Fallen Angels: Chronicles of L.A. Crime and Mystery [Hardcover]

Marvin J. Wolf (Author), Katherine Mader (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Wolf, a journalist, and Mader, an attorney, present 39 short summaries of crimes committed in Los Angeles. The incidents range from an 1847 burglary to the 1983 murder of Vicki Morgan, Alfred Bloomingdale's mistress. Nothing of interest is added to the well-known cases, such as the Manson Family murders and the death of John Belushi, while the more obscure cases will be of little interest to the general reader. Wolf's style is terse and the bibliography excludes many relevant books. Each case concludes with detailed directions to sites mentioned in the story, a gimmick of limited, mostly morbid interest. This collection may appeal to southern Californians, but it is not recommended for most libraries. Gregor A. Preston, Univ. of California Lib., Davis
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Facts on File; 1St Edition edition (September 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816011710
• ISBN-13: 978-0816011711
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,878,320 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Writing is my third career--I served more than 13 years active duty with the US Army, including a combat tour in Vietnam, then became a photographer. About ten years later, when my teenage daughter came to live with me, I had to find a profession that didn't require constant travel. As I made the transition from magazine writing to longer forms, I was encouraged to specialize but found that I was interested in so many things that I found it impossible to choose only one. Instead I became a frequent collaborator, helping such notables as Native American leader Russell Means and former South Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky with their autobiographies. I also developed an appreciation for suspense and intrigue that inevitably led me to write about crime. About 2001 I took a segue into film, and had a short but interesting career writing for television. That helped me to create a character that I've put into the Rabbi Ben Mysteries. The first of these books, "The Tattooed Rabbi," debuted on Amazon.com in November 2011. The second book in the series is well under way. Thanks for visiting this page, and remember that habitual readers are smarter and have more well-rounded personalities.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining But Unreliable, February 5, 2005

By 

Peter L. Winkler "Word King" (North Hollywood, California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fallen Angels: Chronicles of L.A. Crime and Mystery (Hardcover)

I bought this in hardcover when it was first published and received quite a bit of publicity in Los Angeles-based periodicals. I read it and found it to be quite entertaining. Wolf, who did the actual writing (Mader gave him raw research material), has a knack for writing in a concise, compelling way that does not overplay the inherently sensational nature of these stories. For years I also thought highly of the book because it seemed well-researched and accurate. My esteem for the book's reliability fell drastically during my extensive research on the life and death of actor Nick Adams, who receives a brief chapter here. Mader and Wolf's chapter on Adams's death is derived partly from John Austin's 1970 paperback "Hollywood's Unsolved Mysteries," itself an unreliable book. Then the authors added additional mistakes in their summary of Adams's life and the circumstances surrounding his death. Crime Magazine online has a thorough article about Adams.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for LA history buffs, September 10, 2003

By 

Harry L. Martin (Escondido, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fallen Angels: Chronicles of L.A. Crime and Mystery (Mass Market Paperback)

I bought this book to read on a 7-night cruise and finished it before we re-docked.

It's wonderful for anyone interested in LA history, crime stories and wishing to know the locations that corresponded to such infamous crimes as the Black Dahlia murder.

The short chapters are great for stop and go reading, and any Hollywood/LA history buff will love it.

It was recommended to me, and I am happy to pass on the recommendation.