Special Directives by Matt Graham, the #1 legal thriller new release on Amazon, received more five-star reviews yesterday. This one says it all...

"5.0 out of 5 stars A riveting and informative page-turner

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2026

"I started Special Directives after returning home from a cross-country flight, convinced that after a chapter or two, I’d fall asleep. That didn’t happen. I kept reading into the night and finished it the next day. Matt Graham is a great storyteller. You’re hooked starting on page one, and he doesn’t let go until the final, touching scenes. And while the book is plot-driven, the characters become far more than cardboard. You will care about them.

The situation in Special Directives flows from true life: Los Angeles’ unhappy experience with a “progressive,” inexperienced district attorney who did, in fact, issue the special directives Graham writes about. They form the basis of an exciting, captivating story full of criminals, judges, prosecutors, and defense counsel. Many are dedicated public servants. Several, including the district attorney, are not, and it’s their ineptitude that triggers a crime spree across the San Fernando Valley.

Most of Special Directives takes place at the Van Nuys branch of the Los Angeles Superior Court, a venue the author knows well. He served as a judge there before becoming a justice of the California Court of Appeal. Thanks to Graham’s experience, the reader gets an accurate look at life on the bench, full of details few can write about in such a convincing manner. What’s more, as readers are entertained, they learn about criminal procedure, sentencing, judicial ethics, civil trials, and the rules of evidence, all presented in clear prose that few textbooks achieve.

After one term, L.A.’s voters threw out their progressive district attorney. You’ll know why after reading Special Directives. I’ll say it again: read this book. You won’t be disappointed." --A.M.