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Book Review of A Cast of Killers

A Cast of Killers
gaslight avatar reviewed One man's inquiry about a true Hollywood crime on + 145 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1


Although there have been other and more solid theories out there about the motive and perpetrators of director William Desmond Taylor's murder in 1922, this one has an added level of interest because Kirkpatrick tells the story of a high-level sleuth. King Vidor, well-known director and contemporary of Taylor's, investigated the crime over the course of decades and this book is the result of that inquiry. As I said, the finale is not completely convincing (and may be a bit of a cop-out), but for anyone interested in Hollywood's dark side in the 20s, this is a great read. Considering we have no way of knowing exactly who killed Taylor, this theory is as valid as many others in circulation.