Mike McAlary

A New York City Police Inspector tracks a serial killer who’s been murdering sports referees in this spectacular crime fiction blockbuster by Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Mike McAlary

They call Mickey Donovan “the Wraith.” A sometimes-rogue NYPD Deputy Inspector who knows the city top to bottom, he clashes against the police brass and the mayor’s office as he haunts the streets searching for his heroin-addicted daughter, Dillon. But now a truly bizarre serial killer is forcing Donovan’s mind back into the cop game. A very efficient murderer has been targeting the umpires and referees of a variety of sports, both pro and amateur, whose only crimes seem to be questionable calls. Initial suspicion falls on hotheaded tennis star Ginny Glade, who lost a tournament title thanks to a now-deceased line ump’s errant call. Donovan, however, has his doubts—and suddenly a vengeful maniac is causing the deputy’s personal and professional lives to collide in very dangerous ways.
 
The only foray into crime fiction from Pulitzer Prize–winning newspaper columnist Mike McAlary, Sore Loser is a razor-sharp, lightning-paced winner—rich in atmosphere, insider knowledge of New York, and pitch-perfect urban speak—that respects the time-honored conventions of the police detective novel while reconfiguring them in wildly imaginative ways.