Karrin Murphy

Karrin Murphy is a human woman, and member of the Chicago Police Department at the Special Investigations division. Karrin makes an appearance in every book and is a prominent character in most of them.

Descripton, Back Story and Family
Karrin Murphy is the oldest child of Marion and Collin Murphy. She has at least two brothers and one sister, Lisa.

Collin Murphy was a senior detective in the Chicago PD and an investigator in the Black Cat Department, covering the same territory as the modern-day S.I. department. When Karrin was 11, he committed suicide.

Murphy's place is in the neighborhood of Bucktown in Chicago. It's a small house left to her by her grandmother.

About / Details

 * Karrin is a nominal Catholic, as is her family. (ref?)
 * Karrin learns that Thomas Raith is Harry Dresden's half-brother through Margaret Gwendolyn LeFay.
 * Since Harry died, she had become far more paranoid, granted it is justified.
 * Her father's nickname for her was "Karrie", and the only other person to call her that is Henry Rawlins, who was once saved from a demon by Collin Murphy who came bearing a shotgun loaded with rock salt.
 * Murphy is listed as executor on Harry's bank lock box, and entrusts her with seeing to the care of his daughter.
 * The big secrets that she knows:
 * Thomas Raith is Harry's Brother
 * Margaret Angelica is Harry's Daughter
 * The Black Council's likely existence

Appearance
She is short-statured, blonde and blue-eyed.

Previous Relationships
In Summer Knight, it comes out that when she was seventeen years old, she married Gregory Taggart, who Harry Dresden estimates to be about a decade older. Some time later Taggart left her. They tried to reconcile a few times, but it always ended in fighting.

In Summer Knight, her ex-husband Gregory Taggart died, 43 years old, at night, after a long fight against cancer. He had not told Murphy about his illness, and she was devastated when learning of his death by discovering his obituary in the Tribune newspaper. She regretted not having been able to say good-bye.

In Blood Rites, Karrin revealed that she had been married to Rich at some point, but were divorced. He felt she was ignoring him for her job; she thought he wanted her to stay at home so she wouldn't make him look bad at work and was using the excuse of wanting to have kids as a rationalization. Murphy flipped when she found out that Rich is engaged to marry her kid sister, Lisa Murphy. At this time, Rich was a police detective in New Orleans and was getting transferred to the Chicago FBI to be near Lisa and her family.

In Proven Guilty, Rich (now called Rick) is an FBI agent called in to assist the Homocide Department in the SplatterCon!!! case by Detective Greene and aided him in questioning Molly. Karrin interceded. She does not get along with her ex-husband.

Regarding Jared Kincaid
In Dead Beat, Karrin went to Hawaii with Jared Kincaid making Harry quite jealous. This is where she began a sexual relationship with him.

In Small Favor, Karrin was very distraught over how badly wounded Kincaid is after engaging the Denarians at the Shedd Aquarium. Later, she said it hurt to see him that way, but she was not sure how involved she is. She thinks it's stupid to get hung up on him since he's not interested in getting serious. Harry believes it's that Karrin doesn't want to get close so that makes Kincaid safe to care for him. At the end, Karrin had an odd look on her face as she watched Kincaid, wounded, crawl in next to Ivy, also wounded, with his Glock and looking very paternal.

As of Small Favor, her relationship with Kincaid was disrupted by her burgeoning romantic feelings towards Dresden.

Regarding Harry Dresden
In Proven Guilty, she admitted to being attracted to Harry, but was unwilling to act on it. First, she doesn't want to ruin their friendship and working relationship. Second, she worried about their difference in lifespans: as a wizard, Harry will live for centuries, and she wants someone who can grow old with her and raise a family.

In Small Favor, Karrin told Harry that she does not think Anastasia Luccio is right for him.

Work Life
Whenever something inexplicable happens that the Chicago PD must handle, they send it over to Special Investigations. Conveniently, this is also where they tend to transfer out-of-favor officers. Murphy, however, took the assignment so seriously that she hired a wizard on as a consultant, much to her coworkers' consternation. She uses Harry Dresden as a walking supernatural library, hiring him as a police consultant.

