The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood

Bestselling crime novelist, Michael Connelly, takes us on a wild journey into the twisted story of the massacre at Wonderland Avenue on July 1, 1981 – one of Hollywood’s most famous murder cases that has fascinated people for more than 40 years. The case symbolized an era in Los Angeles – involving sex, drugs, rock n’ roll… and murder. It is the real-life story that inspired Boogie Nights.

 

As the investigation unfolds, a colorful cast of characters emerges – famous porn star John Holmes, drug dealers and kingpins, mafiosos, televangelists and multiple celebrities, including Liberace and his boyfriend, enigma Scott Thorson.

 

In a game of cat-and-mouse, Connelly tries to pin down the facts of Thorson’s many larger-than-life and stranger-than-fiction stories. After four decades, Thorson’s interview may be the last to help distinguish between the crime and the truth.

 

But do we believe him?