The Legend of Annie Murphy

In 1885, the Murphy mine struck gold. According to legend, Annie Murphy killed her husband out of greed, but just before she was to be hanged for the murder, she escaped. Now, a hundred years later, there have been sightings of Annie Murphy’s “ghost.” The Coopers unwittingly become involved in a mystery that finds them caught between the past and the present. 

The Legend of Annie Murphy is a fast-paced mystery that jumps back and forth between two time periods. While following the “ghost” of Annie Murphy, Jay and Lila accidentally end up a hundred years in the past, while Sheriff Potter ends up in the present with Dr. Cooper and his friend Mac. The different perspectives allow readers to learn the truth about Annie Murphy and the legend, which gives the story an interesting twist. 

While in the past, Jay and Lila explore the town and look for clues about Annie. During their investigation, they learned that Annie was illiterate; however, she was able to tell her life’s story through carvings that she created. This allows Jay and Lila to learn the truth about Annie and her husband’s death. While the mystery is full of intrigue by itself, Jay and Lila have another problem—the townspeople believe they are ghosts! This leads the siblings into some unusual and humorous situations. Even though Jay and Lila are afraid they will forever be stuck in the past, they still trust God and focus on solving the mystery of Annie. 

Back in the present, Dr. Cooper and Mac discover that Sheriff Potter has accidentally traveled into the future. However, the sheriff is reluctant to help the two men investigate what happened to Annie. Through research, the two men are able to discover clues as to who really murdered Annie’s husband. The two men also discuss how the time travel happened. Even though the situation seems outlandish, readers will understand the concepts behind the time travel and will easily follow the story’s many different perspectives.  

The Legend of Annie Murphy will appeal to a wide range of readers because of the mystery, ghosts, and time travel. Plus, the story is full of action, suspense, and surprises. In addition, the time travel aspect gives the story a unique premise that will draw readers in. The story also has a positive message since the events that surrounded Annie Murphy’s life highlight the destructive nature of greed. If you’re looking for a fun and entertaining story, The Legend of Annie Murphy may be the perfect book for you.  

Sexual Content  

• None 

Violence  

• Some boys camp out at a graveyard. While there, they tell the story of Annie Murphy. According to legend, Annie Murphy killed her husband. “She cut him up into little pieces with a long butcher knife. . .The next night she came back and this time she wanted the sheriff. He woke up and there she was, standing in his bedroom. She still had the knife.” The townspeople found his body “on Annie Murphy’s grave. He was cold and dead and looked like he’d been scared to death.” 
• Dustin Potter, a sheriff from the past, ends up in the present time. When he sees Mac and Dr. Cooper, “the sheriff cocked his revolver and aimed it between Jacob Cooper’s eyes.”  
• The sheriff begins to fade in and out of the time period. “Dr. Cooper and Mac were momentarily puzzled. They could see right through the sheriff as well. Then they realized the sheriff was off guard. . . Dr. Cooper and Mac took full advantage of that and pounced on him. . .Dr. Cooper tried a judo move to bring the sheriff down, but his arms passed through the sheriff’s body. . .” After the confusion, the men talk and begin working together. 
• The siblings go to investigate Annie Murphy’s bedroom. When they enter the room, a deputy talks to them. “The voice behind them made them gasp, jump, and come down shaking. . . They saw the lanky deputy sitting in a chair behind the door, his six-shooter in his hand. . . [he] then gestured with the gun barrel toward a small couch in the opposite corner.”  
• When the deputy confronts a judge, the judge begins shooting. “A flash of fire exploded from a gun in the judge’s hand. Deputy Hatch hit the wall from the impact of the bullet.” The judge tries to shoot the kids, but they begin wavering between time periods. “A bullet whistled by their heads. . . The slow sound of a gunshot rumbled behind them.” 
• When Mac and Dr. Cooper discover the sheriff’s part in Annie Murphy’s story, the sheriff begins to shoot at them. “A gunshot rang out. There was a loud PING! as a bullet hit the steel railing. They instinctively dropped to the platform.” Dr. Cooper “landed on Sheriff Potter and they both went down, grappling, wrestling. Potter still had the gun in his hand.”  
• Mac and Dr. Cooper run from the sheriff. “They ran through the ruins as one more shot rang out and a bullet nicked Dr. Cooper’s ear. . .” When Dr. Cooper touches his ear, he finds “blood on his fingers.” He is not seriously injured. 
• As time continues to flicker, Dr. Cooper hears “two gunshots.” Then, “Dr. Cooper looked south, and through a quivering, waving window in time saw Sheriff Potter doubled over, wounded.” In the end, the sheriff kills the judge, and the judge kills the sheriff.  

 Drugs and Alcohol  

• Lila talks to a man and “she could smell the beer on his breath.” 

Language  

• A man calls Dr. Cooper an idiot. 

Supernatural 

• The “ghost” of Annie Murphy appears several times. She appears as “a dim, bluish shape. . . a woman with long hair and a long dress blowing in the wind. She was running, moving in eerie slow motion, her arms outstretched. Her face was etched with fear. . .” 
• Jay and Lila chase after the ghost of Annie Murphy. Suddenly, all the kids could see “were bright flashes of blue, then white, then blue again as the earth reeled under them. . . from every direction they could hear the ghost of Annie Murphy still crying over and over again.” When the kids wake up, they are in Annie Murphy’s time period. 

Spiritual Content  

• When people think Jay and Lila are ghosts, Lila says, “Well, we know we’re not ghosts. If we were really dead, we’d be in heaven with the Lord right now. . .” 
• When the kids realize that they are stuck in the past and the sheriff is in their time period, Lila prays, “Dear Lord, you know all about time and space and little people like us. Help us, Lord. Help us get back home again.” 
• Mac and Dr. Cooper discuss God’s ability to see “across time. . .He can reach out and help us no matter where we are. . . He knows all things.” The discussion goes on for a page. 
• After Mac, Dr. Cooper, and the kids solve the mystery of Anne Murphy, Dr. Cooper says, “And God’s justice finally came through. Sometimes it takes a while.”  
• After everyone is back in their time period, Dr. Cooper prays, “Dear Lord, we thank you that you helped us through this adventure and brought us all together once again.”