Widespread Panic is a 2021 crime fiction novel by American writer James Ellroy. [1] [2] The book is framed as a narrative by the real person Fred Otash now in "Cell 2607, Penance Penitentiary, Reckless-Wrecker-of-Lives Block, Pervert Purgatory" [3] The novel follows Ostash's career from work as a police officer at the Los Angeles Police Department , his work as a private investigator, and his work the actual Confidential (magazine) [4]