A Good Month for Murder

Proving that real life is nothing like television, this bird's-eye view of real police investigating a rash of murders in Prince George's County, Maryland, is a sobering look at police work. Narrator Johnny Heller walks listeners through this account of 12 murders in one month and how a group of exhausted, overworked detectives try to solve the crimes. Heller speaks in a matter-of-fact tone as the author breaks down the crimes. While the story is at times overburdened with excessive background on the characters, the book's realism sets it apart from crime novels and television shows. There are no gotcha revelations from a drop of blood to solve the crime--just tons of tedious police work. M.S. � AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

Starred review from September 1, 2016

According to Wilber (Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan), February 2013 was a "good month for murder." Twelve murders and three police-involved shootings hit hard the already overworked homicide squad of Maryland's Prince George's County police department. Located outside of Washington, DC, the county has gritty detectives trying to finish cases and bring a bit of closure to the families left behind. These real-life investigators are not the stuff of fiction, nor do all the cases get wrapped up with a neat little bow. This book may remind listeners of David Simon's television show Homicide in its quality, accessibility, and style; it could easily be included on lists of the best true crime books of the past 20 years. Johnny Heller's well-executed narration enhances the listening experience. VERDICT Highly recommended. ["No doubt Wilber has the expertise to pen these accounts, but the presentation is a turnoff": LJ 2/15/16 review of the Holt hc.]--Scott R. DiMarco, Mansfield Univ. of Pennsylvania Lib.

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