At the center of the story is Carol Bundy, 37, on first glance appearing to be a typical Valley wife and mother of two small boys. Who leaves her abusive husband Grant, and moves into the seedy Valerio Gardens Complex. The manager, Jack Murray, a native Australian is also a lounge singer nicknamed the "Australian Cowboy" married with two children. His wife, Jeanette, is a beautiful, slim, leggy blond (and an ex-marine!). Carol on the other hand is rather plump & "matronly", with a large front, cropped mousy brown limp hair, and glasses with thick lenses, her doctor told her she's going blind.
Carol comes from a horrendous childhood, suffering abuse from both parents. The worst from her father. She has a very needy, clingy personality, and likes to be dominated by men.
After she moves into the complex, she latches onto Jack, saying she was sorry he was married, to which he responded "that's okay, I fool around."
Jack, according to his friends was "an *sshole..but a likeable *sshole." He's a womanizer and seems to have an insatiable sexual appetite, and often told tall tales, mostly to impress women.
The only good things he did for Carol, was to suggest she get another opinion about her eyes, the doctors revealed her sight could be restored with sugery. And he told her to contact a lawyer to get her share of the house where she lived with her husband (he was selling it), which she did, an amount of: $25,000. With which she bought gifts for Jack, that he happily accepted.
But another man would enter Carol's life, a man much more dangerous and sinister than Jack. His name was Doug Clark, 32, she met him at a club that Jack frequented in North Hollywood called "The Little Nashville Club" .
Doug was charming, slim and handsome with golden blond hair & blue eyes. And a hypnotic, soft voice. But he was also a cold blooded killer. He would introduce Carol to a world of sexual obsession and serial murder, where she would be his unlikely accomplice. And later she would commit murder of her own.
Later unable to fulfill Doug (and Jack), who by and by didn't want to sleep with Carol anymore, citing that she was "underwhelmingly attractive" she brought her 11 year old neighbor Theresa to meet him. Doug was enraptured with Theresa, a particulary spunky precocious little blond girl. Who neighbors would joke with by saying "You're 11 going on 40". Doug seemed to put her on a pedestal, lavishing her with gifts and they would often go cruising together! Later Carol actually went to a couselor with Theresa, to whom she revealed Theresa & Doug's relationship. The counselor asked Theresa if it bothered her, to which she replied "not really". So he told Carol if it didn't bother Theresa, then it wasn't his place to moralize!
And this is just a taste, there's so much more!
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The Sunset Murders is a facinating story, filled with some of the most oddest people and circumstances.
The book goes in depth into each person's history even some of the detectives on the case. Including some female detectives battling sexism in the workplace, from the males who think women are too inept to work homicide...Engrossing, never a dull moment!