LibGuides: True Crime Book Club: April 2025

About the Author: Casey Sherman

Casey Sherman is an American author and journalist known for his work in true crime and historical nonfiction. Born in 1973 in Massachusetts, he has written several books, many of which focus on significant events and figures in American history.

Sherman gained recognition for his ability to weave compelling narratives based on meticulous research, often exploring themes of crime, celebrity, and the human experience. His notable works include A Murder in Hollywood, which delves into the infamous case of murder surrounding starlet Lana Turner as well as Animal: The Story of the Boston Bruins’ Forgotten Boy, and The Boston Marathon: How One Photo Defined a Moment in History.

In addition to his writing, Sherman has worked as a journalist and has contributed to various media outlets, sharing his insights on crime and cultural topics. He is also a sought-after speaker, often discussing the intersection of crime, media, and society.

With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Casey Sherman continues to explore the darker corners of history while engaging readers with thought-provoking narratives.

What We Watched: Mr. Imperium

Mr. Imperium
Lana Turner plays the sexy nightclub singer that a European prince (Ezio Pinza) falls in love with, and although she's already got a boyfriend, she slowly falls for the prince. They begin a love affair that will prove to be short-lived.

Synopsis

The dark story behind the bright lights of Tinseltown. From the outside, Hollywood starlet Lana Turner seemed to have it all-a thriving film career, a beautiful daughter, and the kind of fame and fortune that most people could only dream of. But when the famous femme fatale began dating mobster Johnny Stompanato, thug for the infamous west coast mob boss Mickey Cohen, her personal life became violent and unpredictable. Lana's teenage daughter, Cheryl, watched her beloved mother's life deteriorate as Stompanato's intense jealousy took over. Eventually, the physical and emotional abuse became too much to bear, and Lana attempted to break it off with Johnny-with disastrous consequences. The details of what happened that fateful night remain foggy, but it ended in a series of frantic phone calls and Stompanato dead on Lana's bedroom floor, with Cheryl claiming to have plunged a knife into his abdomen in an attempt to protect her mother. The subsequent murder trial made for the biggest headlines of the year, its drama eclipsing every Hollywood movie. New York Times bestselling author Casey Sherman pulls back Tinseltown's velvet curtain to reveal the dark underbelly of celebrity, rife with toxic masculinity and casual violence against women, and tells the story of Lana Turner and her daughter, who finally stood up to the abuse that plagued their family for years. A Murder in Hollywood transports us back to the golden age of film and illuminates one of the 20th century's most notorious true crime tales.

Discussion Questions

Historical Context: How does the book frame the Hollywood of the 1920s and 1930s? In what ways does the historical context enhance your understanding of the crime?
Character Development: Discuss the main figures involved in the murder. How does Sherman portray their personalities and motivations? Do you sympathize with any of them?
Media Influence: What role does the media play in the unfolding of the crime and its aftermath? How does Sherman comment on the relationship between crime and media sensationalism?
Themes of Power and Corruption: In what ways does the book explore themes of power, privilege, and corruption within Hollywood? Can you draw parallels to modern-day Hollywood or other industries?
Impact on Hollywood: How did this crime shape the public's perception of Hollywood? What lasting effects did it have on the film industry?
Narrative Style: How does Sherman’s writing style contribute to the storytelling? Discuss the use of suspense and how it affects your engagement with the narrative.
Moral Questions: What moral dilemmas are presented in the book? How do the actions of the characters reflect broader ethical questions?
Cultural Reflection: What does the crime and its investigation reveal about societal attitudes towards fame, success, and morality during that era?
Personal Reflection: How did the book change or reinforce your views on celebrity culture and the darker sides of fame?
Concluding Thoughts: After finishing the book, what is your overall impression of the case? Did Sherman provide closure, or do you feel there are unresolved issues?

TV & Movies: Casey Sherman

Writer

The Coast Guard makes a daring rescue attempt off the coast of Cape Cod after a pair of oil tankers are destroyed during a blizzard in 1952.

