Wild nonfiction

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BAD CITY is wild, the sort of nonfiction that reads like fiction.

The tip L.A Times reporter Paul Pringle got (by chance!): The head of USC's medical school (Carmen Puliafito) was involved in a young woman's drug overdose at a fancy hotel. Sounds fairly straightforward... until he started looking into it.

In BAD CITY, Pringle tells both the story of the crimes and coverups, as well as the story of the investigation itself. The reader follows along as he and his team make calls and house visits, pore over documents, and chase down leads. Pringle stuck with the story, despite major roadblocks along the way. Some of what they uncover is stunning, a fair amount heartbreaking -- and so many people were trying to push it under the rug.

I'd certainly recommend this one to those interested in longform journalism. It falters a bit toward the end but overall is well worth the read.