While I know prosecutors are important in our legal system, I disagree with some of the points Mr. Murphy is making. This is a book about his life so he's allowed to make any points he wants to. As I read a little further I found myself straying further away from Mr. Murphy's thoughts. For that this book will be a DNF for me.

Matt Murphy's “The Book of Murder” is a must read for true crime fans. The book revolves around some of the shocking murder cases that were tried by prosecutor Matt Murphy, each more perplexing than the last. Each chapter is related to a different type of case where Murphy unravels each crime in a way that you’ll find yourself trying to figure out the outcome and motive before it’s revealed. He touches on serial killers, domestic violence cases, financial crimes that lead to murder, and more. If you’re into the psychology of crime and/or the justice system, this book is for you.
“The Book of Murder” is captivating and really makes you appreciate Matt Murphy and the passion that he and other prosecutors put into trying their cases. I’ve been a fan of Matt since seeing him at Crime Con and this book made me like him even more.

Matt Murphy is an excellent writer! I felt like I was watching true crime documentaries as I read this book.
I remember watching the 20/20 episode about the Hawks, so it was so cool to read about that from the prosecutors point of view.
True Crime has always fascinated me, and when I was a young tot I thought I wanted to be in law enforcement so I could chase the bad guys.
What a true sacrifice Matt made in his personal life to be an incredible prosecutor and help put murders behind bars for these victims and their families.
If you like true crime, READ THIS BOOK!!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

I love how this book brought me to the time and location of the different stories. Well written, everything I wanted in a true crime book.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from this book but I found it far too slow. While I understand the author is a prosecutor, I really wanted to hear more about the crimes & not the legalese o\f everything. There will definitely be an audience for this book but sadly, I wasn't it.

I was interested in this book because of Matt Murphy's expert and intelligent analysis of true crime on some of my favorite shows. This book covers his involvement as a district attorney in many cases that even though I was familiar with from these shows, I still appreciated his perspective and additional details on these crimes. I also valued his own humility and realization that he was not good at romantic relationships -- being on call 24/7 makes a personal life difficult. He also talks about his love of surfing and it was on a surfing trip that he had his epiphany that he would dedicate himself completely to finding justice for victims, survivors and their families. I am so glad he found his calling and has been able to win his cases. A terrific read for true crime lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

I was so excited to read this book because like any real true crime fan Matt Murphy's name is pretty well known. I truly enjoyed learning about how his career started and the cases that stood out to him. I was pleasantly surprised at how easily this book was to read and would definitely recommend to fellow true crime fans!

Thanks to NetGalley, Matt Murphy, and Hyperion Avenue for allowing me to review this ARC!

You’ve seen him on Dateline, 20/20 and as an ABC News legal analyst, now read about the trajectory of his career as a Senior Deputy DA in the Orange County DA’s off through first-hand accounts of unspeakable tragedies to courtroom victories. While this book is a memoir, it reads at the pace of any 5-star mystery/thriller out there. I was especially impressed by the way he wrote about the victims with tact and grace when they are far too often overshadowed by the heinous acts committed against them by their offenders.

‘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.’

I love TC just as much as the next junkie. And while I expected this to be an interesting read when I made the request on NG, I never expected it to have claws. But boyyyy….did it have claws!!
And when I began, those claws sunk deep. So deep that I. Could. Not. Put. This. Down.
I read the whole thing today.

Matt Murphy, what a fantastic & talented storyteller he turned out to be!

If you are a diehard TC fan, you do NOT want to pass on this one! Even you’re not a TC nut, you should definitely tuck in to this book anyway!

I swear, I hit up Google like every hour, trying to put faces to the victims, the hero’s and perpetrators alike. I was in some kinda twilight zone; invested, involved & impossible to deter.

This was an intense & all-consuming read & I absolutely recommend!🙌🏼

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Pub date: 8.17.24

The formatting of this file made it impossible to read. Since it was hard to follow/read I had to dnf it. I follow Matt Murphy and see him regularly on the true crime shows I watch and really want to read this book. I will borrow it from the library when it comes out as I know the story isn’t the issue. I did not leave a review on Goodreads as that would not be a honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of
Book of Murder
by Matt Murphy
Pub Date September 2024
Published by: Hyperion Avenue, an imprint of Buena Vista Books, Inc.



“Welcome to Homicide” was the reaction of my supervisor, and soon-to-become mentor, the immensely talented Lew Rosenblum, whose unbeaten streak as a prosecutor was the stuff of legend. Lew said, with a wry smile: “If you think that was crazy, just you wait. . . .”

