A life taken. A body desecrated. Authorities scouring for leads. A hunt for the perpetrator. With luck, justice. The aftermath of murder is bluntly obvious; but what is the root of these horrific acts? And is the City of Angels evil’s Eden?
Evil’s Eden transcends common true-crime voyeurism with a curated collection of mayhem featuring only murders in Los Angeles. The author turns noir myths on their heads, connecting the dots on the evidence board to reveal new angles on “whodunit” and why.
Infamous cases of homicidal madness in sunny paradise haunt Tinseltown’s history:
- Chinese Massacre of 1871
- Brutal slaying of matinee idol Ramon Novarro
- The Black Dahlia
- Little Marion Parker
- Creepy cults and creepier followers
- Manson Family killing spree
- The Night Stalker
- Greystone Mansion murder-suicide
- High-profile homicide trial of Phil Spector
Shivved between the ribs of these real-world horrors is the fictional fable of one particular evil spanning continents and generations. A dynasty in the land of infinite promise began in the usual manner: with a theft and a lie. In 1842, the first Fitzhampton rose from fabricated origins at an Irish port, bound for America, escaping a bevy of misdeeds. His American-born son moved ever westward to Southern California where, fueled by unfettered greed and carnal appetites, he built an empire upon the bones of the swindled and murdered. The Fitzhamptons became a vaunted early Los Angeles founding family, leaving a legacy of perfected wickedness that lives on.
A diabolical brew of L.A. true crimes and a torqued tale of one particular malevolence, these stories explore cults, drugs, graphic crime scenes, homophobia, kidnapping, mutilation, mass deaths, mental illness, racial conflict, rape, robbery, bad parenting, substance abuse, suicide, victim blaming, and all things murder and mayhem. Readers sensitive to these elements, please take note as you prepare to enter Evil’s Eden.
Available now:
BUY EVIL’S EDENAbout the book:
EVIL’S EDEN: Only Murders in Los Angeles
by Guillermo X. Márquez
Genre: true crime, California history, ghost stories
ISBN: 979-8-9886020-8-8 (paperback) | 979-8-9886020-9-5 (ebook)
Published August 18, 2025