At the end of Proven Guilty, Karrin Murphy was demoted to the rank of Detective Sergeant, after leaving the scene of the crime for 24 hours while she was on duty. She is partnered with Henry Rawlins. Rawlins knew Murphy's dad.

At the end of Changes, she lost her job with the CPD altogether, thanks in large part to Rudolph.

In Ghost Story, after Harry's death, she leads the Chicago Alliance against various supernatural threats.

Abilities
In Blood Rites, Murphy works out with the other cops in her department at Dough Joe's Gym. She takes down brawny double-attaers in a blink.

In Turn Coat: she's a competition shooter. Harry saw her double-tap (like a pro-killer) two supernatural perps in the head in one smooth move in a "single pulsing hammer of sound".

Weapons

 * FN P-90 — 5.7x28mm bullpup pattern, personal defense weapon, with a top loading 50 round clear plastic.  Karrin named the weapon "George".
 * Two Japanese swords, one long and one short over the mantle
 * SIG Saur semiautomatic pistol
 * .22 Competitive Shooting pistols

Sight
In Harry's Sight, Karrin appeared as angel with glowing gold hair and eyes of azure flame. She carried a shaft of flame as a weapon. When Harry first Saw her in Fool Moon, she wears flawless white robes.

In Grave Peril, when Harry was helping Micky Malone, Harry Saw her as she entered the room with his Sight already opened. "The door burst open. Murphy came through it, her eyes living flames of azure blue, her hair a golden coronet around her. She held a blazing sword in her hand and she shone so bright and beautiful and terrifying in her anger that it was hard to see. The Sight, I realized, dimly. I was seeing her for who she was."

When Harry Saw her again in Blood Rites She appeared as an angel, her eyes were "azure flame", she bore a fiery shaft in her hands. Her robes had become smudged with filth, blood, and smoke. She bled from several wounds and moved like she was in terrible pain.

Fidelacchius
In Small Favor, when Karrin was under attack by the Denarian, Deirdre, she drew the sword, Fidelacchius, from it's scabbard on Harry's shoulder. Brilliant white light shone from The Sword scaring off Deirdre. Harry said he believed that to a job offer, Karrin says she already has a job. Later she asked Harry more about it but still declined, as she has already sworn an oath to protect Chicago.

In Changes, Harry entrusts her with Fidelacchius for the mission to save Maggie. She goes with Harry and his team to Chichén Itzá. When she wields Fidelacchius, an Angel speaks through her.

In Ghost Story, Karrin acts as custodian to both Fidelacchius and Amoracchius and fiercely defends them against Felicia of the White Court.

In Cold Days, Karrin refuses to return the Swords to Harry while he's is the Winter Knight.

In the Series Notes
In Storm Front, Karrin Murphy called Harry Dresden in on the case after Jennifer Stanton is found murdered in bed with Tommy Tomm, both of their hearts having exploded out of their chests.

In Fool Moon, Murphy arrests Harry. She thought he lied to her after she had found the circle drawing on Kim Delaney after whe was torn apart by the Loup-garou.

In Grave Peril,

In Summer Knight, Harry met Karrin at Wal-Mart in Wrigleyville. Karrin is the only one he can trust and needs her help with the case: find out who killed Ronald Reuel. Harry tells Karrin everything, about his past with Justin DuMorne and Elaine Mallory, about supernatural forces and politics, about The War he started with the Red Court and what they did to Susan Rodriguez, and about the Faeries and the Faerie Courts and Reuel's murder. And, about the White Council threatening to sell him out to the Reds.

In Death Masks,

In Blood Rites,

In Dead Beat, Murphy goes to Hawaii with Kincaid and is away through most to the events. She asked Harry to water her plants and gave him the key to her house. She calls leaving a message making Harry jealous. Karrin visits Harry when she returns and, seeing what terrible shape he's in, she doesn't tear into him about the wreck her house is in.

