The Fixer: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn

by Josh Young, Manfred Westphal

A riveting tell-all biography that delves into the extraordinary life of Hollywood’s most infamous private detective and “fixer” to the stars, revealing newly discovered shocking revelations from his never-before-seen investigative files. 

During the height of Hollywood’s golden age, one man lorded over the city’s lurid underbelly of forbidden sin and celebrity scandal like no Fred Otash. An ex-Marine turned L.A.P.D. vice cop, Otash became the most sought-after private detective and fixer to the stars by specializing in the dark arts that would soon dominate the entertainment industry.  

Otash was notorious for bugging the homes, offices, and playpens of movie stars, kingmakers, and powerful politicians, employing then state-of-the-art methods of electronic surveillance and wiretapping for a who’s who list of clients for whom he’d do “anything short of murder.”  He lied to federal authorities to protect Frank Sinatra from criminal liability; recorded Rock Hudson’s coming out confession to his estranged wife; moved in with Judy Garland to help her get sober; taped President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy’s tragic love affairs with the greatest sex symbol of all time, and he listened to Marilyn Monroe die.
 
Based on Otash’s never-before-seen investigative files and personal archives, THE FIXER takes readers inside the sensational and nefarious world of the man whose art imitating life inspired the private eye characters portrayed by Jack Nicholson in Chinatown and Russell Crowe in LA Confidential.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, True Crime, Film, Biography Memoir, Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

First published April 16, 2024

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My final read of 2024!

I've heard of Fred Otash. If you read anything surrounding Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedys, then you know the name. He was a private investigator during the 1940s through the 1960s. If you are to believe him, he knew every major Hollywood star. He saved Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland's life once. This man was one of the most important men you've never heard of....According to him.

I believe some of his story and alot of it is made up or exaggerated. I do believe that he spied on Hollywood stars and gay stars probably lived in fear of men like him.

Do I believe that he listened to Bobby Kennedy( The father not the one with brain worms) kill Marilyn Monroe?

No.

The Fixer is an entertaining read. If you believe him it's entertaining and if you don't believe him it's still highly entertaining. Fred Otash was a smart man and a hustler. I think he jumped on the Marilyn was killed by Kennedys money train that took off in the 1980s and he rode that bitch to the end.

The most entertaining part of this book for me is just how awful Fred comes across. He died in 1992 and this book was published this year by a family friend. That friend Manfred Westphal loved Fred and respected him...and yet Fred still comes across as a terrible human being. This man outed several gay celebrities to the magazine Confidential. He took shakedowns as a member of the LAPD. I find it hilarious when someone doesn't realize how they come across to others.

You know I love books in the Marilyn Monroe was killed by the Kennedys/ the Mafia genre.....stay tuned I'm going to be reading a book I've had my eye on for years. The Fixer is another great addition to that list.

If you like the seedier side of Old Hollywood, than I think you'll love The Fixer.

[John Schorg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Telling the story of a "fixer" who helps dig up dirt should make for interesting reading, but this is truly an odious book. Readers are asked to find some type of honor in a man who lies constantly and engages in illegal wiretapping on a rampant basis. Sorry, but no. And, could we just give a rest to the idea that the life and death of Marilyn Monroe deserves more scrutiny?

[Cynthia Guerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. The title and cover alone got me interested! The man who knew how Marilyn died?! Yes I am in! Table for one please ! There were so many juicy tidbits in this book! I kept googling names and faces so I could keep up with the story. This was a page turner !! I didnt want to put it down!

[Leslie Zemeckis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent in death look at famed Fred Otash LAPD and private investigator that knew the dirt on Marilyn and the Kennedy’s and so much more

[morgan ☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Otash saw a somewhat delusional but also defenseless woman, a woman who had never meant anyone any harm in her life now playing with something that could kill her when all she wanted was to be loved"

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unsatisfying rehash of a few major Hollywood scandals, seen through the eyes of a lying and cheating former L.A. cop who secretly audio recorded the private lives of the rich and famous. You've heard all of these stories before, this volume simply adds the former cop's perspective through an unpublished manuscript that was given to coauthor and family friend Westphal.

There are many problems with how this is assembled, the main one being that the writers expect us to all agree up front to believe the cheating rat of a cop's manuscript. It's rarely quoted in this book but is the basis for the reworded commentary done by the writers. Namely, a couple modern guys trying to sell a book of old scandals summarizing what a crooked lawman claimed to have happened 60 to 80 years ago--why shouldn't we believe that, right?

There are some interesting tidbits, all about dead celebrities, such as Milton Berle having sex with the young Marilyn Monroe, or the disgusting Kennedy brothers screwing any blonde bimbo (often 3 or 4 a day) while they were supposedly on official government business.

One thing you'll take away from this book if you have a brain and a heart--John F. Kennedy was a horrible human being, immoral and unethical, but even worse was Attorney General Bobby Kennedy, the supposed upholder of the nation's laws who did everything he could to break them without being discovered.

The Kennedy's complicated Mafia ties, fake family-men persona, and bad personal behavior (one of them got Monroe pregnant and sent her to Mexico for an abortion) should give every voter pause to consider that no matter what they claim in public, immoral liberal leaders are doing wrong in their private lives and screwing the American people by breaking laws in order to live their posh lifestyle often funded by our tax dollars.

There are some Republicans that get ripped a bit in the book as well (their simplistic take on Nixon is a bad attempt at balance), but in most cases the serious offenses occur when Democrat-supporting left-wing stars, politicians, mob thugs, and union leaders break laws and kill (or threaten to) in order to cover up their illegal, immoral, and unethical activities, often unknowingly paid for by you and me.

Namely, don't trust any of them. Period. But put the least amount of trust in the rich liberals who claim to be working for the disenfranchised or working class. It's all a game to them, using whoever they want in order to gain status and money while presenting a public image that is the opposite. Think Bill and Hilary Clinton, only much much worse.

Don't trust these authors, either. There are mistakes in the book. For example, they claim that in "early 1956" Otash met someone for breakfast at "a popular local haunt with a litany of loyal showbiz patrons...Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, and James Garner were among its myriad of movie star regulars." Oh really? That's odd since Garner didn't even start his film career until a small role in a movie released in October of 1956, and though he had done a little TV he wouldn't hit it big until Maverick in 1957. So much for accuracy in their details.

They also claim to have a "never-before-seen original transcript" of Rock Hudson talking with his then-wife about his homosexuality. But portions of it have already appeared in a previous book that exposed the fact that Phyllis Gates was very aware of Rock's affairs with men.

The book's subject, the late Fred Otash, can no longer speak for himself, but the authors put words in his mouth by summarizing what the former cop claims happened based on secret recordings he made of Monroe, the Kennedys, terrible Kennedy in-law Peter Lawford, and many others for whom he planted bugs. Otash also worked for Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, some Mafia bosses, media companies, famous attorneys, and the movie industry executives that wanted things like Rock Hudson's sexuality hidden from the public. They ALL were (and are) in on the cover-up. One of the things I found most odd was that the guy could work for both sides of a dispute--he could be hired to bug a celebrity's home and then get hired by that same celebrity to get dirt on the bad guys.

The authors spout unfounded opinions throughout. There are no footnotes, so you have to go to the back of the book to glance at page references that give broad attribution to sources. But little in the text is in quotes, so this is all done as an interpretation by the writers.

Some of the stories are outlandish and unprovable. I'm not sure how some of this got past lawyers because dead stars with famous current family members are exposed as liars, cheats, sexist pigs, lawbreakers, and extortionists. The Kennedy clan must just simply look the other way. The writers say Jayne Mansfield was bedded by JFK long before the then-Senator had sex with Monroe--why doesn't Mansfield's daughter Mariska Hargitay do something legally about the gossip appearing in this book?

Then the authors add this hilariously misguided note: "Unlike today, if a presidential candidate was caught having an adulterous in flagrante delicto affair with a movies star in 1960, their political aspirations would be dead on arrival." Do they mean like if today Donald Trump was caught with a porn star he could still get elected president? While that may be true in a minor last-minute revelation before an election scenario, try defending the other politicians in recent years that were caught in less-than-famous affairs but that quickly left or were forced out of public office.

The book The Fixer needs a lot of fixing and is only worth reading if you like a few more specifics about long well-known Hollywood scandals.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Otash started out in LAPD, then went solo. His stories of old LA are interesting, but the information he has about the death of Marilyn Monroe is riveting. I was amazed at how many people asked Otash to “bug” her house, including Marilyn herself.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read about Mr. Otash and his involvement with the police department and then as a private investigator. I remember hearing about him and Marilyn Monroe. It was always said he had a recording of her death. This book was really good and well written. Lots of interesting juicy tidbits about stars. Highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my thoughts.

[Russell Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was younger, there was a sleazy scandal magazine called Confidential. I was aware of it, but I never saw a copy. To me, it was unfounded tripe about Hollywood stars. The Fixer: Moguls, Mobsters, Movie Stars, and Marilyn tells the story of private investigator Fred Otash, who, at one time, actually did the fact-checking for this scandal rag. This book purports that the stories were indeed true, thanks to Otash. Authors Josh Young and Manfred Westphal tell us how a World War II Marine became a Los Angeles policeman, then became a fact-checker, and then became a private investigator involved in some of the biggest scandals of old Hollywood, helping to whitewash and cover up details. The book seems to be fashioned as an old-timey scandal rag. When I picked it up, I saw pages that had smeared and spattered ink on the edges and was disgusted with myself for not seeing this defect and sending the book back during the return window, declaring it defective. But then I realized this was how the first page of each chapter was printed. It was a stylistic decision to, I assume, make the book look more like yellow-journalism. And that, despite the author’s attempt at portraying Otash as a proud veteran and loving father, to me, is exactly what this book is…yellow journalism at its worst. Granted, anyone whom Otash dealt with is no doubt long dead as is he, but bringing up this gossip—true or not—now seems to me just a way to sell a book. We know Rock Hudson was gay, we know Judy Garland was a drug addict, we know Lana Turner dated a mobster whom either she or her daughter stabbed to death, and, God deliver us, we know Marilyn Monroe was sleeping with the Kennedys, both Bobby and Jack. So why re-hash it all, giving details of our Otash either discovered the facts and/or covered them up? The authors want us to see Otash as a colorful character, a wonderful man who dealt in sleaze for the “greater good.” I, for one, don’t care. Sleaze is sleaze. And knowing further about the private lives of beloved icons just sullies them. At this point, I could care less how Hudson treated his wife, how Garland acted when doped up, whether Lana killed her lover or not, and how Marilyn died and why. I prefer to revel in Rock’s performances, soar to Judy’s music, love Lana’s star-turn in Imitation of Life, and see Marilyn as a fine actress and beautiful person who died far too soon.

[Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really makes you wonder about the Monroe, Kennedy, Hoffa, FBI, mafia connections

[Andrew Ney · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fixer is a book about well known PI Fred Otash that was stuck in development hell for 20 plus years. It's scandalous premise scared away any publishers at the time of Otash's death in 1990. The book's information is sourced from Otash's private collection of recordings, videos and pictures collected over 30 plus years of work. This included many audio tapes related to Marilyn Monroe and her relationship with the Kennedys. There is a whole chapter dedicated to the day of her death, with exact quotes from Monroe, Bobby Kennedy and Peter Lawford. On top of all the juicy details on Monroe over the course of multiple decades, fellow stars have their dirty laundry aired out, such as Frank Sinatra, Rock Hudson, Lana Turner and others from Hollywoods Golden Era. We get first hand stories of the sleaziness of Hollywood and its countless predatory produces and actors. Mob ties are mentioned, particularly with Sinatra and the Kennedys. I really loved the authenticity of this book, providing details in an unbiased manner, in such ways a private investigator would treat a case they were working on. This book did well in presented Otash as a man with a strong moral code, despite his line of work. On many occasions his love for friends and family was highlighted, as he would often do whatever it took to protect his loved ones. A strong recommendation for anyone who loves Hollywood, sleaziness and scandal.

