against the City of Los Angeles and the LAPD in a wrongful death suit accusing police of taking part in a conspiracy to kill her son. She lost the suit when, in April 2010, a judge dismissed the claim. The civil suit, along with LAPD's internal investigation, are included in The Murder of Biggie Smalls. In January 2011, Anderson Cooper AC360 reported that a new task force, composed of law enforcement officers based in the Los Angeles area, was taking a fresh look at the Smalls murder case, interviewing author Scott for AC360's blog about the probe that is said to also be looking into Shakur's murder. The book was optioned in 2000 for a feature film, Record Wars, by Jonathan Sheinberg's development and production company The Machine. Reception According to Booklist magazine's Mike Tribby in his October 2000 review, "Whereas others who have dealt with this stuff have often neglected to humanize the principals involved, Scott points up biographical details that bring them into focus as human beings. For setting the record straight as well as for limning a major pop music star, this is a valuable book." It made the New York Times best seller nonfiction hardcover list the week of October 15, 2000. The editors at Barnes & Noble wrote that "the fatal shooting of rapper Notorious B.I.G. remains shrouded in a blanket of mystery, speculation, and grief, while his popularity is as strong as ever. Cathy Scott's The Murder of Biggie Smalls is an engrossing examination of the death of the beloved Big Poppa and the resulting investigation, which finally seems to be nearing a conclusion." Kirkus Reviews described the book as, "A thorough report on the investigation of the drive-by shooting of one of rap music's top stars. ... A compelling tale that ... reveals an exotic world based in greed, violence, and the need for self-expression." Nelson George with Africana-Magazine also reviewed the book, noting, "The picture painted of the investigation of Biggie's murder is more detailed than anything found in the music press. In 2000, The Murder of Biggie Smalls made Library Booklist's "Realistic and Urban Fiction" for teens. LibraryThing wrote that the book "deals with real life situations." The New York Post ran an excerpt upon the book's 2000 release. Book editions The Murder of Biggie Smalls, a biography covering the life and death of the late rapper, was released by St.