Customer Reviews

The Mammoth Book of Celebrity Murder: Murder Played Out in the Spotlight of Maximum Publicity

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is good if you want a synopsis of different murder cases involving celebrities. My only disappointment with this book was the obvious inaccuracies in some of the stories. For instance, Ann Woodward shot her husband in their home in Nassau County, New York - NOT Nassau, in the Bahamas! Also, Tupac Shakur was murdered in 1996 - not 1994. In addition, the book refers to O.J. Simpson as a former football player with the LA Lakers team - anyone who follows sports knows that the Lakers is NOT a football, but a BASKETBALL team!

Although these inaccuracies annoyed me a bit, it didn't stop me from reading it. I'd still recommend this book if you are a true crime buff.

I'd like to know the story behind the publication of this book, if there is one. It is one of the most fascinating, engrossing books I have read, yet the editing/proofreading is just atrocious. It's as if the authors wrote their first draft and the copy person grabbed it from their hands and dashed it down to the typesetting office in an effort to make the 5:00 train. While much of the language is obviously British, and therefore some of the spellings are variations of American spellings, there are words that are just flat out wrong, including wrong meanings, verb tenses, spellings, etc. However, all of that doesn't negate the incredible fascination of the stories told and the details in the telling. The authors obviously know their stuff, and they provide much more of the facts than we ever got in the papers. Fun stuff.

I found myself hardly able to put this huge book down once I started it. I have to agree with some of the other reviewers, some of the facts of the book are wrong, but overall I found it to be an interesting read. If you are into the true crime genre and are interested in celebrities, then this is the book for you! It proves also that just because you are rich and famous that doesn't exclude you from having something tragic and unexpected happen to you. Enjoy!

The book is a good read. But - I agree with both reviewers below: The editing is atrocious; and the fact-checking was careless. There are some outright doubtful statements. The Lana Turner story involves the shooting of her lover by her daughter. This took place in 1958. The book describes the event as "the new Hollywood scandal which had already been dubbed 'Lanagate'." Lanagate? As in Watergate? The Watergate affair took place in 1972. Those Hollywood types must be psychic, eh?