True Crime investigator/writer Casey Sherman has written an awe-dropping account of movie star Lana Turner’s life and what led up to the death of her boyfriend, mobster Johnny Stompanato, as well as the effect it had on both her and her 15-year-old daughter Cheryl.
Sherman intricately delves into the history of both Lana Turner, her life prior to Stompanato’s death which occurred in her bedroom as he was allegedly beating her, which sadly was nothing unusual. When her daughter heard the commotion, she allegedly came into the room and stabbed Stompanato in the stomach. He also gives a history of the rise of the mob and how they were able to not only manipulate the Hollywood studios, but how they were able to manipulate her.
Ms. Turner’s life unfortunately was filled with trauma, abuse and abandonment from men in her life, including her own father. It covers how she became famous by infamously being “discovered” in a diner at a very young age.
Sherman also takes the reader into the lives of mobster Mickey Cohen as well as Johnny Stompanato and in great detail writes to what led up to the killing and the effects it had after the fact on Turner, her daughter and even Cohen.
Lana Turner’s life story is heartbreaking. Married many times, she seemed to always pick someone who would physically or mentally abuse her (or her young daughter) or steal her money. Because of her fame, she put her daughter on the backburner as she tried to live up to her bombshell image, which after a while began to fade. She then had to try and reinvent herself over and over again as new younger bombshells came on the scene.
Of course, the most riveting account was the story and facts of her relationship with Stompanato and how she was unable to get away from him and how he continually abused and threatened her. Sherman takes the reader step by step of not only their relationship but what is said to have occurred during the killing and smoothly moves into what happened next as well as the trial and Mickey Cohen’s hatred of Lana Turner after the death of his friend.
A Murder in Hollywood is a juicy can’t put down tell-all of a beloved, beautiful yet tortured movie star whose introduction to stardom was too fast and as she naively believed all the men who ran the studios had her well-being and would take care of her. Unfortunately, that would never happen, and her life was filled with abuses and overwhelming sadness. Yet, because of the actress she was no one would have ever guessed she lived her life practically walking on eggshells.
Thank you #NetGalley #Sourcebooks #CaseySherman #AMurderinHollywood for the advanced copy.
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