Warren Murphy

Warren Murphy was a prominent American novelist, known for his works in the adventure, spy fiction, and crime fiction genres. He was born on September 13, 1933, in Jersey City, New Jersey, and served in the Korean War before embarking on his writing career. Murphy's big break came with the creation of the Destroyer series, which he co-wrote with Richard Sapir, and it went on to become the basis for the Hollywood movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.

Before becoming a novelist, Murphy worked in various fields, including politics and journalism. However, he left it all behind when he co-created the Destroyer series in 1971. Apart from being a successful novelist, Murphy also worked as a screenwriter, with credits including Lethal Weapon II and The Eiger Sanction. His writing career spanned over 200 books, and he was known for his versatility, having written thriller, science fiction, and crime fiction books. He won more than a dozen awards at the national level, including multiple Shamaus and Edgar Awards.

Murphy was also a college and university-level lecturer and was involved in electronic publication. He had an eclectic work history before becoming a novelist, having worked on a farm, as a public relations in charge at a brother, a sequin polisher, a newspaper editor, a movie usher, and many other odd jobs. Despite trying to retire from writing on several occasions, he continued to write until his final days.

Murphy's other notable works include the Trace and Digger series, as well as two books of a planned trilogy revolving around the character The Grandmaster, which he co-wrote with Molly Cochran. He also shares writing credits with Cochran on The Forever King and several novels under the name Dev Stryker. Over his career, Murphy sold over 60 million books and started his own publishing house, Ballybunion, to start The Destroyer spin-off books. He served on the board of the Mystery Writers of America and was a member of the Private Eye Writers of America, the International Association of Crime Writers, the American Crime Writers League, and the Screenwriters Guild.