great Pyrenees Poodle mix) and a Bernese Mountain Dog so walking either, or both, is always a fun time. 

Most days also include some time dedicated to either writing, actually putting pen to paper, or thinking about writing. One of my favorite singer/songwriters from the 80’s, Dan Fogelberg once sang, “Seek inspiration in daily affairs” and I try to do that every day.

I am also still working in the television sports broadcast industry so many of my days involve travelling around the world and bringing some of the world’s best golfers into viewers’ living rooms. Those days are very time consuming, between preparing for and actually televising the event, so those days don’t include either a dog walk or time spent on my writing work. I am extremely lucky to have a rich life and I try to live it to the fullest every day. 

© Keith Hirshland