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This searing true crime narrative captures all of the courtroom drama of California's first insanity plea, sparked in 1927 by a crime that horrified the nation and a trial that transfixed it, putting Hollywood's influential young movie industry on the stand for one deranged man's murder of a young girl.
About the author
David G. Wilson worked for thirty years in the San Francisco Bay area with his own company providing investigative services. He was hired twice by the US Senate to investigate political corruption involving elected officials. In 1989 he made the first of seven trips to the West African Rain Forrest where he studied the philosophy, theology and rituals of the indigenous shamans. Based on these studies he has written ten books on traditional Yoruba culture and has lectured extensively on the topic. He lived for five years in Mexico where he studied the system of pyramids built throughout South America. He is currently living in New Mexico exploring sacred sites and working as a Jazz musician. He has three children and four grandchildren.
Summary
This searing true crime narrative captures all of the courtroom drama of California's first insanity plea, sparked in 1927 by a crime that horrified the nation and a trial that transfixed it, putting Hollywood's influential young movie industry on the stand for one deranged man's murder of a young girl.
Foreword
- Print and e-ARC distribution to trade and consumer media, both traditional and online
- Social media marketing on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads giveaways
- Outreach to true crime community for features (fan-oriented sites/publications/media) including Sword & Scale, Dan Zupansky’s True Crime Radio, The Lineup, io9 True Crime, and Criminal Element
- Pitches to history podcasts, including The Memory Palace, Footnoting History, and Stuff You Should Know
Additional text
"In his true crime debut, private investigator Wilson does an extraordinarily thorough job of contextualizing Hickman’s crimes and trial...a fascinating account." —Booklist
"In an in-depth look at a shocking crime and landmark case, David Wilson lays bare a time in our early mass media history when society is often presented as being safer and more peaceful, showing that the “peace” of that time had more to do with our inability to know our neighbors and their lives behind closed doors. Did our modern media set monsters loose among us, or merely bring them out into the open?" --Anthony Flacco, New York Times bestselling author
"A grisly true crime set in the midst of 1920s Hollywood politics and powerplays results in a serious look at film violence and its affect on society--yesterday and today."--Suzy Spencer, New York Times bestselling author
