Valentino Affair: The Jazz Age Murder Scandal That Shocked New York Society and Gripped the World

by Colin Evans

Overview

In 1922, Rudolph Valentino was one of the most famous men alive. But few knew that the star had a dirty secret that he desperately wanted to bury. During the “most sensational trial of the decade,” millions devoured the juicy details of how a high-society marriage violently unraveled. Guglielmi, desperate to avoid further poisonous publicity, fled to California, changed his name to Rudolph Valentino, and the rest is Hollywood history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493050109
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/22/2020
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	1,067,792
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Colin Evans has written for the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel, History magazine, and the medical journal Scope. The author of 16 books on forensics and true crime he lives near Bath, England.

Table of Contents

Prologue ix

1 The Flower of the Andes 1

2 An American in Paris 14

3 The Wayward Husband 25

4 The Man from Italy 35

5 When Blanca Met the Signor 49

6 Enter Ms. Sawyer 59

7 "Revenge Should Have No Bounds" 73

8 "It Had to Be Done" 86

9 Let the Battle Commence 99

10 The Funeral 118

11 Indictment 133

12 Someone's Lying 148

13 Amnesia 157

14 Blanca Takes the Stand 172

15 "Flatter Him to Death" 185

16 The Medical Evidence 201

17 The Hypothetical Question 214

18 The Verdict 225

19 A Courtroom Bernhardt 240

Acknowledgments 260

Notes 261

Bibliography 284

Index 285

Editorial Reviews

"A narrative reminiscent of the background melodramas of The Great Gatsby or the musical Chicago ... A sordid narrative presented in brisk, entertaining fashion ... A well-researched tale of a distant-seeming era and crime, echoing our own time's obsession with celebrity transgression and capacity for justifying violence."—Kirkus Reviews"This meticulously reconstructed account ... features a lurid cast and copious melodrama."—Publishers WeeklyPraise for The Casebook of Forensic Detection:"Pithy, concise, and remarkably accurate." —Science Books & Films"A mystery novelist's essential resource guide." —Book News"Even the most dedicated devotee of the genre will find much that is new in these brief but exciting accounts." —Publishers WeeklyPraise for The Father of Forensics:"Evans's account … grips from the outset like a thriller. It is a riveting story." —Good Book Guide"A full plate of murder … Evans proves to be a verbally agile narrator of the macabre. … A page-turner." —BooklistPraise for Blood on the Table:"A fascinating story … complete with clues to be discovered, internal intrigue, cut-throat politics and lots of local color. Evans writes with vibrant detail … and keeps things clicking while sticking to the facts; true crime buffs will not want to miss it."—Publishers Weekly starred review"Pithy portraits … Rendering these grim stories with verve, Evans … again taps a loyal readership." —BooklistPraise for Slaughter on a Snowy Morn:"With a cast of characters brought to life in superb style, Evans cannot fail to keep you gripped until the very last page." —History Books Review"An astonishing story, and Colin Evans tells it with tremendous gusto. … He marshals all his research with great skill to produce a narrative as gripping and exciting as most thrillers." —Waterstones Quarterly"A detailed and very readable account" —The Crime Writers' Association

From the Publisher