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Beverly Hills Confidential: A Century of Stars Scandals and Murders
This unique crime anthology tracks the grand times and grand crimes that span the first 100 years since Beverly Hills grew into the city we know it as today, a glitzy-rich tourist mecca. Co-written by Clark Fogg, the lead CSI investigator for the Beverly Hills police department and Barbara Schroeder, Emmy-award winning journalist, this book is “A rip-roaring read,” documenting not only long forgotten scandals and crimes, but also those that made international headlines.
130 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2012
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203 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 5, 2012
The funny thing about this book is at first glance it looks like a coffee table book. Opening it and seeing the graphic pictures of the crimes, one could only assume that it is only suitable for a coffee table in Charles Manson's prison cell. This book showcases the crimes of Beverly Hills since the creation of the Beverly Hills police department. It has one salacious story after another over each decade. Due to the pictures and the descriptions of the crimes it is not for feign of heart, but if you enjoy a scandal and like true crime you will enjoy this book. The one thing that I learned from this book is that Beverly Hills with all the glitz and glamour actually remains to be a small town. It was very interesting to see how many crimes occurred on the same street. Throughout the book mentions of Bedford Dr, Doheny, and Palm come through over and over again. Being a person who enjoys those grizzly things, I actually found this book to be very interesting. The stories for me that were of the most interest were early on, one that sticks out was about a woman who hid her lover in her attic for years. When he heard a fight one night he came rushing downstairs and shot her husband. Definitely a fascinating read for anyone that likes true crime and has a strong stomach.
November 24, 2014
The author doesn't go into enough details.
August 18, 2012
Covering the major and unusual crimes committed in Beverly Hills since that elite community was formed, this book is a riveting recount written rightly or wrongly in the prose of salacious sensational scandal. There is no outright descriptive debauchery, but semi-gruesome photos and gory details are present. This book is not for the overly squeamish, but will delight those who love looking into the sordid lives of the rich and famous.
October 27, 2024
This was good at what I expected it to do: provide bite sized chunks into bizarre crimes and scandals in Hollywood over the last 110 years. They don't spend more than 5 minutes on most of the crimes, so if you're looking for something more in depth, this won't be it. It's like a driveby of dark Hollywood and gave me inspo for future reads.
January 12, 2013
“Beverly Hills Confidential” is a most entertaining compilation of the seamy underbelly of LA County’s most famous locale. These real life crimes – some famous, others less so – represent the repellent flip side of the very culture that is Beverly Hills. That is to say, the city’s reputation of fame and fortune induces (among the more twisted) the desire to “rise” to the city’s sterling level, no matter the amorality hurdle required. Many of the perpetrators will, of course, pay the ultimate price.
A clever aspect of this work is the inclusion of decade-by-decade snapshots of the history of Beverly Hills, all of which to one degree or another become the very breeding ground for the crimes depicted.
Perhaps it’s the closet cartographer in me, but I frequently found myself Google-mapping several of the addresses listed, comparing yesteryear’s crime scene photos with their modern day counterparts, often discovering a home exterior not far removed from the one shown decades earlier. I doubt I’m alone in finding these comparisons intriguing.
Elevating the book from its undeniable guilty-pleasure center is the pragmatic, evidence-based take on many of these crimes as provided by cowriter and forensic specialist Clark Fogg, his perspective lending the work an even higher level of credibility. On that subject, however, consider this fair warning as to the graphic nature of some of the crime scene photos shown.
In a nutshell: dark and violent, but never dull, and for those vicariously drawn to such sinister alleys, traipse away, for this book – to you - will be candy.
William P. Bekkala
A clever aspect of this work is the inclusion of decade-by-decade snapshots of the history of Beverly Hills, all of which to one degree or another become the very breeding ground for the crimes depicted.
Perhaps it’s the closet cartographer in me, but I frequently found myself Google-mapping several of the addresses listed, comparing yesteryear’s crime scene photos with their modern day counterparts, often discovering a home exterior not far removed from the one shown decades earlier. I doubt I’m alone in finding these comparisons intriguing.
Elevating the book from its undeniable guilty-pleasure center is the pragmatic, evidence-based take on many of these crimes as provided by cowriter and forensic specialist Clark Fogg, his perspective lending the work an even higher level of credibility. On that subject, however, consider this fair warning as to the graphic nature of some of the crime scene photos shown.
In a nutshell: dark and violent, but never dull, and for those vicariously drawn to such sinister alleys, traipse away, for this book – to you - will be candy.
William P. Bekkala
December 17, 2012
I received this book in a Goodreads.com giveaway and was really impressed from the beginning. Not only was the content great, but the presentation of the book itself is really a work of beauty. Great photos, thick glossy pages, and full color really draw you into this book. The stories of the celebrities and their deaths were really interested. I had never heard or knew little of many of the older celebrities so I was also educational. I love TV and Film so it made sitting down to read this book a breeze. If you're a film buff or have one on your list, but you already have every DVD you could ever want, then get this book. It will expand your horizons and you'll truly enjoy it.
August 28, 2014
My dog could've written a better book if she wasn't so dyslexic
I like crime novels, esp concerning Hollywood and scandals.This felt like Mr.Clark
turned over his case files to Ms.Schroeder who then intended to make this an ?interesting account of these scandals.The only reason I finished the book was that I,ever the optimist,thought it surely was going to get more interesting.It did not.Save your money.This book was drier than Ghandi's sandals.
I like crime novels, esp concerning Hollywood and scandals.This felt like Mr.Clark
turned over his case files to Ms.Schroeder who then intended to make this an ?interesting account of these scandals.The only reason I finished the book was that I,ever the optimist,thought it surely was going to get more interesting.It did not.Save your money.This book was drier than Ghandi's sandals.
