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salene27's review against another edition
5.0
Silent movies stars is by far one of my favorite topics, so needless to say, I loved this book, and while I don't completely agree with who is named as the murderer, it was a great read.
remigves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jakobmarleymommy's review
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Abortion, Body shaming, Addiction, and Murder
ladylady's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It’s a little drawn out but I treat more than a fiction than a informative book
eliendriel's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
bonnieelise's review against another edition
2.0
I'm not going to finish this book. I listened to this as I was walking for a couple of hours. It is painstakingly researched, and lays out a thorough investigation into the death of a film producer in the 20s. I enjoyed hearing about that time in Hollywood, but this book is soooo long (16+ hours) - I just wanted to move on to something else. I wasn't that interested in the outcome. I would recommend this book (as it was to me) if you are interested in the early film culture, like true-crime, or need a lighter historical non-fiction to read.
lazygal's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up because I'd read A Cast of Killers years ago, little realizing that this is about the exact same murder! Silly me.
Of course the author thinks that his solution is the only possibly solution, but at this remove it's never easy to definitively say. The earlier book used King Vidor's "missing year" spent investigating as the narrative device, this one careens from this person to that, telling some of their backstory and how they fit into the world of Hollywood in the early 1920s. It does feel a little less focused than it could be, particularly given the sheer number of people we are introduced to (and some seem like red herrings, not really relevant to the story).
Two complaints: we got that Zuckor was short early on. We really didn't need to have it hammered home every time Zuckor appeared in the book. And while everyone else got the backstory treatment, William Desmond Taylor (or William Dean-Tanner) didn't really, which bothered me. There are hints and clews [sic] aplenty, but why not spare a paragraph to fill in what we actually know about him? And one niggle: WDT's brother is mentioned in the very beginning of the book but never again. Why?
Now I need to dig Cast out and re-read to see what other pieces can be filled in.
ARC provided by publisher.
Of course the author thinks that his solution is the only possibly solution, but at this remove it's never easy to definitively say. The earlier book used King Vidor's "missing year" spent investigating as the narrative device, this one careens from this person to that, telling some of their backstory and how they fit into the world of Hollywood in the early 1920s. It does feel a little less focused than it could be, particularly given the sheer number of people we are introduced to (and some seem like red herrings, not really relevant to the story).
Two complaints: we got that Zuckor was short early on. We really didn't need to have it hammered home every time Zuckor appeared in the book. And while everyone else got the backstory treatment, William Desmond Taylor (or William Dean-Tanner) didn't really, which bothered me. There are hints and clews [sic] aplenty, but why not spare a paragraph to fill in what we actually know about him? And one niggle: WDT's brother is mentioned in the very beginning of the book but never again. Why?
Now I need to dig Cast out and re-read to see what other pieces can be filled in.
ARC provided by publisher.
bookwormerica's review against another edition
4.0
wow! a lot of info I knew and a lot I didn't know. loved how in depth it went and had some humor. a lot of facts but not dry.
cde10's review against another edition
3.0
This books definitely had some very interesting sections. A lot of great facts about the rise of Hollywood. Honestly, I liked the epilogue the most, as I enjoyed learning how each of the story's players moved into the more modern world of Hollywood we are more familiar with today. It took me a while to get into, because the start of the book spends a while discussing characters without justifying why. Takes midway through the book for anything to come together in an interesting way. I became frustrated with the overuse of certain words, including "locusts." What can I say? I'm spoiled by Erik Larson novels. This would make an entertaining film.