MLN Materials

book

Ebook Versions

Libby

Tinseltown Gangsters by Jeffrey Sussman
Call Number: 364.106 Sussman
Like sharks to blood in the water, the mob arrived in Hollywood greedy and ready to tear away huge chunks of cash. Opportunistic mobsters saw labor unions as the means for muscling into the movie industry and extorting millions of dollars from studio bosses. Control the unions to which projectionists, art directors, cinematographers, electricians, scene designers, stagehands, extras belong, and you control the whole industry.
The Bishop and the Butterfly by Michael Wolraich
Call Number: 364.152 Wolraich
Vivian Gordon went out before midnight in a velvet dress and mink coat. Her body turned up the next morning in a desolate Bronx park, a dirty clothesline wrapped around her neck. At her stylish Manhattan apartment, detectives discovered notebooks full of names--businessmen, socialites, gangsters. And something else: a letter from an anti-corruption commission established by Governor Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Led by the imperious Judge Samuel Seabury, the commission had uncovered a police conspiracy to frame women as prostitutes. Had Vivian Gordon been executed to bury her secrets? As FDR pressed the police to solve her murder, Judge Seabury pursued the trail of corruption to the top of Gotham's powerful political machine--the infamous Tammany Hall.
A Lovely Girl by Deborah Holt Larkin
Call Number: 364.1523 Larkin
The incredible story of a 1958 murder that ended with the last woman to ever be executed in California--a murder so twisted it seems ripped from a Greek tragedy. Deborah Larkin was only ten years old when the quiet calm of her California suburb was shattered. Thirty miles north, on a quiet November night in Santa Barbara, a pregnant nurse named Olga Duncan disappeared from her apartment. The mystery deepens when it is discovered that Olga's mother in-law--a deeply manipulative and deceptive woman--had been doing everything in her power to separate Olga and her son, Frank, prior to Olga's disappearance. From a forged annulment to multiple attempts to hire people to "get rid" of Olga, to a faked excoriation case, Elizabeth seemed psychopathically attached to her son. Yet she denied having anything to do with Olga's disappearance with a smile. But when Olga's brutally beaten body is found in a shallow grave, apparently buried alive, a young DA makes it his mission to see that Elizabeth Duncan is brought to justice. Adding a wrinkle to his efforts is the fact that Frank--himself a defense attorney--maintained his mother's innocent to the end. How does a young girl process such a crime along with the fear and disbelieve that rocked an entire community? Decades later, Larkin is determined to revisit the case and bring the story of Olga herself to light. Long overshadowed by the sensationalism and scandal of Elizabeth and Frank, A Lovely Girl seeks to reveal Olga as a woman in full. Someone who was more than the twisted family that would ultimately ensnare her. As we follow the heart-pounding drama of the case through Larkin's young eyes--her father was the court reporter-- A Lovely Girl is by turns page-turning yet poingnant, and makes the reader reexamine how we handle fear, how we regard mental illness, and how we understand family as we carve our own path in a dangerous world.
Room 1219 by Greg Merritt
Call Number: BIOGRAPHY Arbuckle
In 1921, one of the biggest movie stars in the world was accused of killing a woman. What followed was an unprecedented avalanche of press coverage, the original 'trial of the century,' and a wave of censorship that altered the course of Hollywood filmmaking. It began on Labor Day, when comic actor Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle, then at the pinnacle of his fame and fortune, hosted a party in San Francisco's best hotel. As the party raged, he was alone in room 1219 with Virginia Rappe, a minor actress. Four days later, she died, and he was charged with her murder. ROOM 1219 presents the crime story from the day of the 'orgy' through the three trials. Relying on a careful examination of documents, the book finally reveals, after almost a century of wild speculation, what most likely occurred in room 1219. In addition, ROOM 1219 covers the creation of the film industry--from the first silent experiments to a studio-based system capable of making and, ultimately, breaking a beloved superstar.