Black Tunnel White Magic

A Murder, a Detective's Obsession, and '90s Los Angeles at the Brink

De: Rick Jackson, Matthew McGough, Michael Connelly - introduction

Narrado por: Jim Meskimen, Michael Connelly

Detective Rick Jackson, a decorated LAPD detective and a key inspiration in the development of Harry Bosch, delivers a shocking and immersive look into the one case he could never let go.

In June 1990, Ronald Baker, a straight-A UCLA student, was found repeatedly stabbed to death in a tunnel near Spahn Ranch, where Charles Manson and his followers once lived. Shortly thereafter, Detective Rick Jackson and his partner, Frank Garcia, were assigned the case. Yet the facts made no sense. Who would have a motive to kill Ron Baker in such a grisly manner? Was the proximity to the Manson ranch related to the murder? And what about the pentagram pendant Ron wore around his neck?

Jackson and Garcia soon focused their investigation on Baker’s two male roommates, one Black, and one white. What emerges is at once a story of confounding betrayal and cold-hearted intentions, as well as a larger portrait of an embattled Los Angeles, a city in the grip of the Satanic Panic and grappling with questions of racial injustice and police brutality in the wake of Rodney King.

In straightforward, matter-of-fact prose, Rick Jackson, the now-retired police detective who helped inspire Michael Connelly’s beloved Harry Bosch, along with co-writer, Matthew McGough, take us through the events as he and his partner experienced them, piecing together the truth with each emerging clue. Black Tunnel White Magic is the true story of a murder in cold blood, deception and betrayal, and a city at the brink, set forth by the only man who could tell it.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A great true-crime story and a great cop memoir—about how they do it and, above all, why they do it."—Lee Child

"This is a book that is surely about killers but they don’t take the spotlight. That belongs to the detectives who work the case, whose eyes are not jaundiced and who steadily, methodically close in. In them you find humanity and hope in a city where killers are often kings."—Michael Connelly

"In the crowded field of true crime this book stands out. Skilled journalist Matthew McGough teams up with legendary LAPD homicide Detective Rick Jackson to create a page-turning narrative. Jackson investigated this compelling case and provides the kind of insight and inside-knowledge that could only come from a detective who was there for every twist and turn of the case. Black Tunnel White Magic is a terrific read!"

—Miles Corwin

"A standout among true crime tales for its heart and humanity, Black Tunnel White Magic offers rare insight into a detective's process—and the long-game costs of working a murder case with investment and empathy. Not for nothing is Rick Jackson among the inspirations for the fictional Harry Bosch. Riveting and thoughtful, this is LA crime writing at its finest."—Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of An Honest Man

“Rick Jackson brings a decorated LAPD detective’s unique eye, voice, and life to the true crime space with this gripping account of a murder investigation he wouldn’t let go. He and Matthew McGough transport the reader to 1990’s Los Angeles for a behind the scenes view of a detective’s world. Black Tunnel White Magic is a terrific read.”—Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Note

"There's always one case that haunts homicide detectives and never goes away . . . Rick Jackson re-creates the case that still keeps him awake at night -- and then detail by painstaking detail not only immerses the reader in an investigation that finds justice for a murdered college student, but also shows how getting haunted and staying haunted is what turns down-and-dirty police work into a transcendent moral cause. We all hope that the moral arc of the universe really does bend towards justice. In Black Tunnel, White Magic, we come face-to-face with the kind of elbow grease and obsession necessary to make that happen."

—Tom Junod, senior writer, ESPN

Excellent book

Great read of a very complex story. The work done on this investigation was exceptional and the results were extraordinary based on the facts.

How he was able to weave the background of the time period into the story helping the reader understand circumstances

I thought it was well written, with just enough about the author personal life and history of the time period to make it very interesting. Even in the details I just found myself wanting to know how it was going to turn out. It certainly shed some light on how politics can have a major part in law enforcement and how they do their job and how it turns out. Very good read

Overrated

The only really notable thing about this story is the almost unbelievable lack of any understandable motive for the killing. Otherwise it doesn't strike me as very interesting and much of the detail probably could have been left out, as an example the parole hearing. Also, somewhat distasteful to me was what seemed like pandering to the current (well, what was current when written) attitude regarding police malfeasance regarding race issues (mind you, I think there are serious problems with policing, but casting them as solely race issues is misguided in my opinion).

We need more officers like Jackson

Well told story about dogged investigation by police about murderers who were elusive and manipulative

an important and compelling real life story

Glad Rick shared this with the world,a lot of important issues, especially nowadays. Wish metal health aspect was explored more