BILL GORMLEY grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and lives in Arlington, Virginia. From 1990 to 2023, he was University Professor of Public Policy and Government at Georgetown University, where he co-directed the Center for Research on Children in the U.S. (CROCUS). He is the author of THE SILENT TRUMPET (October 2025) and TOO MANY BRIDGES (August 2024), both murder mysteries published by Level Best Books. He is also the creator of Profs on Cops, a podcast that features interviews with criminologists and social scientists who are doing cutting-edge research on police practices and behavior.
New Murder Mystery
The Silent Trumpet
Relations between the Pittsburgh police and the Black community deteriorate when a popular Black trumpet player, Larry Mabry, is beaten up by a white narcotics cop outside a jazz club. Days later, the cop is dead and the musician is accused of murder. The trumpeter’s brother, Gary, a drug dealer with political clout, mobilizes the community to try to secure his brother’s release. Then another murder occurs. Detectives Branko Radic and Kathleen Mulroy must solve two murders quickly, despite distractions that include a drug war, political skullduggery, and a plague of snakes.
Publisher: Level Best Books, October, 2025.
Books are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other vendors.
Debut Murder Mystery
Too Many Bridges
An eyewitness to a murder calls the Pittsburgh police from one of the city’s 446 bridges, then disappears. To solve the case, the police must find the bridge. But where to start? Detective Branko Radic and Officer Kathleen Mulroy seek help from a nun, a professor, a mechanic, and a tattoo artist. They learn of a family feud, a business in trouble, some sketchy Harry Potter merchandise, and a missing young woman. If only they can find the right bridge, they might be able to put it all together. But sometimes a case is like a funhouse mirror at an amusement park. You have to adjust to the distortions in order to perceive the truth.
Publisher: Level Best Books, August, 2024.
Books are available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other vendors.
Latest Podcast, Profs on Cops
May 28, 2026
The Problem with Sheriffs
Unlike local police chiefs, local sheriffs are popularly elected. In theory, that makes them accountable to the voters. In practice, their accountability is quite limited. For example, the incumbency advantage of sitting sheriffs in local elections is enormous. Mirya Holman, Professor of Public Affairs at the University of Houston and co-author (with Emily Farris) of The Power of the Badge, discovered through two national surveys just how unrepresentative local sheriffs are. She discusses why that matters. Unrepresentative sheriffs have attitudes that significantly affect local law enforcement policies on domestic violence, racial bias, and immigration detention.
Bill Gormley 