Calling All True Crime and Crime Noir Readers! Meet author James T. Bartlett in this virtual presentation where he will discuss his new true crime book, The Alaskan Blonde: Sex, Secrets, and the Hollywood Story that Shocked America.
Registration is required and can be completed online below. You may also register by calling 309.590.6168 or by visiting the Adult Services Desk in person. Registrants will receive an email confirmation which contains the link to join this online program.
The library has one copy of this book available to patrons. If you'd prefer to purchase your own copy of this book, local bookshop Bobzbay can order the book for you online at https://bit.ly/3OY2mN8. For local pick-up orders, email the shop at info@bobzbay.com
Cecil Wells, a wealthy Fairbanks businessman, was shot dead, and his wife Diane claimed they were the victims of a brutal home invasion. Blonde, glamorous, and 20 years younger than Cecil, the police were immediately suspicious of Diane's account, and the investigation soon turned toward her alleged lover, musician Johnny Warren. Now, almost 70 years later, journalist James T. Bartlett has uncovered new evidence, including an unpublished memoir and unseen photographs, and has re-examined the FBI files. Hear how he tracked down and met the people close to the case to reveal the story of “the most notorious and baffling murder in the history of Fairbanks.”
Originally from London, James T. Bartlett has been living in Los Angeles since 2004.
As a travel and lifestyle journalist and historian, he has written for the Los Angeles Times, BBC, Los Angeles Magazine, ALTA California, High Life, Hemispheres, Westways, American Way, Atlas Obscura, The Guardian, Daily Mirror, Real Crime, Ripperologist Magazine, History Ireland, Bizarre and Variety, among others.
In 2012 he published Gourmet Ghosts – Los Angeles, an alternative guide to the history and ghost stories behind some of the city’s oldest bars, restaurants and hotels, while 2016’s Gourmet Ghosts 2 focused on true crimes that took place at more of L.A.’s notable locations and eateries.