The Fixer

 

I feel like I already know Fred Otash from reading James Ellroy's books, but of course those are fiction. 

Manfred met Otash a few years before he died, he lived in the same community as Manfred's parents. Otash was writing a book about his life as an officer with the LAPD, and then as the Private Eye to the stars. Everyone in Hollywood knew if you had a problem that needed immediate, discreet attention, you called Otash. Which is what Peter Lawford did when he discovered Marilyn Monroe's dead body. Otash had the house bugged and heard what happened to her, which Manfred didn't disclose in this book (or I missed it somehow). 

After Otash's sudden death, Manfred tried to get his book published, but no one wanted to touch it. Certain powerful people didn't want their dirty laundry aired. I hope it does see the light of day, I'd love to read it. But for now, this will do. Very fascinating. 

Split Image

 

Poor Tony Perkins. I don't think the man ever really knew *who* he was, he had to pretend to be someone else for so long. 

His father, actor Osgood Perkins, died when he was just a little boy and he was raised by his mother, Janet (everyone called her Jane). In her middle and later years, Jane lived with another woman, and everyone suspected they were lovers. Tony was gay and had boyfriends, like Tab Hunter, but he also dated women. According to a lot of folks the author talked to, Tony was into some wild stuff. Who really knows though? Tony also talked longingly about marriage and children, and when he married photographer Berry Berenson not long after he turned 40, his close friends were mystified. 

Tony and Berry seemed happy, though, and had two sons: Osgood and Elvis. His career never really did reach the peaks he thought he should after "Psycho". He died of AIDS related complications in 1992. Although his wife and sons did not contract the disease, Berry died in 9/11. 

Hunger to Kill

 

This was an interesting true crime book written by the lead detective who ended up catching a serial killer in Ohio. Shawn Grate killed five women (or more, he confessed to five). He kidnapped and abused a sixth woman, who was thankfully able to make a 911 call that led the police to the house. They rescued her, and Detective Mager interviewed Grate. 

What really struck me about this book is how people don't have a support network. For instance, one young woman he murdered had an ex-boyfriend and two young children with him. She left home one day and called several times a week until she just stopped in 2006. Her family and friends assumed she had just moved on, but she was actually dead. Her body wasn't discovered until 2015. That's so incredibly sad to me. Those poor kids, growing up, thinking their mom just abandoned them. No one calling the authorities to report her missing. Everyone just assuming she wrote off her old life. What a horrible tragedy all the way around, and then these sick people who prey on vulnerable people like her. At least he's behind bars where he can't hurt anyone else. 

You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight; Midnight is the Darkest Hour

So two that were kind of meh. "You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight" is an ode to slasher films of the 80s. Charity has an awesome job: she works at Camp Mirror Lake, where fans of the film pay to be scared out of their minds. Charity and her coworkers dress up as victims and killers every night and scare the bejesus out of a new group of paying tourists. I would sincerely apply for this job right now if it really existed. 

What Charity doesn't know is that Camp Mirror Lake isn't just a filming location for a cheesy movie, it really was a summer camp, and a whole lot of people died there over the years until it was shut down. Charity's coworkers are disappearing at an alarming rate. But Charity is the Final Girl in the simulation, and Final Girls don't die. I felt like it was a pretty good ride until close to the ending, the resolution just didn't stick right. 

"Midnight is the Darkest Hour" was a different beast. It was a super slow start, but I did like the somewhat ambiguous ending. 

Ruth lives in Louisiana, in a small, backwards town where her preacher father's word reigns supreme. Her father is an old-school fire and brimstone, women belong in the kitchen, type of a guy, so Ruth wasn't allowed to date or even go off to college. She did make a friend in high school: a boy named Everett, an outsider due to his alcoholic, non-church going father. She and Ever share a terrible secret: they killed a man who attacked her. After high school Ever left town while Ruth moved out of her parent's house and started working at the library. Ever comes back to town every once in a while and Ruth always looks forward to seeing him. 

Several prominent townspeople have been murdered, and Ruth's father stirs up the town against Everett. Ruth is determined to defend him, even if it means throwing away everything she's ever known.