Ebook270 pages
Crime Buff's Guide to Outlaw Los Angeles
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this ebook
“[A] meticulously researched guide book into the baddest of the bad in LaLa Land.”—Steve Hodel, New York Times-bestselling author of Black Dahlia Avenger
Los Angeles is where America’s dreams and nightmares got all tangled up. In this otherworldly place of seemingly everlasting life, death could have an otherworldly quality, too. In a city where anything was possible, even the ghastly could happen. Where else does a list of a city’s top five most recognized citizens include a mass murderer? Stand in the footsteps of Manson, the Hillside Strangler, the Night Stalker, the Black Dahlia’s killer, and the Onion Field slayers. Visit crime scenes where Hollywood’s weird history took fatal turns for O.J. Simpson, John Belushi, Ramon Novarro, Phil Hartman, Dorothy Stratten, Sal Mineo, and so many others.
This book provides a sunset cruise through a place where ordinary inhumanities are entertainment—with GPS coordinates, photos and more. It continues the series that critics, true-crime fans, historians, and travelers have hailed as “thorough and unflinching” and “the best damn crime travel series ever published!” Dozens of fascinating stories are told in the same fast-paced, enthralling voice that’s made Ron Franscell one of America’s most beloved crime writers—and the Crime Buff’s Guides a three-time winner of TrueCrimeZine.com’s Book of the Year.
Los Angeles is where America’s dreams and nightmares got all tangled up. In this otherworldly place of seemingly everlasting life, death could have an otherworldly quality, too. In a city where anything was possible, even the ghastly could happen. Where else does a list of a city’s top five most recognized citizens include a mass murderer? Stand in the footsteps of Manson, the Hillside Strangler, the Night Stalker, the Black Dahlia’s killer, and the Onion Field slayers. Visit crime scenes where Hollywood’s weird history took fatal turns for O.J. Simpson, John Belushi, Ramon Novarro, Phil Hartman, Dorothy Stratten, Sal Mineo, and so many others.
This book provides a sunset cruise through a place where ordinary inhumanities are entertainment—with GPS coordinates, photos and more. It continues the series that critics, true-crime fans, historians, and travelers have hailed as “thorough and unflinching” and “the best damn crime travel series ever published!” Dozens of fascinating stories are told in the same fast-paced, enthralling voice that’s made Ron Franscell one of America’s most beloved crime writers—and the Crime Buff’s Guides a three-time winner of TrueCrimeZine.com’s Book of the Year.
Author
Ron Franscell
Ron Franscell is a journalist whose work regularly appears in publications such as the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Denver Post, San Jose Mercury-News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He is also a novelist, whose books include Angel Fire and The Deadline. He grew up in Wyoming and currently lives in Texas.
Read more from Ron Franscell
The Darkest Night: Two Sisters, a Brutal Murder, and the Loss of Innocence in a Small Town Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Deaf Row: A Mystery Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Deadline Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Crime Buff's Guide to Outlaw Southwest Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Reviews for Crime Buff's Guide to Outlaw Los Angeles
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
2 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As the title states, this book is designed to be a guide to crimes and assorted mishaps that took place in the Los Angeles area. At the start of each entry, we're given the address and GPS coordinates of the location where the crime took place. The author then gives us a brief account of the story and the people involved. If you live in or plan on visiting the Los Angeles area, this is a handy book to use for a self-guided tour of the locations of some notorious crimes. I don't live in or plan on visiting LA, but it was fun to take a Google Earth tour of the locations as I read each entry. I have to say that it must suck for the new(er) owners of the homes mentioned, having found themselves on a crime buff's tour. The author stresses the issue of private property, so do follow his advice and only look from a distance.The events discussed span a couple of centuries, from the very old to the fairly recent. The book's layout is not in chronological order, and there is no date with each entry's title and location. Consequently, it often took me a paragraph of so to orient myself in the time of the event. I would have liked an ordered timeline and/or headings clearly stating the dates.The writing style is conversational, with no formality. At times sentence structure is a little awkward but, in fairness, I read a review copy and wording might have changed before publication. Whether you're interested in LA's criminal history or you enjoy true crime in general, this book offers some interesting stories. Many are infamous, while others I'd never heard of. Some are gruesome and a few made me laugh. This is definitely a well balanced assortment of stories.*I received a review copy from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.*
Book preview
Crime Buff's Guide to Outlaw Los Angeles - Ron Franscell
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