Murderapolis

by Anthony Neil Smith, Urban Pigs Press (Editor)

Drug dealer Morris and his gangbangers terrorize the halls of the drug-scarred Northside High School. That is until Roble Engstrom, a struggling Somali-American teacher and family man, joins forces with an old-school coach, dubbed as “Captain Karate”. The pair embark on a relentless mission to rid the school and students of the increasing drug problem. The unlikely duo step up their vigilante mission when Morris’ heroin kills one of their students.
Roble and the coach soon learn that Morris is just a pawn in a much more dangerous game. Up and coming gang leader of the Shifta Murder Squad, Sharmarke learns of the teachers meddling in his business, he will stop at nothing to climb his way to the top. Aided by a corrupt gang squad cop, Mika Feist, Sharmarke embarks on a violent campaign to eliminate everyone who stands in his way.
But how corrupt can one cop be? Can two teachers really take on a gang of murderous and ruthless teens playing gangster? And at what point do those who pledge their allegiance to Sharmarke turn against one of their own?
Welcome to Murderapolis!

500 pages, Paperback

Published April 6, 2025

About the author

I write crime novels. PSYCHOSOMATIC, THE DRUMMER, plus the Billy Lafitte series--YELLOW MEDICINE, HOGDOGGIN', THE BADDEST ASS, and HOLY DEATH--and the Mustafa & Adem series--ALL THE YOUNG WARRIORS and ONCE A WARRIOR, in addition to WORM, CHOKE ON YOUR LIES, and the SLOW BEAR trilogy.

I'm an English Professor at Southwest Minnesota State University, and editor of the online lit mag Revolution John.

Reviews

[Mathew · Rating 5 out of 5]

The joy in reading an Anthony Neil Smith story is that you know when something bad happens it'll be really bad for at least one character. Murderapolis is slightly different in that "the bad" keeps building and building until it's a swirling chaotic mess for the majority of the characters and you're left trying to figure out when to take a breath. There are a number of characters in the book you'd love to hear more about - be it their backstory or what happened next and you quickly create connection with them all. Anthony Neil Smith writes some great stuff and this is up there with his best!

[Kevin Michaels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murderapolis is an incredible book. A book that I consider a “must-read”. It’s equal parts intense, brutal, and unflinchingly raw with a depth of storytelling on par with THE WIRE (or if you need a more contemporary TV reference – THE CHI). It hooks you from the opening chapter and doesn’t let go. It is a fascinating look into a drug-scarred high school in Minneapolis (the city itself nicknamed Murderapolis in the 1990’s because of the heightened levels of violent crime) and two teachers on a vigilante mission to take back the school. It is complicated and layered and populated with well-drawn characters – all of them incredibly complex and brutal in their own ways. The depth brought to those central characters is vast and their complexities – both psychological and moral – stay with you long after you’ve read the last page. Anthony Neil Smith’s writing is sharp, lean, and unsentimental, with shades of both James Ellroy and Elmore Leonard but with a deeper Midwest vibe.

There’s no break in the tension - it’s staccato style doesn’t let up and keeps you turning pages. The book is a marriage of tight plotting and fascinating characters against the dark, bleak background of desperation

[A.J. Stanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. A revenge action crime thriller with enough humour and humanity to temper the violence. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone with a love of crime. A great cast of characters and a plot that really puts them through the ringer. Crime fighting gym teacher, Captain Karate, deserves his own spin-off series.