Customer Reviews

Fallen Angels: Chronicles of L.A. Crime and Mystery

5 star:		(1)
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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.

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.