Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Wambaugh was a former LAPD detective whose raw, unromantic portrayals of police work in The New Centurions and The Choirboys transformed the police procedural genre. His work exposed the psychological toll of law enforcement with a candor that shocked readers used to idealized cop fiction. The Onion Field is considered one of the greatest true crime books ever written.
Works
- The New CenturionsLos Angeles police officers navigate corruption, violence, and moral compromise during their careers
- The Blue KnightAging Los Angeles cop faces his final years on the street before retirement
- The ChoirboysLAPD cops engage in drinking, partying, and darkness while exploring off-duty corruption
- The Onion FieldTrue crime: LAPD officers and robbers caught in a tragic kidnapping and murder case
- The Black MarbleTwo detectives investigate the murder of a suicidal woman in Los Angeles
- Hollywood StationLAPD cops working Hollywood division navigate crime, politics, and modern urban policing