New book ‘Hiding in Plain Sight’ looks at homicide

Brian Brady, a former police chief with over 40 years of law enforcement experience, has transitioned into writing fiction. His latest book, Hiding in Plain Sight , explores real-world detective work and serial killer investigations. “The book is loosely based on a homicide and kidnapping that took place in Nevada,” Brady explained. “The characters are composites of people I’ve worked with and met over the years.”

Brady’s career spanned multiple departments, including Berkeley, East Los Angeles, and Nevada. He also spent 12 years in the private sector, working for NBC Universal in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

When asked about the challenges of condensing years of law enforcement experience into a book, Brady acknowledged the difficulty of keeping the narrative focused. “It brings you back to TV where they condense a six-month investigation into 43 minutes with three commercial breaks,” he said. “But you want to make the characters interesting and relatable.”

Brady emphasized the importance of portraying detectives as caring and dedicated. “The case matters, and the victim matters. The victim can’t speak, so you have to speak for them,” he said, highlighting the emotional aspect of investigations.

Drawing from his extensive background, Brady aims to make the investigative process in his books technically accurate. “I try to avoid the unrealistic timelines you sometimes see in shows. DNA results don’t come back in minutes,” he said.

Brady’s writing is inspired by his experiences working on high-profile cases, including those involving the Zodiac and Zebra killers. “I was fortunate to sit with detectives and go out on calls with them, which provided me with invaluable insight for writing.”

Hiding in Plain Sight is available at major retailers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble.