A Lovely Girl

The Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California’s Most Notorious Killers

De: Deborah Holt Larkin

Narrado por: Kate Mulligan

The incredible story of a 1958 murder that ended with the last woman to ever be executed in California—a murder so twisted it seems ripped from a Greek tragedy

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 Olga’s mother-in-law—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 excoriation 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 innocent to the end.

How does a young girl process such a crime along with the fear and disbelieve 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 seeks to reveal Olga as a woman in full—someone who was more than the twisted family that would ultimately ensnare her.

As we follow the heart-pounding drama of the case through Larkin’s young eyes—her father was the court reporter—A Lovely Girl makes the listener reexamine how we handle fear, how we regard mental illness, and how we understand family as we carve our own path in a dangerous world.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Deborah Holt Larkin (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Engrossing

I have listened to many true crime stories. This book was so easy to follow and listen to and all the various people were so relatable and real (yes, I know they were actual people). You know a book is a great read when you know the outcome but are totally engrossed. Your father would have been so proud!

Great listen!

It was a very thorough and interesting story about the case. You can tell that a lot of research was done before writing the book.

Very Interesting Story

This is an unusual format about a true crime story that covers the details from a different point of view. I especially enjoyed the way that the story covered a horrific crime that was previously unknown to me but didn't leave everything heavy and sad. Of course the murder of a young woman is terrible and sad but there was a lot of other parts that made the story bearable. It also brings up whether the death penalty is really worthwhile since at no time has it shown to deter crime. I have long struggled with the death penalty because even one death of an innocent person is too much but this made me think about it further.

Such great writing!

She captures you from the very beginning and holds you through the whole book. Seriously, it’s a page-turner.

Interested in the story not the author's story.

The story was held hostage by the author's need to tell her own personal story thereby ruining it all.

Loved

This was such an enjoyable listen about a gruesome murder in my little home town

Not for true crime fans

The chapters rotate between authors childhood stories and the actual crime. I just started skipping her cutsie chapters, making the book much shorter and less satisfying.

Factual and Funny

While the events in this book are tragic, the story is told well and the portrayal of the justice system is factual. The humorous interactions within the Holt family made me laugh.

The investigation and trial for murder was a fascinating return to the 1950s.

Unfortunately (for me at least) the book is structured in rwo parts. Every other chapter is written in the voice of what seems to be about a 10-year-old girl while the second is a reporter's view of horrific events and the search for Justice. Once I figured this out, I skipped over the little girl and went for the reporter. I found that well worth my time.

memoirs and researched legal historu

descriptions from author's memory and the researched legal case summary. her parents and sister were real folk and were recalled