[Candida · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow what an interesting life. This book started out slow and had a good ole boy kind of tone. But as the book developed it got to be more interesting. It offers some merit to some of the stories that are only now starting to get the recognition they deserve.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hollywood gossip private investigator rubs shoulders with the stars. Teenager me who read all the movie magazines loved it!

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“There are three sides to every story: your side, my side and the truth. And no one is lying. Memories shared serve each differently.”

Fred Otash was Hollywoods favorite private investigator in the 50s and 60s! He was trusted by most and he knew everybody! If something went wrong, he was there to fix it, cover it up and/or keep it out of the tabloids. He’s also one of the first (if not THE first) to use the disguised Van/surveillance technique for recording purposes. The name drops in this biography are endless and so many mentioned are favorites of mine.

The stories in this book are fascinating and any old Hollywood fan will enjoy them. My problem was that I liked the stories, but didn’t love the Fred parts as much. He had an absolutely fascinating job, but I was way more interested in Lana Turners 14 year old daughter stabbing Lana’s boyfriend to death than Fred’s love life (as most people would be.) Because of this, I ended up skimming Fred’s regular life bits just to get to the next juicy story. (Living with Judy Garland for a month to help her get sober, the transcript of Rock Hudson coming out to his wife…etc). The biggest story was the fact that Marilyn Monroe had asked Fred to wire her home so she had some recordings of the Kennedys in the event she needed them as leverage. According to him, her death was caught on tape and he relays what was heard in this book. Now, I know that the next tenants after her death found recording equipment in her ceiling during a remodel so we do know for fact she was being recorded and to me, there’s no reason not to believe that that was Fred’s equipment. What he claims he heard, is also along the lines of what I already believed happened so I have no trouble believing him.
I was also frustrated with a few parts where it states Fred knew something that happened(such as what REALLY happened with Lana Turner and her daughter) but because the authors didn’t have those notes, they couldn’t tell us what exactly it was. I would have rather it just be left out rather than it mentioned and then dropped.

Overall, I liked the book, I just didn’t love it. Solid 3 ⭐️

#thefixer #fredotash #marilynmonroe #thekennedys

[Richard Schaefer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book sadly disappointed me at every turn. It promised to share revelations about Freddie Otash’s many celebrity clients, but it was just a rehashing of Otash’s self-aggrandizing memoir Investigation Hollywood! I didn’t do a page by page comparison but I read that earlier book recently enough that, at times, I felt like this offered the exact same stories but with “I” turned to “he.” And even if they were told slightly differently, these were definitely the same anecdotes as Otash’s book; they might make for fun drinking stories, but you expect a heck of a lot more from a book written by a third party. The implied bombshell revelations about Marilyn Monroe’s death are nothing new, either, although they at least make the most interesting part of the book. Look, it’s been long enough we can all agree it was RFK, right? Right. I had high hopes for this book; after all, Otash was Hollywood’s private eye to the stars! But, alas, his secrets died with him.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 Stars*
The Fixer tells the story of Fred Otash, Hollywood's favourite private investigator during the 50s and 60s, a person who was trusted by a lot of people to fix things or to investigate things when problems arose within Hollywood or within the wealthy class. He used a variety of surveillance techniques and was one of the first to use some techniques that led to some ground-breaking investigative work. While all was not necessarily up to snuff, this book certainly name-drops and I was fascinated by some of things that went on behind the scenes.