This opening paragraph was echoed through this great narrative. Not sure how to classify this as a biography, or just a group of cases/experiences converted into some intelligent short stories that explain the human psyche, and exceptionally as well at that.

You will want to keep reading because it’s just too twisted. The twist in your human psyche is both encouraged and forgiven. It is definitely an explanation you will want to devour. Buy it, look for it in your library but enjoy it from cover to cover.

Disney Publishing Group Attn: Adult Publicity Department 77 West 66th Street, 3rd Floor New York, NY 10023 dpw.publicity@disney.com

This was an enjoyable true crime read with an inside look at a prosecutor’s life and role. How dedicated they must be to their job if they want to make a real difference. I liked reading about some of his more infamous cases and his excellent record of wins.

Anyone who is a self-proclaimed true crime junkie is familiar with the author Matt Murphy as he has been on countless episodes of Dateline, 20/20, and other true crime shows discussing infamous cases he has tried as a prosecutor for Orange County. This book is really fascinating as Matt takes you through the top cases he has tried and lets you in on all of the details. This book is also a biography of Matt's life.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book. I would highly recommend this book to read as the stories Matt tells are fascinating.

I loved this book!! One thing that will stick with me is the dedication, as it gave me chills. It was dedicated to all the victims of violent crime.

I have followed Matt Murphy for years since seeing him on crime shows such as 20/20. In those interviews, as well as this book, he has such an engaging, immersive way to tell a story.

This book is perfect for any true crime lovers, or anyone interested in how cases get handled throughout the legal process.

Fans of true crime podcasts or shows like Law & Order are going to be fascinated by this behind the scenes account of a former California homicide prosecutor.

“Tragedies happen, murders are committed.”

Matt Murphy argues that justice is apolitical and prosecutors are the good guys and only serve justice not politics. I wish that was the case and it may have been but not anymore. But I digress.

This book chronicles some of the cases this prosecutor handled during his time in office. Some may be familiar like the Skylar DeLeon case about the murder of an elderly couple on a yacht, but all are interesting.

Matt Murphy writes compellingly about the personal costs associated with seeking justice-for the victims, their families and all that have to clean up after evil strikes.

I think Matt Murphy has the technical skills that if he chooses to could translate into the legal thriller genre. He has the authority and crispness that make him exceedingly readable.
This was a great first book. I hope he continues writing

Wow, just wow. This book cause me sleepless nights and tired work days, with zero regrets! I am a true crime junkie and loved this insiders look at the system. It is written in a very humble way by a man that has seen it all and believes in what he does. Some cases are familiar to me and I now look at them somewhat differently. The author explains this very well and it never sounds like he is tooting his own horn. I enjoyed every page and every story. Recommended for any true crime fan. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read and review this book.

This book is a great read from a man with the inside track to some of the worst crimes in California in past decades. I love how he advocated for the victims and their families. This is the kind of person you want pursuing and prosecuting anyone who kills someone you love. He has seen the worst of the worst and tells each story compellingly. As I am in my 60's, I am familiar with many of the cases in this book. I also watch a lot of crime documentaries, so I have seen some of these cases. However, Mr. Murphy gives a true insider's view of how clues are gathered and how hard he works to bring all the pieces together to successfully prosecute these rapists and murderers and get justice for the survivors and their families. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes general non-fiction crime and especially to those who like to have all the details on some of the worst crimes of our time.

I was obsessed with this book! It had me binge-reading and staying up far too late. An interesting book, I loved this book a lot!

This book had me delaying meals and staying up way past my bedtime . The blend of true crime investigation, courtroom drama, and the author's personal life and experiences was just right in my opinion. This is a perfect example of why I read true crime - it is wilder and more dramatic than the fiction that someone could come up with.

I appreciate the author's honesty about his learning curve and mistakes along the way, as well as his recognition of the hard work put in by everyone involved in solving crimes and prosecuting the guilty. The victims' loved ones were also represented with understanding and empathy.

I'm hoping for a second book!

I really enjoyed this book by Matt Murphy. I like true crime and find so many books to be poorly written; not this one. The author captured my attention from the get-go. I have found recent memoirs to be uninteresting and often self-serving. Matt’s writing style was very humble, often humorous and kind to those he worked with. The grammar was excellent, proper punctuation too.
I recognized some of the cases he wrote about, but did not get bored because of how well they ere presented. I hope there wil be more books in the future.