The Book of Murder by Matt Murphy

The Book of Murder

A Prosecutor's Journey Through Love and Death

Matt Murphy, Ashleigh Banfield

Disney Publishing Group · Print & ebook · Forthcoming

Murder from an insider’s perspective.

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Who it’s for
Readers interested in true crime and legal procedures
Themes
true crime, justice, personal memoir
Pacing
Mixed

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Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genres: Murder & Homicide and Lives in Law Enforcement.

  1. Mothers, Murders, and MotivationJarrett Ferentino, Ron Lieback76% match
  2. The Devil at His ElbowValerie Bauerlein65% match
  3. The Killer Across the TableJohn E. Douglas, Mark Olshaker64% matchAlso shares Serial Killers
  4. Deadly DoseAmanda Lamb64% match
  5. True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea CulpaMichael Finkel63% match
  6. Above SuspicionJoe Sharkey63% match
  7. Jimmy the KingMarc Vietor, Gus Garcia-Roberts62% match
  8. The Education of a CoronerJohn Bateson62% match

For younger readers: Blood, Bullets, and Bones

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About this book

Murder from an insider’s perspective. Matt Murphy—a former criminal prosecutor and current ABC News legal contributor—discusses new and well-known cases from his career, and how they strained his personal life. Part taxonomy of murder, part prosecutor’s handbook, and part personal memoir, The Book of Murder goes through a dozen cases and his recollections of his twenty-six years in the Orange County DA’s office (seventeen in the Homicide Unit).

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Refreshingly honest about the toll such work takes on one’s private life, Murphy weaves his personal narrative throughout his casework in a way that humanizes the people entrusted with the duty of seeking justice on behalf of the public. As he does so, he lays bare the decision-making a prosecutor goes through in building a case to ensure justice is met while telling captivating tale after captivating tale of the world’s worst crime. See how a prosecutor looks at—and lives with—the very worst crime. The insider’s perspective that Murphy gives on the notorious cases of Hossein Nayeri, Skylar Deleon, Rodney Alcala, “Dirty John” Meehan, and many others is a vital read for true-crime fans everywhere.

Who it’s for

  • Readers interested in true crime and legal procedures
  • Fans of memoirs revealing personal impacts of criminal justice work

Where it sits

Murder & Homicide68%
Lives in Law Enforcement46%
Serial Killers41%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Lives in Law Enforcement
  • Murder & Homicide
  • Serial Killers
Authors
Matt Murphy, Ashleigh Banfield
Publisher
Disney Publishing Group
Published
Forthcoming
Format
Print & ebook
Theme
true crime · justice · personal memoir
Reading lane
Lives in Law Enforcement