Customer Reviews

Hollywood: Scene Of The Crime: A Self Guided Tour Of Tinseltown's Most Infamous Celebrity Crime Scenes

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The subtitle really says it all---A Self-Guided Tour Of Tinsletown's Most Infamous Celebrity Crime Scenes. This book is well-done for what it is. It takes you to many infamous crime scenes. It gives detailed instructions as to how to get there. It is small and seemingly select. It is also fine for a lot of tourists who want exactly what it promises. It is also sort of pricey given its size and content and limitations (as it is not all that comprehensive given LA's infamous crime history). If you are interested in the O.J. Simpson/Hillside Strangler type of self-guided tour this is the book for you. It will keep you fairly busy and you'll have fun.
Personally, I've gone to all the places included in this book so it offered me nothing new. There are a slew of books currently available as well as websites that will provide you with addresses related to crimes. Couple them with a GPS or street guide and you will do just fine if you want to go off the beaten path. For those who are not do-it-yourself types, you can go the tour route and take a Dearly Departed Tour which is loaded with locations and wildly funny.
The choice is yours. This book is fine, but it didn't serve my needs because I've been there and done that.

I had a chance to follow this route the last time I was in the Los Angeles area. It was fascinating and very emotional to see where some of my favorite icons fell victim. I felt like I had a chance to memorialize their loss. The background on the crime or event is well researched, easy to read and really made the tour interesting. Good directions too. There are too many sites for one day, but you can do it in a weekend. It's a great gift for anyone visiting the LA area.