A review by judyward
Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood by William J. Mann

3.0

In 1922 William Desmond Taylor was found shot to death in his Hollywood home by his valet arriving for work in the morning. His murder was never solved. There were certainly plenty of suspects and William J. Mann takes up this cold case after more than 90 years and tries to unravel what actually happened. While developing the back story, Mann paints a portrait of life in the early years of the motion picture industry and introduces the major and minor characters who were involved in the spectacular highs and lows that Hollywood experienced during the 1920s. Mann describes the crime itself, the botched police investigation, the cover up, and the frenzied media coverage that ensued. Readers will be intrigued and, in many cases, convinced by his conclusions.