Vulgar Favors: The Assassination of Gianni Versace

by Maureen Orth, Dan Woren (Narrator)

Read the true story of the manhunt that inspired The Assassination of Gianni American Crime Story, the acclaimed FX series.
 
“The breadth and thoroughness of [Maureen] Orth’s research are often staggering.”—The New York Times
 
“Fascinating . . . ripe with chilling detail.”—Entertainment Weekly

On July 15, 1997, Gianni Versace was shot and killed on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. But months before Versace’s murder, award-winning journalist Maureen Orth was already investigating a major story on Cunanan for Vanity Fair. Culled from interviews with more than four hundred people and insights gleaned from thousands of pages of police reports, Vulgar Favors tells the complete story of Andrew Cunanan, his unwitting victims, and the moneyed world in which they lived . . . and died.

Orth reveals how Cunanan met Versace, and why police and the FBI repeatedly failed to catch him. Here is a gripping odyssey that races across America—from California’s wealthy gay underworld to modest Midwestern homes of families mourning the loss of their sons to South Beach and its unapologetic decadence. Vulgar Favors is at once a masterwork of investigative journalism and a riveting account of a sociopath, his crimes, and the mysteries he left along the way.

Genres: Nonfiction

Audible Audio

Published October 3, 2017

About the author

Maureen Ann Orth is an American journalist who largely covers stories pertaining to pop culture. Before beginning her career in journalism, she served in the Peace Corps in Medellín, Colombia, from 1964 to 1966. In 1983 she married the political journalist Tim Russert, whom she met at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. Russert died on June 13, 2008. They have a son, Luke, (b. 1985.)

Reviews

[Sharon Orlopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where were you in July 1997? I was aware of the murder of Gianni Versace in July 1997 but I wasn’t aware that he had been murdered by a serial killer, Andrew Cunanan.

Cunanan killed four men in several different states: Minnesota, Illinois, and New Jersey before fleeing to Florida. An FBI profiler mentioned that Cunanan might pull a “Ted Bundy” and flee to Florida. This train of thought was not pursued.

Author Maureen Orth was a Special Correspondent for Vanity Fair. She had already been reporting on Cunanan for two months when she traveled to Miami to report on Versace’s murder.

Orth’s research and in-depth reporting is riveting, especially the blunders and challenges of multi-state police departments and the FBI trying to solve a case together.

[Ashlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

decided to listen to this audiobook after recently watching the american crime story season about andrew cunanan's spree killings. the author clearly did tons of research in order to piece this thing together which i respect but the way she talked about gay men made it sound like she hated them 😹 kinda nuts how insane levels of police incompetence, mass hysteria about the killer being gay, and the lingering influence of the OJ trial amalgamated into gianni versace getting shot point blank outside his house

[rachamanda13 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The FX series based on this book blew my mind, so I knew I had to check out the book. Maureen's writing is so compelling and in depth! I have listened to this book at least 5 times (I think I get obsessed with audiobooks oops).

[Mai Vy Dang · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wordpress Is Justice Served review: https://isjusticeserved.wordpress.com...

[Luke Daehlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, the show on FX is actually better.