The book focuses on the life of Fred Otash and how he built up his business. The stories are quite fascinating and if you love anything about old Hollywood, you will certainly enjoy the stories that are told in this book. Because the book is focused on Fred, a lot of the scandalous stories that are mentioned within this book can leave the reader somewhat frustrated as that is not necessarily the role of the book. To say there were some juicy parts is an understatement however, as Fred knew most of the players in Hollywood during this time period. He stayed with Judy Garland for over a month to help her get sober and I really enjoyed reading about his relationship with her and her children. He was friends with Lana Turner and had to help her when she got entangled with the mob. I read this book specifically because I was interested in his relationship with Marilyn Monroe and what insights he could add to her life; to say she was used is an understatement. And the Kennedy boys, don't even get me started. They may have been good politicians, but their personals lives were a mess. And while Otash states quite firmly that Marilyn's Monroe's death was caught on tape in this book, the details are still quite vague which shows the fear that still exists in Hollywood today if the truth got out. There is no doubt that she was being recorded as future tenants found recording devices in the home, but it shows the power that existed in Hollywood when people are still afraid to talk about what happened even today.

I like to read a lot of biographies so I can't say that I really learned anything new about the people involved except for Fred himself, but that is the reason why I read the book in the first place. There are so many people behind the scenes who know a lot of information and we rarely hear their stories so I was fascinated by Fred's life and what he had to do. The authors mention they barely made a dent into what Fred was involved in in Hollywood as they focused on certain stories, but I was fascinated nevertheless.

The book is very sympathetic towards Otash, maybe too much. I can't imagine that a man like Otash would have survived in these circumstances without being a little bit ruthless and I would have liked to have seen a bit more of that. I mean he spied on the rich and fixed their problems, everyone knew he did this, so he would have made a lot of enemies in the process.

The Fixer was an interesting mix of Fred Otash's personal and professional life and I did enjoy the book. I think there is a little bit of everyone who enjoyed reading about the scandals in Hollywood, but I am still shocked at how depraved and how awful some of the things were. Because the book focused on Otash, the stories focused on his involvement in the cases so readers not familiar with them may feel somewhat frustrated at not getting the full stories, but again, that is not the point of the book as there are tons of biographies available for those purposes. You don't have to have any knowledge of the time period to enjoy this book so I do recommend it to anyone who is interested in how surveillance worked during this time period and how the stars managed to scrape through their difficulties.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher.

[Joe Kraus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Otash sounds like a James Ellroy character. He was an L.A. cop turned private detective to the stars and mobsters throughout the 1950s. He broke the law routinely, though never in a way that got him seriously caught. He rubbed shoulders, mostly without leaving a public trace, with the celebrities and politicians who shaped the world we’ve inherited. And he was ‘there’ when Marilyn Monroe died.

In fact, Fred Otash isan Ellroy character. He appears throughout the currently-being-released second quartet as a detective who helps and gets screwed by many of the powers that be. He’s one of those historical figures Ellroy weaves into the work, and he may be the most significant point-of-view character in the corpus who is also historical.

Young and Westphal do an impressive job here making this biography hold together. Westphal tells us in his introduction that he befriended Otash in the last years of his life, that the two tried to pitch a show/movie around Otash’s life, and that he inherited many of Otash's files on his death. And then the two of them put together a surprisingly gripping account.

Together, the two tell a story that holds together throughout. There’s real skill in the way they take the different elements of Otash’s life and narrate them. In most biographies of this sort, I find myself drifting off. It helps that so many of the characters here are recognizable – Rock Hudson, Mickey Cohen, Marilyn Monroe, Bobby Kennedy – but it takes craft to weave a story that both moves forward and shares the broad weave of a life.

So, compliments to both for work that I know first-hand is harder than they make it look.

But, for me at least, the story of Otash’s life takes its significance from the fact that Ellroy incorporated it into his work. That is, sure, Otash lived a remarkable life and there’s the somewhat new Marilyn’s death stuff, but what matters is that this fine nonfiction work hints at some of what Ellroy has been doing as he’s transformed history into his particular vision.

And what’s remarkable here is that the Otash we see in the book is someone with more of a sense of decency than the one we see in Widespread Panic and Perfidia. That Otash – as I remember him from the complex of the story – nudges the action along. He’s one of the silent architects of a barely-better-than-amoral ethical superstructure to the world of our parents (or grandparents if you’re young enough to be one of my kids). He’s mostly, but just mostly, a son of a bitch. He’ll help you, but there’d better be something in it for him…even if that something is less than he might get for being a full-on sociopath.

In contrast, this Otash loves his family. That’s a credible claim, but it’s hard not to feel it shaped by the fact that his daughter authorized this biography, authorized it to the point of providing a trove of photos and writing an afterword.

I suppose it’s possible to like this Otash more than Ellroy’s version of him – and that’s with this guy routinely skirting laws against electronic surveillance and running a foolish scam to dope racehorses.

He’s the guy that Ellroy has alchemized, though, the guy he’s turned into a projection of what he wanted for himself – to know the secrets and to play the angles. To live without a conscience but to retain a vestige of a moral true north.

We get a quick mention of Ellroy early when Westphal reports that Otash thought Ellroy had screwed him over. That Otash, the real-life one, didn’t want to say anything more about Ellroy.

Fortunately for those of us who admire Ellroy nearly as much as he wants us all to admire him, Ellroy has had plenty more to say about Otash.

[Sara Planz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fred Otash had a front row seat to some of the biggest celebrity scandals of all time. After serving in the Marine's, he become a LAPD cop and then transitioned into a PI, earning the reputation of being a "fixer". He utilized what was considered high tech at the time surveillance tools for his clients, planting bugs and wire taps to get what he needed or protect who he worked for. Celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Rock Hudson, Marilyn Monroe and the Kennedy brothers were all a part of his investigations and orbit. After his death, his notes, archives and unfinished memoir were given to the authors, allowing for the first time a look at a man behind the scenes of Hollywood history.

For anyone who is a fan of the golden age of Hollywood, this is a must read. It has juicy secrets about some of the biggest stars of that time, and sadly, some of their downfalls as well. What I found so fascinating was how Otash did his work. He could be called upon to bust open the story or cover it up, depending on his client's needs. The job was the job and his loyalty to it was iron clad. He was willing to do what it took to deliver the goods. In an age where celebrity scandals are a dime a dozen, this book goes to show that some things never change.

[Marcus Coles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always been a fan of the golden age of Hollywood. The larger-than-life screen icons whose personal lives were often more interesting than the roles they played on the big screen, have always held a fascination for me. In my teenage years I became a connoisseur of all things Marilyn and remember devouring the famous biography: Goddess by Anthony Summers. Her death in particular with all the controversy and conspiracies that surround it has never ceased to intrigue me. As such, I know about Fred Otash, the subject of this book, and his role operating from the murky shadows of sixties Hollywood. It’s not just about the actors and actresses though. It’s about politicians, gangsters, starlets, police chiefs, the FBI, the CIA and even the White House. This book is a heady mix of all of the above and a fun read. If you’re after definitive answers about what happened to Marilyn that night, you might be disappointed. But if you’re also interested in Lana Turner, Judy Garland, Rick Hudson and the like, there’s bound to be enough here to interest you. Marilyn and the Kennedys is definitely the focus though, and rightly so. Did I learn anything new? Not really, but it was still fun to once again immerse myself in the fascinating world of fifties and sixties Hollywood.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about one of the foremost private detectives to work in Hollywood. The anecdotes are interesting, but not really backed up by any concrete evidence. Everything amounts to hearsay. If some of the stories are true, then Fred Otash engaged in illegal behavior himself. The big draws, according to the marketing of the book, are the word for word transcript of the conversation between Rock Hudson and his wife in which he admits he is gay, and the audio tape on which Otash claims he "heard Marilyn Monroe die". This tape was allegedly handed over to a high-ranking member of LAPD and never saw the light of day. Of course, few if any of the people discussed in this book (including Otash himself) are alive to support or deny the stories. One of my big questions is, if Otash kept a red file cabinet full of information as "an insurance policy" why would he only have 1 set of the material, and why would he keep it in his kitchen? This book is fun, in the way a gossip column is fun, but I take the stories with a huge grain of salt. Most of the information about Marilyn Monroe is not in the excellently researched "The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe", so I do not accept any of the stories here as completely factual.

