Shocking and Sensational

The Stories Behind Famous True Crime and Scandal Books

$25.00

In stock

SKU: 9781476671093 Categories: , , , Tags: , ,
Imprint or Series:Exposit Books

About the Book

Already part of a genre known for generating controversy, some true crime and scandal books have wielded a particular power to unsettle readers, provoke authorities and renew interest in a case. The reactions to such literature have been as contentious as the books themselves, clouding the “truth” with myths and inaccuracies. From high-profile publishing sensations such as Ten Rillington Place, Fatal Vision and Mommie Dearest to the wealth of writing on the JFK assassination, the death of Marilyn Monroe and the Black Dahlia murder, this book delves into that hard copy era when crime and scandal books had a cultural impact beyond the genre’s film and TV documentaries, fueling outcries that sometimes matched the notoriety of the cases they discussed and leaving legacies that still resonate today.

About the Author(s)

Julian Upton has written about film and popular culture for the Journal of British Cinema and Television, Bright Lights Film Journal, and Filmfax. He lives in the United Kingdom.

Bibliographic Details

Julian Upton

Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 191
Bibliographic Info: notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2018
pISBN: 978-1-4766-7109-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-3370-1
Imprint: Exposit

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vi

Introduction 1

1. Thelma Todd: ­Eighty-Year Death Riddle 5

2. The Secrets Behind the Door: Ten Rillington Place (1961) 17

3. Say Goodbye to the Truth? The Strange Death of Marilyn Monroe (1964) 31

4. Provocative Action: JFK and Mark Lane’s Rush to Judgment (1966) 46

5. Facts and Fictions: The Alice Crimmins Case 61

6. Executioner: Pierrepoint (1974) 76

7. Lord Lucan: An Honorable Manhunt 83

8. Memoirs of a Survivor: Mommie Dearest (1978) 99

9. Hollywood Checks Scandal: Indecent Exposure (1982) 110

10. Lethal Book Deal: Fatal Vision (1983) 119

11. Crimes of Passion: The Killing of the Unicorn (1984) 132

12. Mary Bell: Outcries and Cries Unheard (1998) 141

13. Sins of the Father: Black Dahlia Avenger (2003) 151

14. Undetermined Factors: Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour (2009) 163

Chapter Notes 179

Bibliography 180

Index 183

Ebook Availability