The Book of Murder

A Prosecutor's Journey Through Love and Death

By: Matt Murphy

Narrated by: Matt Murphy

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 26 years in the Orange County DA’s office (17 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 listen for true-crime fans everywhere.

©2024 Matt Murphy Law Group (P)2024 Audible, Inc.

Learned a lot!

Really enjoyed this audiobook! I heard him speak on a podcast and he discussed Woman of the Hour movie. Learned a lot about what really happens with prosecution and some really seedy characters that he helped put behind bars. Very well done and captivating and very much enjoyed his rhythm and general speaking nature!

Excellent content

I was impressed by the author’s ability to explain complex legal concepts in easily understandable ways. What I found that stood out most was the authenticity of Matt Murphy and his dedication to the victims and the victims’ families.

Chapter 10

Chapter 10 kept cutting out and not playing at all. Very disappointing. This seemed to be an exciting chapter but I only hear the last part of it.

From the Very First Moment.....

I have listened to MANY audiobooks. The narrator can make or break the experience. From the minute Matt began, I knew this was going to be a favorite of mine and I cannot wait for more...even if he hasn't written them and is just the narrator. I am a huge fan of Audible, memoirs and true crime, so how could I ever go wrong with The Book of Murder? Matt is a brilliant writer and craftsman of not only the story, but the methods behind his diligent work. Every word is amazing in his life well-lived in the dedication to his craft and his empathy to the victims and their families and his vulnerability in telling us, the reader about how he sacrificed his personal life to do well in his profession. PLEASE write another book, narrate it, and narrate other books!

There’s an editing snafu in Chapter 9

Love the book, love the author/narrator. In Chapter 9, he flubs a line and takes three tries to get it right. The editors should have caught this.

A must read but an absolute must hear!

The vulnerability of the author, the compassion and conviction of the prosecutor, and the integrity of the human. And yes, they are all the same person.

Matt's calmness in a very difficult occupation dealing with scum of the earth.

i met John Meehan in 2006 in Corona del Mar Starbucks aftee he contacted me from Match.com. i saw him 4 ot 5 times. I sensed an anger in him. i dodged a bullet. Most stories i knew about from living there at the time. Matt is awesine. anyine is who can deal with these types of humans.

Captivating from the very beginning!

Matt Murphy’s voice is undeniably great, but the stories he tells while recounting his life and career, is icing on the cake! As if you’re listening to a long podcast about different crime stories, but they are his stories so the animation he provides while reading is so genuine and real. Can’t recommend this book enough!

Straight from one of the horses mouth

As a retired cop from the OC this was super interesting. Recall many of these cases. The details on how these cases developed were interesting.

Done! Couldn’t stop listening.

My only complaint is that the book is not long enough! Can’t wait for more to come!