April 17, 2013
A nice selection of crimes from historic to contemporary. If you think that life is perfect in 90210, you've got some surprises coming.
June 15, 2014
good read ...
November 13, 2023
Schroeder, Barbara - Beverly Hills Confidential
Coffee table book, brief at 120 pages, filled with photos, arranged chronologically from 1910-2010.
First two chapters were interesting, if curious. None of the usual scandals.
I checked the index for Fatty Arbuckle, William Desmond Taylor, Errol Flynn - nope - nothing.
Because this was about Beverly Hills, not Hollywood. My error.
Book otherwise fine, more amusing than compelling.
Certainly not the gleeful sleaze of Hollywood Babylon.
Coffee table book, brief at 120 pages, filled with photos, arranged chronologically from 1910-2010.
First two chapters were interesting, if curious. None of the usual scandals.
I checked the index for Fatty Arbuckle, William Desmond Taylor, Errol Flynn - nope - nothing.
Because this was about Beverly Hills, not Hollywood. My error.
Book otherwise fine, more amusing than compelling.
Certainly not the gleeful sleaze of Hollywood Babylon.
August 12, 2025
My daughter and I recently toured beautiful Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills and learned a bit about the murder that took place there. I checked this book out from the library to read about it, but I ended up reading the entire book. It's basically summaries with photos (some graphic) of murders and other crimes that occurred in BH. I found it very interesting and well-written.
September 25, 2012
A non-fiction look through the files of the Beverly Hills Police Department. The roots of the book are unpublished crime photos (and others that have been published), definitely not for the feint of heart. (or is that faint?) However, the text is normally more sensitive towards victims of crimes and their families than the title and photos would indicate. I'm not sure if this provides enough for all readers, or if it provides enough of the "wrong" kind of material to aggrevate all readers, depending on what they're hoping to see / read!!
I wish that real-life B.H. cop Clark Fogg was given voice more often. While I'm sure he had some say in the text, his "official" input was limited to a paragraph or two at the bottom of a few of the stories, and one pretty good debate in the last story of the book.
The important thing - in my opinion, the book delivered what was promised (and hinted at) in the cover blurb and the promotional materials. If a book is exactly what it is described as, and the reader has a problem with it, then it is the readers' issue not the book's or the authors'.
Recommended with reservation to all except young readers.
DISCLOSURE: This book was provided to the reader free of charge through the Goodreads FirstRead program. The only request was that I post a review after (if) I completed the book.
I wish that real-life B.H. cop Clark Fogg was given voice more often. While I'm sure he had some say in the text, his "official" input was limited to a paragraph or two at the bottom of a few of the stories, and one pretty good debate in the last story of the book.
The important thing - in my opinion, the book delivered what was promised (and hinted at) in the cover blurb and the promotional materials. If a book is exactly what it is described as, and the reader has a problem with it, then it is the readers' issue not the book's or the authors'.
Recommended with reservation to all except young readers.
DISCLOSURE: This book was provided to the reader free of charge through the Goodreads FirstRead program. The only request was that I post a review after (if) I completed the book.
September 10, 2017
Sleepy Beverly Hills may be of the rich and famous but they are also of the weird and strange when it comes to murder and scandal!
Various crimes are presented, starting from the beginning of Beverly Hills in the early 1900s. Charlie Chaplin, Bugsy Siegal, Jean Harlow and other well knows, along with some bizarre and strange events. The Hollywood wannabe with the strange message carved into her back. The female aviatrix that fell from the sky nude. Crimes that have been sealed away in the BHPD files for many years, are now brought to light.
Barbara Schroeder is an Emmy award winning journalist and documentary film maker. Clark Fogg is a retired CSI for BHPD. As a team they give you the goods. Fogg also adds his analysis to a number of the cases.
If you like murder and mayhem and old Hollywood, this is it. A fairly quick read, and there are pictures of the participants!
A fun and Goodread!
Various crimes are presented, starting from the beginning of Beverly Hills in the early 1900s. Charlie Chaplin, Bugsy Siegal, Jean Harlow and other well knows, along with some bizarre and strange events. The Hollywood wannabe with the strange message carved into her back. The female aviatrix that fell from the sky nude. Crimes that have been sealed away in the BHPD files for many years, are now brought to light.
Barbara Schroeder is an Emmy award winning journalist and documentary film maker. Clark Fogg is a retired CSI for BHPD. As a team they give you the goods. Fogg also adds his analysis to a number of the cases.
If you like murder and mayhem and old Hollywood, this is it. A fairly quick read, and there are pictures of the participants!
A fun and Goodread!
November 26, 2015
A fun, pictorial glimpse at the scandals that have made Beverly Hills what it is.
July 13, 2013
Interesting book. warning to those whom are.squeamish...there are graphic pictures.
April 12, 2017
I was expecting more
The title led me to believe I would be reading new details about old cases from the perspective of a coroner partnered with a great author. I feel mislead, this book reads like short summaries of previously well documented cases. where's the newness, the allure? Not here.
Maybe I've just read too many books and watched too many shows about infamous cases that my expectations are too high. This book was regurgitated facts in a slightly different package.
The title led me to believe I would be reading new details about old cases from the perspective of a coroner partnered with a great author. I feel mislead, this book reads like short summaries of previously well documented cases. where's the newness, the allure? Not here.
Maybe I've just read too many books and watched too many shows about infamous cases that my expectations are too high. This book was regurgitated facts in a slightly different package.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews