Publication Date February 13, 2024

Although I was only ten years old at the time of the crime, I vividly remember the shocking death of Lana Turner’s boyfriend, Johnny Stompanato, and how Lana’s daughter Cheryl Crane was charged with the murder. Casey Sherman’s book A Murder in Hollywood is subtitled “the untold story of Tinseltown’s most shocking crime,” and purports to tell the real story about the event: that Lana stabbed Johnny then Cheryl took the rap because, had Lana been charged, she would possibly have gotten the death penalty.

The story is complicated before the murder: it includes extensive details about Lana’s rise to stardom, the studio system, the rise of Las Vegas as an entertainment center, and lots of crime and gangsters, including Mickey Cohen and Bugsy Siegel in addition to Stompanato. While it is categorized as true crime, there has been a lot of criticism about the author taking liberties with the facts in order to tell the story, which is just that: a STORY.

So, did Lana kill Johnny? Or did Cheryl? Before reading this, I wondered. After reading it, I was fairly convinced that Lana did it. Now, after thinking about it, I have no idea, but I was seriously entertained by Mr Sherman’s latest book. Thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review. Four stars.