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Marilyn Monroe: A Case for Murder

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It is one of the greatest mysteries of the twentieth century. How did Marilyn Monroe die? Although no pills were found in her stomach during the autopsy, it was still documented in the Los Angeles coroner's report that she had swallowed sixty-four sleeping pills prior to her demise. In Marilyn A Case for Murder , biographer Jay Margolis presents the most thorough investigation of Marilyn Monroe's death to date and shares how he reached the definitive conclusion that she was murdered.

Margolis meticulously dissects the events leading up to her death, revealing a major conspiracy and countless lies. In an exclusive interview with actress Jane Russell three months before her death, he reveals Russell's belief that Monroe was murdered and points the finger at the man she held responsible. While examining the actions of Peter Lawford, Bobby Kennedy, and Monroe's psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenson, Margolis establishes a timeline of her last day alive that leads to shocking revelations.

In August 1962, Marilyn Monroe's lifeless body was found on her bed, leaving all to wonder what really happened to the beautiful young starlet. Marilyn A Case for Murder provides a fascinating examination of one of the most puzzling deaths of all time.

456 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2011

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About the author

Jay Margolis

6 books8 followers
Jay Margolis graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California and became a Jesse Unruh Research Scholar for his paper on African American Reparations. He spent five years researching how Marilyn Monroe died. This is his first book.

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5 stars
63 (34%)
4 stars
58 (31%)
3 stars
45 (24%)
2 stars
14 (7%)
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5 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Kathy .
708 reviews279 followers
August 5, 2012
There are so many books about Marilyn Monroe and Marilyn Monroe's death that it can make you dizzy trying to decide which one to read. Not only are there serious researchers who have dissected and examined Marilyn's life and death, but anyone who remotely knew her has written a book, too. So, why did I read Jay Margolis' book? First off, it was recent, published in 2011, which appealed to me in the far from the heat of the moment publications. Secondly, Margolis researched the subject for five years, a respectable amount of time to sift through the facts and fiction. Last of all, the presentation of the information or format of the book suited my reading style, especially with non-fiction. Information is presented in short bursts, pertinent to detailed subject headings. There is a concise, clear timeline of Marilyn's last day and her death. Also included is an extensive bibliography and intricate footnotes. Jay Margolis puts forth the facts in a fully readable fashion, and they fall in place into a most probable case for murder indeed. The inconsistencies and lies, of which there were many, are examined and explained. Who had what to gain and what to lose is pulled loose from the quagmire, and the tragic truth rises to the top of the pile. Marilyn Monroe was a casualty in the careers of the politically powerful, a sustainable loss in the bid to be great. A talented and beautiful actress, she could not save herself from a fate into which she dangerously wandered.
Profile Image for Sarah.
2 reviews
December 7, 2016
Liked it.

It was very informative, well written. A good read. Told the story well, was easy to understand. Would read it again.
Profile Image for Lyn Failes.
171 reviews5 followers
April 25, 2023
Marilyn Monroe: A Case For Murder
Jay Margolis
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
So, followers of me over the years will know that my 2 passions in reading and learning are books about Marilyn Monroe, and books about the Mafia. I don’t know why I’m so obsessed, but here we are!!
I have collected and read many, many, many books about Marilyn Monroe over the years and came across this one on a random pop-up on social media, so into the shopping cart it went and I patiently awaited its arrival.
All books about Marilyn have their own theories about what happened the night of her death and we as readers have also formed our own opinions as to what went down. Will we EVER find out the truth? I don’t know, by continue to speculate we will.
This book was an extremely well written and well researched piece and I read it almost in one sitting. I nodded along with Mr. Margolis’ text and shouted and whooped when I read things I agreed with and have been telling people for years, and there was a lot of those. Now, if you are of the belief that Marilyn Monroe swallowed pills to end her life whether intentionally or by accident, that’s your opinion. Mine is that she knew too much about too many things and was subsequently removed from the game board. She lived a twisted, sordid life, different to the ditzy blond we see in her movies. There are mafia heads, presidents, national security secrets, sex. All in a boiling pot of thick juicy disaster.
I’d urge any fans to have a go at this book. The facts are laid out bare, scientifically at points, and the medical technicians on the scene make their views known, and other titbits that I won’t spoil here.
An extremely addictive, well researched book that I’d urge lovers of this genre to read. Off it goes to join mu other books in my collection.

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Profile Image for Brigetta Barone.
37 reviews
July 4, 2015
Poorly organized

This book is so poorly written; I bought it because I read that it was well researched. Even if that is true, the information is presented in a confusing, sometimes contradictory mish mash of a mess. Bad, bad book.
Profile Image for Katy.
32 reviews10 followers
July 8, 2012


...so far it's very interesting. The people the author name as knowing the real circumstances of Marilyn's death, were indeed friends with her at the time, the interviews are compelling, and his research seems to be quite thorough. We'll see how I feel about it at the end. Certainly is an intriguing read.



OK, now that I've finished , I can say I'm a bit disappointed. This was a lot of previously transcribed interviews and portions of books on Marilyn's death that came out as far back as the late 60s and as early as 2010. Not much original material, and way too repetitive.
Profile Image for Robbie.
12 reviews
August 1, 2013
took me a long time to read this. it does repeat a lot but very good once I got into it. I always knew she had been murdered.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
86 reviews13 followers
August 16, 2016
Very well-researched, very poorly compiled. There wasn't really any segue between narratives and accounts, and some details felt gratuitously thrown in.
3 reviews
September 18, 2018
Very interesting read

Full of interesting information and seems very much like the authors conclusion of murder could actually be the truth. Recommended
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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