The Book of Murder

The insider's story of the lead prosecutor from the "Devil in the Desert" ABC News podcast and Anna Kendrick's Woman of the Hour movie

Examining murder from an insider’s perspective, Matt Murphy—a former senior deputy district attorney and current ABC News Legal Analyst—discusses cases from his career, how they strained his personal life, and how he found peace seeking justice for victims and their families.

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 Skylar Deleon, Rodney Alcala, “Dirty John” Meehan, and many others is a vital read for true-crime fans everywhere.

“There is a reason Matt Murphy never lost a murder trial. He’s not just a legendary lawyer - obsessive about details, compulsive about achieving justice, hardworking to a fault – as his Book of Murder reveals, and as anyone who has heard him spellbind a jury knows, he is a master storyteller. His writing transports the reader into those cold early morning Orange County crime scenes, where he and his team need to make those initial assessments about what the hell happened to that particular victim, and into the courtroom, where he jousts with defendants and their lawyers.  Murphy has ceded a “normal life” to the craft of crime busting… and the combination of passion, ferocious dedication, and talent makes for the kind of grist crime junkies will devour."
—MATT GUTMAN, Chief National Correspondent for ABC News

“Matt Murphy doesn’t disappoint. His chilling accounts of bizarre and mysterious murder scenes will leave you spellbound. A true insider’s trip through the gritty cloak-and-dagger world of solving murders!”
—ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, host of Banfield on NewsNation and the Drop Dead Serious podcast

MATT MURPHY is a former Homicide prosecutor and current legal analyst for ABC News. He spent more than two decades assigned to the Sexual Assault and Homicide Units of the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, where he tried some of the most compelling murder cases in America. During his long tenure in Homicide, he prosecuted cold cases, famous serial killers, no-body murders, and many more. 

Now in private practice, he regularly appears as a legal analyst on national television shows, including 20/20, Good Morning America, and various programs on Hulu. He is a mainstay on iCrime with Elizabeth Vargas and her evening news program, where he offers his insight on murder cases across the country. Matt volunteers his time helping survivors of sexual assault navigate the confusing and often-overwhelming criminal justice system. A native of Southern California, he is an avid surfer, shark diver, and novice painter. When not in the courtroom, he can often be found on, under, or in the waves near his beloved home of Manhattan Beach.

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