In Proven Guilty, Murphy steps in when her FBI agent ex-husband, Rick threatens to arrest Harry for his gun if he doesn't leave the case. Karrin goes with Harry, Charity, and Thomas to rescue Molly Carpenter from Arctis Tor. She lost her position as head of S.I. for not showing up having lost a day in the Nevernever. Rudolph meddled in that.

In White Night, Murphy calls Dresden in on a murder case, she's a sergeant now and says she'll pay him herself. The victim was a practitioner whose death appears to be a suicide. Harry found evidence that only a Wizard could find and believes it's murder. They colaborated on the case and connected cases that led to uncovering a power struggle within the three Houses of the White Court. When Harry and Ramirez go to challenge a duel to Madrigal Raith and Vittorio Malvora at the White Court conclave in the Deeps. Murphy was part of Harry's team that was waiting in the Nevernever to be let for the anticipated big battle.

In the end of White Night, Harry reached into Murphy's bag to get his .44 gun and he saw a "boxy little machine gun". Murphy said its a P90 and that the magazine has clear plastic so you can always see how many rounds you have left. She got it in a box of Belgium chocolates from Kincaid the year before. The P90 made it's first appearance in the battle of the Deeps.

In Small Favor, she pushed her way into being a part of the Warden's meeting with the Denarians at the Shedd Aquarium. Then later, she insisted on assisting the rescue of The Archive (Ivy). She was with Thomas on his boat when they pulled Harry out of the water off the island of Demonreach (as yet unnamed). When Deirdre attacked Harry as he tried to get into the boat, she pulled her P-90 on the Denarian, but it was knocked out of her hands. Harry offered her Fidelacchius and when she draws it, it lights up blinding Deirdre, who disappeared under the water, allowing them to escape. Harry said he thought that the Sword lighting up was a job offer—she says she already has a job. At the end, Karrin talked with Harry more about the Sword.

In Turn Coat, Murphy helped Harry look over Morgan's file from the Council. She questioned why Morgan wasn't zapped by Aleron LaFortier's Death Curse and why there was not any evidence of magic. She suggested that Harry follow the money. She captured Binder easily.

In Changes, when Karrin learned Maggie has been taken by the Red Court, she's determined to help Harry find and rescue her and does what she can from her end. She warns Harry when Rudolph and the Feds are about to arrest him and search his apartment. Murphy vouched for Harry with FBI Agent Barry Tilly, who she knows from Martial Arts. She and Harry exchanged information at Mac 's Pub and agreed that someone other than his superiors is using Rudolph as an agent and decided to track who that is. Harry asked her to take care of Maggie, find her a good home with Forthill's help. She fought the Reds who attacked the FBI headquarters and got Tilly and Rudolph out safely. Harry entrusts her with Fidelacchius for the mission to save Maggie. She goes with Harry and his team to Chichén Itzá. When she wields Fidelacchius, an Angel speaks through her and she cuts the Red King's spell. Murphy charged through hundreds of Jaguar Warriors and kills one of the Lords of Outer Night. Harry handed Maggie to her on the steps of the Temple of Kukulkan. Later she met Harry on the Water Beetle. Karrin lost her job and she's no longer a cop. They make a date for later that evening.

By Ghost Story, she has a buzz cut and has become far more accustomed to dealing with the supernatural, leading the Chicago Alliance, a gathering of the Alphas, the Paranet, and Molly, backed by Marcone and the White Court. Murphy told Harry's ghost the facts of his murder case and discuss possible suspects. Harry told her about Fitz and when he won't give him up to her, she ends the conversation and walks away. She never mentioned Kincaid which leads Harry to thinks Karrin can't face that he might be his possible murderer. She brings a team—Butters, Will, Andi and Marci—to the Big Hoods hideout to rescue Mortimer Lindquist and questions a Big Hood, Joshua. Uriel shows Harry that she's OK and that she got all the other out and medical care as needed.

The nine that go the Chichen Itza Re:

 * Harry Dresden
 * Karrin Murphy
 * Sanya
 * Thomas Raith
 * Molly Carpenter
 * Mouse
 * Susan Rodriguez
 * Martin
 * Leanansidhe