[Lizabeth Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 out of 5.

Fred Otash became the man who knew all the dirty little (and big) secrets of the most important people in Hollywood. And for the right price he could help keep those secrets private. Here we're given a look at how he became the go-to person in the town, moving from the LAPD to a private investigator.

An interesting read, without a doubt, as well as a glimpse not only on the Hollywood from the late 1940s to the 1980s, but the players not usually seen. The one thing I did have to keep in mind, even as I was enjoying myself, was that this was from Otash himself through files and recordings. Therefore everything MUST be seen through a waterfall of salt. Would Otash lie? I can see that, but I can also see him misremembering or not remembering at all and filling in the blanks in his memory with best guesses. And, most probably, still covering for certain individuals who still had power in the town.

The authors' writing is very accessible, easy and enjoyable to read. So if you want something different to read, check this out at your local library.

[Avid Reader and Geek Girl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Rating: 3.0 stars

Read if you're in the mood for something: sad, informative, & reflective
Pacing? Slow

This book promised a lot and delivered little. I was expecting true crime and it was more a biography of the detective.
It was an okay book, but a bit dry.

Narrator: 2.0 stars
I think the narrator was going for a 50s movie-type voice but sounded more like a drag queen TBH, it made it hard not to laugh, and kind of ruined the book.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Misogyny, Sexism, and Homophobia
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Murder, Racism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Sexual violence, Abortion, Grief, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, War, Cancer, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Police brutality

[Janna Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography of a former marine-turned LAPD cop-turned private detective and "Fixer" of thorny problems is at times compelling and at other times in need of more substance.

The author meets Fred Otash, the subject of the biography, after he retires. The two become friends and after Fred's death, the author is told by Otash's surviving daughter that he should be the one to tell her father's story.

In the book, we learn about Fred's work in the LAPD, particularly his clashes with the department's chief, which cause him to quit the force and work independently, becoming a master at setting up surveillance recordings for those in need. Throughout his life, he becomes embroiled in any number of complex situations, the most famous of which involves Marilyn Monroe and her affairs with both JFK and RFK.

The book is gossipy and entertaining but there are some situations that lack interest or emotion.

[Desirae · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

This biography of a former marine-turned LAPD cop-turned private detective and "Fixer" of thorny problems is at times compelling and at other times in need of more substance.

The author meets Fred Otash, the subject of the biography, after he retires. The two become friends and after Fred's death, the author is told by Otash's surviving daughter that he should be the one to tell her father's story.

In the book, we learn about Fred's work in the LAPD, particularly his clashes with the department's chief, which cause him to quit the force and work independently, becoming a master at setting up surveillance recordings for those in need. Throughout his life, he becomes embroiled in any number of complex situations, the most famous of which involves Marilyn Monroe and her affairs with both JFK and RFK.

The book is gossipy and entertaining but there are some situations that lack interest or emotion.

[Filipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The incredible story of the man who had many appointments with cinematic and political history throughout his ever-fascinating, morally ambiguous, and ultimately taxing career. Everybody in Hollywood has stories for days, but few can compete with Frank O’Tash’s experiences with the city of stars at its sleaziest and most desperate. Beyond the surface pleasure—such as the fun of engaging with salacious tales—this book helps illustrate the insurmountable pressure that people on the spotlight were under on a daily basis, perhaps explaining the necessity to turn to things that allowed them to escape the “noise.” Of course, this being a society where puritanical values reigned supreme, most extracurriculars were either illegal or seen as deeply problematic, which led to blackmail and extortion, and in turn amped up the pressure. It was a vicious, miserable cycle. This whole book would make a tremendous documentary.

[Ronald Koltnow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a mixed rating. The book itself is not particularly well written, but its subject matter is intoxicating. This is the literary equivalent of a bag of Fritos -- addictive but not nourishing. Fred Otash is a recurring character in the novels of James Ellroy. In the novels, Otash is driven by drugs, sex, and a desire to uncover the truth at all costs. Ellroy gets dissed in this book. Otash's memoir INVESTIGATION HOLLYWOOD spins the same yarns as THE FIXER. The authors cling to every word of Otash's history as if they were the teachings of a sage. In real life, Otash was probably somewhere in between Elloy's sleazy peeper and Young and Westphal's hagiography. Still it is an exciting read.

[Dachokie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining and intriguing peek into the cover-ups of “Golden Era” Hollywood and the Kennedy’s from a highly respected private eye who had unprecedented knowledge… and evidence.

While the pathetic arrogance and decadence of current celebrities is a 24/7 presentation to the world, the celebrities of yesteryear simply cared enough to try and hide it from the public. Otash established himself as a go to person to remedy situations for these pampered stars and garnered enough trust to become part of their inner circle. So trusted that access of his treasure trove of docs and files remained secure until released by his daughter (to the author) 20 years after his death.

I found the book interesting and enlightening to a degree. An enjoyable, fun read.

[Daniel Barlekamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're thinking that this is THE book that will finally tell the definitive story about the death of Marylyn Monroe, you will be sorely disappointed. The book is largely a re-hash of material that can be found previously published in such questionable sources as "Confidential" magazine, the "National Enquirer," and the "Globe" newspapers (and I use "newspapers" loosely here). Though I wasn't expecting any real revelations about Monroe's demise, I thought I might learn SOMETHING that wasn't already public knowledge. Altogether, a compilation of salacious second-hand stories we've heard before.

On the plus side, it's an easy read. You won't find it difficult to lay aside if something else competes for your attention.

[_rubēn 🦢 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this to be extremely riveting, with every chapter providing excruciating details about a complex, somewhat morally bankrupted detective who kept so many high-profile secrets. I do feel like the author, due to his personal connection with Otash, tries to sometimes justify his actions when in fact, some of the things he did cannot be justified. It also tries to bring a new perspective to the Marilyn Monroe saga but doesn’t quite offer anything new in that front. I was more appreciative of some of the stories around Judy Garland, Rock Hudson, Lana Turner, and even Sinatra.

Great read especially if you’re interested in Classic Hollywood lore.

[Jquick99 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Early on in the audiobook, the Narrator pronounces the city of Cannes as “kahn”. It is pronounced “can” as in can of green beans. This was my first clue that accuracy wasn’t a high priority for this book. (Got the audiobook from library mainly cuz it was available. Didn’t read the subject matter, besides it would be a light listen re Old Hollywood.)

In looking at photos of Otash, I was expecting to be blown away by his attractiveness, but to me, he looks like Perry Mason/Raymond Burr (before becoming morbidly obese).

The authors are clearly fan bois of Otash, who can do NO wrong.

I supposed the biggest “problem” with this book is the subject old Old Hollywood. I’m 63, and minutely care about Marilyn Monroe, Rock Hudson, Lana Turner….

I suspect most younger than myself really don’t care. I skipped thru most of the personal Otash info to get to the celebrity stories….which weren’t as many (or interesting) as I would have thought.