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October 2022 MBR The Criminology Shelf
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Midwest Book Review
Nov 3, 2022, 1:43:47 PM11/3/22
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The Criminology Shelf
A Lovely Girl
Deborah Holt Larkin
https://deborahholtlarkin.com
Pegasus Crime
c/o Pegasus Books
www.pegasusbooks.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781639362448, $29.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lovely-Girl-Tragedy-Californias-Notorious/dp/1639362444
Synopsis: Deborah Larkin was only ten years old when the quiet calm of her California suburb was shattered. Thirty miles north, on a quiet November night in Santa Barbara, a pregnant nurse named Olga Duncan disappeared from her apartment. The mystery deepens when it is discovered that Elizabeth Duncan (Olga's mother in-law and a deeply manipulative and deceptive woman) had been doing everything in her power to separate Olga and her son, Frank, prior to Olga's disappearance.
From a forged annulment to multiple attempts to hire people to "get rid" of Olga, to a faked extortion case, Elizabeth seemed psychopathically attached to her son. Yet she denied having anything to do with Olga's disappearance with a smile.
But when Olga's brutally beaten body is found in a shallow grave, apparently buried alive, a young DA makes it his mission to see that Elizabeth Duncan is brought to justice. Adding a wrinkle to his efforts is the fact that Frank (himself a defense attorney) maintained his mother's innocence to the end.
How does a young girl process such a crime along with the fear and disbelief that rocked an entire community? Decades later, Larkin is determined to revisit the case and bring the story of Olga herself to light. Long overshadowed by the sensationalism and scandal of Elizabeth and Frank, "A Lovely Girl: The Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California's Most Notorious Killers" by Deborah Holt Larkin seeks to reveal Olga as a woman in full. Someone who was more than the twisted family that would ultimately ensnare her.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "A Lovely Girl: The Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California's Most Notorious Killers" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in the subjects of True Crime Memoirs. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Criminology collections, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that "A Lovely Girl" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212231510, $45.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Deborah Larkin (https://deborahholtlarkin.com) holds a bachelor's degree in American History and Literature from the University of California at Davis, and she studied creative writing at the University of California at San Diego. She has a master's degree in the Education of Exceptional Children from San Francisco State University. She has spent more than three decades teaching students with special needs before becoming an elementary school principal.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
A Lovely Girl
Deborah Holt Larkin
https://deborahholtlarkin.com
Pegasus Crime
c/o Pegasus Books
www.pegasusbooks.com
Blackstone Audiobooks
www.blackstoneaudio.com
9781639362448, $29.95, HC, 304pp
https://www.amazon.com/Lovely-Girl-Tragedy-Californias-Notorious/dp/1639362444
Synopsis: Deborah Larkin was only ten years old when the quiet calm of her California suburb was shattered. Thirty miles north, on a quiet November night in Santa Barbara, a pregnant nurse named Olga Duncan disappeared from her apartment. The mystery deepens when it is discovered that Elizabeth Duncan (Olga's mother in-law and a deeply manipulative and deceptive woman) had been doing everything in her power to separate Olga and her son, Frank, prior to Olga's disappearance.
From a forged annulment to multiple attempts to hire people to "get rid" of Olga, to a faked extortion case, Elizabeth seemed psychopathically attached to her son. Yet she denied having anything to do with Olga's disappearance with a smile.
But when Olga's brutally beaten body is found in a shallow grave, apparently buried alive, a young DA makes it his mission to see that Elizabeth Duncan is brought to justice. Adding a wrinkle to his efforts is the fact that Frank (himself a defense attorney) maintained his mother's innocence to the end.
How does a young girl process such a crime along with the fear and disbelief that rocked an entire community? Decades later, Larkin is determined to revisit the case and bring the story of Olga herself to light. Long overshadowed by the sensationalism and scandal of Elizabeth and Frank, "A Lovely Girl: The Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California's Most Notorious Killers" by Deborah Holt Larkin seeks to reveal Olga as a woman in full. Someone who was more than the twisted family that would ultimately ensnare her.
Critique: Exceptionally well written and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "A Lovely Girl: The Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California's Most Notorious Killers" will have a very special appeal to readers with an interest in the subjects of True Crime Memoirs. While especially and unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic library Criminology collections, it should be noted for students, academia, and non-specialist general readers that "A Lovely Girl" is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $18.99) and as a complete and unabridged audio book (Blackstone Audio, 9798212231510, $45.99, CD).
Editorial Note: Deborah Larkin (https://deborahholtlarkin.com) holds a bachelor's degree in American History and Literature from the University of California at Davis, and she studied creative writing at the University of California at San Diego. She has a master's degree in the Education of Exceptional Children from San Francisco State University. She has spent more than three decades teaching students with special needs before becoming an elementary school principal.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites, newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest Book Review a credit line when doing so.
The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines "California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch", "MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch". All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www (dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugalmuse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number, and list price).
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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