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.