Book Review: The First Wish of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple
The First Wish of Mr. Murray McBride
Series: Murray McBride #3
Author: Joe Siple
Published: March 18, 2025
Kindle: 266 pages
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: March 19- April 20, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
The prequel to the Murray McBride series—by the author of the beloved USA Today international bestselling novel The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride.
The day before Murray McBride moves Jenny, his beloved wife of eighty years, into a memory care center, she convinces him to search for a case her grandfather buried long ago, said to contain “a treasure worth more than gold.” With the help of some new friends, Murray and Jenny retrace their steps from years before. Over the course of the day, Murray tenderly retells their love story—how they met, the challenges they faced and overcame, and their initial attempt at the quest.
But the closer they get to the treasure, the more clearly Murray remembers why they abandoned the search the first time. With the exhilarating discovery at hand, Murray must decide whether to unearth the treasure, even if it means bringing up painful events from the past.
Jessica’s Review:
Joe Siple, you got me again with this prequel learning Murray and his wife Jenny’s love story. I didn’t cry this time, but came close to it, especially as I got towards the end!
The First Wish takes place in both 1910 and 1996. In 1910, Murray and Jenny meet while in school; in 1996, it is the day before Jenny is being moved into a memory care center due to her decline with Alzheimer’s. Also in 1996, Jenny is 99-years-old and Murray is 98- years old. They have also been married for just over 80 years. What a life they both have lived!
Both 1910 and 1996 are filled with a variety of emotions. I was fully invested in both storylines as I just adored Murray in The Five Wishes and loved reading about Murray and Jenny’s meeting and eventual love story that covers 80 years. The reader also feels emotions with the dealings of Alzheimer’s/Dementia of both Murray as the caregiver and Jenny as the one suffering from the disease. Siple handles this well.
Both timelines deal with a journey to find a treasure that is ‘worth more than gold’. I was intrigued in multiple ways: First, will the treasure even be located? Two, what could be worth more than gold?!?! Chapter 11 through the end really got to me emotionally. What was mentioned was dealing with life throwing you curveballs: 2024 was a year that threw a huge curveball for me, but I am doing much better now in 2025.
Many thanks to Joe Siple for bringing these characters to life in this series. This is one reader who really appreciated reading these books. And it is thanks to a book club that I am in for introducing me to The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride. I would not have heard of this book without that book club.
#Diverseathon2021: Brian’s Hunt by Gary Paulsen (Brian’s Saga #5)
Brian’s Hunt
Series: Brian’s Saga #5
Author: Gary Paulsen
Narrator: Ron Mclarty
Published: January 1, 2003
Audiobook
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: May 18-19, 2021
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
Millions of readers of Hatchet, The River, Brian’s Winter, and Brian’s Return know that Brian Robeson is at home in the Canadian wilderness. He has stood up to the challenge of surviving alone in the woods. He prefers being on his own in the natural world to civilization.
When Brian finds a dog one night, a dog that is wounded and whimpering, he senses danger. The dog is badly hurt, and as Brian cares for it, he worries about his Cree friends who live north of his camp. His instincts tell him to head north, quickly. With his new companion at his side, and with a terrible, growing sense of unease, he sets out to learn what happened. He sets out on the hunt.
Jessica’s Review:
As a part of May’s prompt for #Diverseathon2021 I listened to the Brian’s Saga series by Gary Paulsen and I have finally reached the last in the series: Brian’s Hunt.
Brian’s Hunt seems to pick up where Brian’s Return left off. This time Brian has a friend with him: He finds a severely injured dog that he takes care of. He begins to worry over the Cree Indian family who he has become friends with. In the ‘what if’ novel Brian’s Winter Brian comes across this family and they ‘rescue’ him and take care of him for several weeks before being able to go home. I still have confusion on if Brian’s Winter is actually not a what if scenario and did actually happen since the next books reference things that happen in that novel.
This is a bit of spoiler, but this novel will not be for the sensitive or younger readers as to what happens to the Cree family. They meet their untimely fate at the hands of a bear and the novel is descriptive in how Brian finds the family. Because of this Brian becomes determined to find the bear and he goes on his hunt.
I did enjoy listening to this series. I do recommend it for teenage boys, as our protagonist is a boy and we don’t get many of those in middle grade/ YA novels. Those novels tend to have female leads. I did not know it was a series until I decided I was going to read Hatchet for Diverseathon, and seeing they were all of a shorter length, I decided to ‘go all out’ and listen to the whole series as all were available through the Libby App. The only thing I was not a ‘fan’ of was the music added to try and enhance the suspenseful parts. I can see how the music would work for some but not others such as myself since I listen to these books while driving and the music was distracting at times.
The Brian’s Saga is recommended!
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For full details on this year long readathon, please click here.
And don’t forget about the awesome GRAND PRIZE at the end of the year. Click the link here for that information.
Beccie over at Bookies is having a giveaway for the month of May: She is giving away a copy of Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs (it is set in Canada). You can also enter this giveaway by entering through the Grand Prize link above.
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Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
#Diverseathon2021: Brian’s Return by Gary Paulsen (Brian’s Saga #4)
Brian’s Return
Series: Brian’s Saga #4
Author: Gary Paulsen
Narrator: Peter Coyote
Published: September 11, 1992
Audiobook
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: May 16-18, 2021
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars
Book Description:
As millions of readers of Hatchet, The River, and Brian’s Winter know, Brian Robeson survived alone in the wilderness by finding solutions to extraordinary challenges. But now that he’s back in civilization, he can’t find a way to make sense of high school life. He feels disconnected, more isolated than he did alone in the North. The only answer is to return-to “go back in”-for only in the wilderness can Brian discover his true path in life, and where he belongs.
Jessica’s Review:
As a part of May’s prompt for #Diverseathon2021 I am continuing the Brian’s Saga series by Gary Paulsen. In Brian’s Return, Brian realizes he cannot live the way he used to. Provoked by another student over a girl, Brian severely beats another boy, but in Brian’s mind he was being attacked and he was defending himself. After talking with a counselor, Brian decides to return to the Canadian wilderness, though more prepared (a tent and some more items) than when he crash landed. Brian is more at home in the wilderness and yes he faces the perils of outdoor living again. But at the end he is at home and peace in the wilderness.
I don’t know what it was about Brian’s Return, but it just wasn’t really for me once he got back into the wild, Maybe it was a ‘been there, done that’ scenario since I listened to the other three novels back to back. Brian’s Return was meant to be the final book in the series and you can tell by the ending of the book as there is a conclusion. But there was so much reader feedback that Paulsen wrote one more book: Brian’s Hunt.
At times while listening to the audiobook I was confused because Paulsen kept referencing Brian surviving in the winter, but that book was a ‘what if’ scenario and not what actually happened to Brian as he was rescued before winter came in Hatchet.
Peter Coyote was back as the narrator for the audiobook version; I was happy about that as he definitely has that story telling voice.
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For full details on this year long readathon, please click here.
And don’t forget about the awesome GRAND PRIZE at the end of the year. Click the link here for that information.
Beccie over at Bookies is having a giveaway for the month of May: She is giving away a copy of Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs (it is set in Canada). You can also enter this giveaway by entering through the Grand Prize link above.
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Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK