The story follows several Los Angeles Police Department officers in the 1950s who become embroiled in a mix of sex, corruption, and murder following a massacre at the Nite Owl coffee shop.

"[5] The New York Times wrote that "the plotting becomes so tortuous and the narrative style so burdened by repetitive scenes of atrocious violence that the author compromises the truthfulness of his own vision.

"[6] The book was adapted for a 1997 film of the same name, directed and co-written by Curtis Hanson and starring Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger, David Strathairn and Danny DeVito.

The show's main actors would have been Kiefer Sutherland, Josh Hopkins, David Conrad, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Melissa George, Tom Nowicki, and Eric Roberts.

[7] The pilot would star Walton Goggins as Vincennes,[8] Mark Webber as White,[9] Brian J. Smith as Exley,[10] Sarah Jones as Lynn,[11] Alana Arenas as June,[9] and Shea Whigham as Dick Stensland.