Billy McGrath has worked for the LAPD for fifteen years as a homicide detective. He is one of the departmentĘs top guns as he understands the street, the man, and the system better than just about anyone else. Now forty, Billy is extremely unhappy in his personal life. He still loves the woman who divorced him and would die for his daughter Lucy.

Billy is assigned to investigate the murder of Mae Richards, mother of the king of ghetto crack, the legendary Prince of Darkness, Ricky Lee Richards. Ricky wants the culprit to personally avenge the murder of his mother. He bribes Billy with a million dollar deal to provide him with the name and he will do the rest. Billy sees a chance to make a buck while insuring justice is done. Being an ethical cop, can he accept a deal with the devil?

There have been a rash of books starring LAPD of late, but this one may be the best of the lot. MURDER BOOK is a fast-paced, morally-driven novel that takes the readers into the mind of its lead character even as it journeys through the entire caste spectrum of the city. It is this multi-racial feel that moves this complex novel a notch above the norm. Richard Rayner, who has deservedly obtained critical acclaim for his previous work (LOS ANGELES WITHOUT A MAP), has written his best book to date. Fans of police procedurals need to peruse this winner.