{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20260424T163327Z","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1368119301?tag=bookfrontier-20","asin":"1368119301","authors":["Matt Murphy","Ashleigh Banfield"],"book_id":"9781368119306","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/the-book-of-murder-1368119301","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781368119306.jpg?v=20260424T163327Z%3A2026-04-24T16%3A33%3A27Z","description":"Murder from an insider’s perspective. Matt Murphy—a former criminal prosecutor and current ABC News legal analyst—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). 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.","forthcoming":true,"isbn13":"9781368119306","publication_date":"20260901","publisher":"Disney Publishing Group","slug":"the-book-of-murder","subtitle":"A Prosecutor's Journey Through Love and Death","title":"The Book of Murder"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"TRU002010","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Serial Killers","score":0.8405,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"TRU002020","confidence_band":"high","label":"Mass Murder Cases","score":0.8288,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"FIC031030","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Legal Thrillers","score":0.7908,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"TRU002010","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Serial Killers","score":0.8405,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"TRU002020","confidence_band":"high","label":"Mass Murder Cases","score":0.8288,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"FIC031030","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Legal Thrillers","score":0.7908,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"BIO027000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Lives in Law Enforcement","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"TRU002000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Murder & Homicide","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"TRU002010","confidence_band":"high","label":"Serial Killers","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"Serial Killers","score":0.8405,"slug":"serial-killers"},{"label":"Mass Murder Cases","score":0.8288,"slug":"mass-murder-cases"},{"label":"Legal Thrillers","score":0.7908,"slug":"legal-thrillers"}],"reader_fit":["Good for readers interested in true crime and legal procedures","Good for fans of memoirs revealing personal impacts of criminal justice work"],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Maureen Callahan","Amy Landon","Penguin Audio"],"book_id":"9780525428640","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780525428640.jpg?v=20260424T163327Z%3A2026-04-24T16%3A33%3A27Z","score":24.9584,"title":"American Predator","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780525428640"},{"authors":["Frank Figliuzzi"],"book_id":"9780063265158","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780063265158.jpg?v=20260424T163327Z%3A2026-04-24T16%3A33%3A27Z","score":24.9311,"title":"Long Haul","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780063265158"},{"authors":["Jarrett Ferentino","Ron Lieback","Nancy Grace","& 0 more"],"book_id":"9798895654620","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9798895654620.jpg?v=20260424T163327Z%3A2026-04-24T16%3A33%3A27Z","score":23.5494,"title":"Mothers, Murders, and Motivation","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9798895654620"},{"authors":["Maggi-Meg Reed","Valerie Bauerlein","Random House Audio"],"book_id":"9780593500583","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780593500583.jpg?v=20260424T163327Z%3A2026-04-24T16%3A33%3A27Z","score":23.4496,"title":"The Devil at His Elbow","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780593500583"},{"authors":["John E. Douglas","Mark Olshaker","Keith Sellon-Wright","Dey Street Books"],"book_id":"9780062979797","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780062979797.jpg?v=20260424T163327Z%3A2026-04-24T16%3A33%3A27Z","score":22.9488,"title":"When a Killer Calls","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780062979797"},{"authors":["Gregg Olsen","Rebecca Morris"],"book_id":"9781250118707","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781250118707.jpg?v=20260424T163327Z%3A2026-04-24T16%3A33%3A27Z","score":22.9336,"title":"A Killing in Amish Country","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781250118707"},{"authors":["Charles Graeber"],"book_id":"9781538743256","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781538743256.jpg?v=20260424T163327Z%3A2026-04-24T16%3A33%3A27Z","score":22.8791,"title":"The Good Nurse","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781538743256"},{"authors":["John E. Douglas","Mark Olshaker"],"book_id":"9781668224502","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781668224502.jpg?v=20260424T163327Z%3A2026-04-24T16%3A33%3A27Z","score":22.6287,"title":"The Cases That Haunt US","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781668224502"}],"topics":[{"evidence_refs":["keyword:crime biographies"],"label":"Crime","score":0.1631,"slug":"crime"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:books about murder"],"label":"About","score":0.1003,"slug":"about"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:memoir"],"label":"Memoir","score":0.0963,"slug":"memoir"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:books about murder"],"label":"Murder","score":0.0668,"slug":"murder"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:crime biographies"],"label":"Biographies","score":0.0602,"slug":"biographies"}],"what_you_get":["Themes: true crime, justice, personal memoir.","Pacing: mixed tempo with quieter and high-intensity stretches.","Story elements: insider perspective, case studies, personal toll."]},"llm_signals":{"confidence":0.9,"pacing":"mixed","reader_fit":["Readers interested in true crime and legal procedures","Fans of memoirs revealing personal impacts of criminal justice work"],"themes":["true crime","justice","personal memoir"],"tropes":["insider perspective","case studies","personal toll"]},"source_presence":{"amazon":true,"book_detail":true,"goodreads":true,"llm_signals":true,"similarity_seed":true},"stats":{"amazon_ratings_count":0,"goodreads_ratings_count":3097,"goodreads_reviews_count":359,"quality_score":0.9291}}