The Alaskan Blonde

Sex, Secrets, and the Hollywood Story that Shocked America

By: James T. Bartlett

Narrated by: Tom Lennon

Anthony Awards - Nominee, Best NonFiction 2023

National Indie Excellence Awards - Winner, True Crime 2023

Next Generation Indie Book Awards - Finalist, True Crime 2023

Nicknamed “the most beautiful woman in Alaska”, 31-year-old Diane Wells was bruised and bloodied when she screamed for help in the early hours of October 17, 1953. Her husband Cecil, a wealthy Fairbanks businessman, had been shot dead, and she claimed they were the victims of a brutal home invasion.

Blonde, glamorous, and 20 years younger than Cecil, police were immediately suspicious of Diane's account, and the investigation soon turned toward her alleged lover, Black musician Johnny Warren, who had left town the night of the murder.

The scandal hit the pages of Newsweek, Life, Ebony, Jet, and the pulp detective magazines, and nearly 70 years later, journalist James T. Bartlett uncovers new evidence including an unpublished memoir, unseen photographs, and re-examines the FBI files. He tracks down and interviews the people close to Cecil, Diane, Johnny, and the mysterious “Third Suspect”, dance instructor William Colombany, to reveal the story of “the most notorious and baffling murder in the history of Fairbanks".

©2023 James Taran Bartlett (P)2023 James Taran Bartlett

Critic reviews

"[W]hile Bartlett's writing style is more reportorial than literary—he is a reporter after all—he tells that story well." (Anchorage Daily News)

"[W]ell worth your time if you're a true crime aficionado." (Charles Salzberg, author of Devil in the Hole)

"An interesting prowl through pills and pistols; drummers and dead men." (Glynn Martin, co-author with James Ellroy of best-selling L.A.P.D.'53)

Thoroughly researched

I enjoyed this story immensely and heard about it from the podcast “Wicked Words” by Kate Winkler Dawson. The narrator’s voice was a bit boring at times, but the story was fascinating.

I thought it was interesting

I thought this was interesting, I had never heard of this story. It was interesting to see how the police handled things back then and how far we have come. I understand that most is hear say because no one is really still alive to tell the story. It is sad that so many lives were touched by this and if things had been different how their lives might have been better, turned out better. I did get confused at times, and at times my mind did wonder but beside that it was a good listen.

I thought the narrator did a good job, there were no character voices but they were not needed. There were no volume changes, no repeating of words, no background noise. Was a clear audio, the narrator has a nice normal voice which is very steady and goes well with the story. I thought he did a good job, pausing when it was called for.

Great look at life in 1953 Alaska

There was never a trial, and even after reading all the information, I have no strong opinion in who actually committed the murder. Still this is a great read about an event little know today and filled with lots of interesting characters. Pre Statehood Alaska is also fascinating to learn about.