PI Gary Charboneau arrives three days before John (Mac) McBride goes on trial for the murder of his long-time friend and business partner, Frank Kendall. Mac's claim that he was framed seems unlikely: he bought the murder weapon, and Frank's blood was found on his car. Complicating Charboneau's task, the D.A. has publicly vowed to convict Mac, the judge has a serious career incentive at stake, and an insurance company loses five million dollars if Mac is acquitted. Interleaving the past with the present, four murders are planned and executed, while Charboneau unravels the clues and fights to keep Mac out of prison. The time interval collapses until Charboneau and the killer are locked in a battle for survival. Praise for James M. Murphy "The Frame" is enjoyable because it is fun and fast. There are big publishers around who have spent a lot of money printing novels not nearly as good as this one.
Review: San Jose Mercury News, Written by John Orr, jorr@sjmercury.com Mr. Murphy enjoys a solid sense of pacing that keep the pages turning. His characters are never stereotypes, and all are interestingly imperfect or damaged...(They) don't dominate the plot but leave their marks and may stick in your memory.
Review: Santa Barbara News-Press, Written by Lin Rolens, life@newspress.com Gary Charboneau, a flawed private investigator, is an exciting find. The pace is fast and just when you think you've got things figured out, there is another zag. Murphy knows the territory and he knows high-tech.
Review: Santa Maria Times, Written by Bob Behme, Special to the Times