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The Wonderland Murders & the Secret History of Hollywood

By: Michael Connelly
Narrated by: Michael Connelly
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Publisher's summary

In this documentary podcast, best-selling crime novelist Michael Connelly returns to his roots in journalism and examines the Wonderland Murders, an iconic and brutal mass murder in a city known for its murders. Named for the street in Laurel Canyon where the murders took place inside the house of a small-time drug gang, it’s a gruesome crime that reflected its time, disrupted a mythology and tells a broader story of Los Angeles, the American dream machine, and when justice does - and doesn’t - work. And for the first time, the podcast accesses never revealed records and exclusive interviews with investigators, prosecutors and a notorious, “missing” witness who puts all the pieces together.
©2021 Miziker Content (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC
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Episodes
  • Trailer

    Trailer
    Jun 17 2021

    In this documentary podcast, best-selling crime novelist Michael Connelly returns to his roots in journalism and examines the Wonderland Murders, an iconic and brutal mass murder in a city known for its murders. Named for the street in Laurel Canyon where the murders took place inside the house of a small-time drug gang, it’s a gruesome crime that reflected its time, disrupted a mythology and tells a broader story of Los Angeles, the American dream machine, and when justice does - and doesn’t - work. And for the first time, the podcast accesses never revealed records and exclusive interviews with investigators, prosecutors and a notorious, “missing” witness who puts all the pieces together.

    The first two episodes of this podcast will release on July 1st, followed by a new episode added each week.
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    2 mins
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  • Episode 1 - The Unreliable Narrator

    Episode 1 - The Unreliable Narrator
    Jul 1 2021
    Forty years ago, four people were murdered in a house in Laurel Canyon, the place where a generation of music and inspiration had come from. The one person who was there at the planning of the Wonderland massacre and is still alive to tell the story agrees to reveal all - but can we believe him?
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    37 mins
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  • Episode 2 - It Was a Bloodbath

    Episode 2 - It Was a Bloodbath
    Jul 1 2021
    Scott Thorson is already back in Nevada by the time the police discover the bodies in the house on Wonderland Avenue. LAPD Detective Tom Lange and Bob Souza get the case and it takes them down into the miasma of the Hollywood underworld.
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    45 mins
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Audible Live: Michael Connelly in conversation with Michelle Collins

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Interview: Down the Rabbit Hole of a Notorious Hollywood Crime with Michael Connelly

The Wonderland Murders & the Secret History of Hollywood
'I just started feeling like I wanted to tell true stories again...'
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  • The Wonderland Murders & the Secret History of Hollywood
  • 'I just started feeling like I wanted to tell true stories again...'

About the Creator and Host

Michael Connelly was born in Philadelphia on July 21, 1956. He moved to Florida with his family when he was 12. He decided to become a writer after discovering the books of Raymond Chandler while attending the University of Florida. Once he decided on this direction he chose a major in journalism and a minor in creative writing—a curriculum in which one of his teachers was novelist Harry Crews.
After graduating in 1980, Connelly worked at newspapers in Daytona Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, primarily specializing in the crime beat. In Fort Lauderdale he wrote about police and crime during the height of the murder and violence wave that rolled over South Florida during the so-called cocaine wars. In 1986, he and two other reporters spent several months interviewing survivors of a major airline crash. They wrote a magazine story on the crash and the survivors, which was short-listed for the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing. The magazine story also moved Connelly into the upper levels of journalism, landing him a job as a crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times and bringing him to the city of which his literary hero, Chandler, had written.
Connelly is the best-selling author of 36 and one work of nonfiction. With over 80 million copies of his books sold worldwide and translated into 40 foreign languages, he is one of the most successful writers working today. His very first novel, The Black Echo, won the prestigious Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award for Best First Novel in 1992. In 2002, Clint Eastwood directed and starred in the movie adaptation of Connelly’s 1998 novel, Blood Work. In March 2011, the movie adaptation of his #1 best-selling novel The Lincoln Lawyer, hit theaters worldwide starring Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Haller. His most recent #1 New York Times best sellers include Dark Sacred Night, Two Kinds Of Truth, The Late Show, The Wrong Side Of Goodbye, The Crossing, The Burning Room, The Gods of Guilt, and The Black Box. Connelly’s crime fiction career was honored with the Diamond Dagger from the Crime Writers’ Association in 2018.
Connelly is the executive producer of Bosch, an Amazon Studios original drama series based on his best-selling character Harry Bosch, starring Titus Welliver. Bosch streams on Amazon Prime Video. He is the creator and host of the podcast Murder Book. He is also the executive producer of the documentary films Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story and Tales of the American. He spends his time in California and Florida.

What listeners say about The Wonderland Murders & the Secret History of Hollywood

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Very Interesting and Well Done

I'm a huge fan of Michael Connelly, and I had listened to his previous true crime podcast Murder Book, so this was a must listen for me. I hadn't heard too much beyond peripheral stories about this case, so it a very interesting case and the podcast is really well done and good information and interviews. I certainly recommend it.

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Profile Image for L. Brobeck

I love it all~

This is great. I love seedy Hollywood stories, and this true crime podcast really fits the bill. I've been a Michael Connelly fan for ages, and his growly voice just adds dimension to The Wonderland Murders, like you're sitting across from him in the back of a dark bar listening to him talk.
Hearing from the people involved with law enforcement at the time and this case in particular makes this listen even more interesting and enjoyable. Just finished Ep5; on the edge of my seat waiting for Ep6 to come out!

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held my interest

well done. liked the narration. easy listening. try it you'll like it ok ok ok

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Profile Image for Stephen M. Silverman

Favorite

I’ve read and enjoyed many Michael Connelly audiobooks. This is my favorite probably because of Connelly’s personal narration.

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Quite informative

So interesting! I loved Michael Connelly’s investigative work! Great listen! Thanks Mr. Connelly, cant wait to hear your next one.

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Profile Image for Richard Bullentini

Fantastic!

Love it! I'm in!

Michael Connelly has done it again....great true story. Well done (again).

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Profile Image for Barbara Eggar

Michael Connelly is the only one that who could have told this story

This podcast takes a hard look at Hollywood, the drug epidemic in the 70’s and 80’s and how so many people are involved in a single event. As a police officer in the time frame involved, I have learned the ins and outs of this case as only an insider can tell the story. Michael Connelly, with the expertise shared by law enforcement officers, took a hard look at all the players involved in this crime. He has been honest with the story that he has told. He has not sugar coated, nor has he exaggerated the facts….
Honored to have known many of the officers who were involved in this investigation. Their tireless work toward the truth is not unnoticed.
Thank you all for your efforts and participation in this pod cast.
Anxious for the next one….

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Profile Image for Melanie A Saucedo

love this podcast awesome reporting!

loved it so awesome so detailed! I would recommend this to anyone it's a great true crime listen!

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Profile Image for Paula

Error in location description.

Not a review, but a correction of fact. The Manson murders were NOT in Beverly Glen; Cielo Dr. is in Benedict Canyon.

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Profile Image for cfa

Great Narration! Hard-boiled story of the grimy LA

This is really interesting; narrated in a cool, matter -of -fact manner that lets the events stand in their own very dark drama. Great job, Michael Connelly. The idea of podcasts left me cold: never thought they could be so captivating. This has the grit and grime of hard-boiled fiction with the polished delivery of film noir. Very varied sources bring a wide mix of voices and insights to the various scenes and players. Obviously very deeply researched. Just one former undercover policewoman's inclusion solely to describe Eddie Nash's manner and hygiene (spoiler alert: not so good) in a brief encounter with the sleazebag in his element paints him so vividly.

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