Marjorie Orbin...did she or didn't she?

ADD: Please visit this post  for more updates on Marjorie Orbin. Many others, too, click on the tag below. Thanks!  


p.s. This book earned a BEST TRUE CRIME OF 2010 READER'S CHOICE AWARD!

Scottsdale businessman Jay Orbin disappeared on his birthday. Did kidnappers attack him for his expensive silver inventory?

When his horribly mutilated remains turned up near a street corner, it was glamorous blond Marjorie Orbin who ended up in jail.

Everyone asks me...did she do it?




See the slide show tonight....16 photos are in the book...but there's lots more in my presentation...

When: Oct 7, 2010
Time: 7 pm
Where: Poisoned Pen Bookstore
Address: 4014 N. Goldwater Blvd Scottsdale
Directions: One block south of Indian School. Goldwater is just west of Scottsdale Road in Old Town. Southwest corner.
Dinner?: Make an evening of it in Scottsdale...may I suggest Grimaldi's Pizza? Two blocks east of the bookstore. Best pizza ever! Nice atmosphere and great service.
Admission: FREE!

From the Poisoned Pen:
"We are proud to host the launch party for veteran journalist Camille Kimball's new true crime book, the compelling story of recently-convicted "torso murderess" Marjorie Orbin. Kimball will discuss the case and offer a power point presentation with behind the scenes photos!

"Camille Kimball's previous true crime book, SUDDEN SHOT: THE PHOENIX SERIAL SHOOTER (7.99) was one of our bestselling books of 2009. We have a fresh supply handy if you just got back from Mars and somehow missed this terrific and provocative account of the Phoenix Serial Shooter case..."

Camille Kimball's books are:

What She Always Wanted

A Sudden Shot

The Mammoth Book of Tough Guys

Big Name, Big Style

He is handsome and gracious and held the audience in the palm of his hand. I can't say enough good about our evening with iconic author Joseph Wambaugh.

If by some miracle of fate you don't know him, he is the LAPD cop who burst onto the literary and pop culture scene in 1971 with The New Centurions. His gritty tales--both fiction and non-fiction--of police and their work have influenced and made possible shows like Hill Street Blues and The Shield.

At the Poisoned Pen on a cool December 2 evening, Wambaugh showed why he has been successful enough for a hundred lifetimes. He told charmingly shocking stories of actor James Woods who starred as an unknown in Wambaugh's self-produced The Onion Field. He did an imitation of Truman Capote and snuck us inside the In Cold Blood author's Palm Springs home on a day when it was 120 degrees. He brought us curbside to an almost-shakedown of out of work and forgotten Robert Blake in pre-Baretta days on an evening when a pre-famous Wambaugh was in a patrol car and how the term "Little Beaver" formed an instant connection between the two. And he raised us back up to the heights of glamour on set with Johnny Carson.

Watching Wambaugh work was like a master class in the art of being a raconteur. It was also a master class in being a very big person as he frequently and generously shared the spotlight with old friends, fellow cops and even little old moi.

He had the knack for zeroing in on the heart of the matter in seconds as he wrote the exact perfect thing in a book for Paul Patrick and one for Cliff Jewell (hey! they don't know it yet! it's a surprise--they wanted to go but couldn't make it--so a little Wambaugh is coming to them!).

If you ever have the chance to see this gentleman--and I mean that word in its highest literal sense--in person, do yourself a favor: go!

(click on a title below to buy)

Camille Kimball's books:

**What She Always Wanted** as seen on TV!

                 **A Sudden Shot** as seen on TV!

        The Mammoth Book of Tough Guys

Coming soon: Masters of True Crime-Chilling Stories of Murder and the Macabre

Thoughts on this or any article at this site? To the next person whose comment I use for a post I will send a free signed book!  (If you post as "anonymous" for convenience, try to include an identifying website or name in your remark so no one else can claim your prize!)  For an example, please click here.

Couldn't be happier

Filled up the Poisoned Pen Saturday with eager citizens oohing and ahing over "my" guys!

Shotgun survivor Paul Patrick mustered the strength to attend....and this time brought me chocolate! I was too greedy to share and will be gobbling it down myself at home. Paul's presence left everyone in awe of him.

Phx PD Officer Darren Burch blushed a little as we made him come up front. I was beside myself to be able to show him off. When you read the book, you'll see what his quick thinking was able to do with a rubber shoe in a life and death moment. If you've already read the book, I know you're oohing and ahing right now--yes, the rubber shoe guy! We even convinced Darren to join the "assembly line" we had set up and sign autographs.

Homicide Detectives Cliff Jewell and Ron Rock autograph books, author Kimball signing, center

Homicide Detective Cliff Jewell brought his private photos and tidbits. The crowd forgot I existed as he took over and gave the inside view of the case. I couldn't be happier!

We even grabbed a big imaginary shepherd's hook and pulled Tolleson Detective Ron Rock up to the front and before he could stop himself, he was taking questions, too.

Our Henry Ford style signature factory started with me (who doesn't count, at all), then people moved on to Ron Rock, then to Cliff Jewell, then to Paul Patrick (who only has one very damaged hand to do this with) then finished up with Darren Burch. That's a whole pack of heroes for less than 8 bucks! Can you really afford to miss one of these events? ;)

If you were there, please send in your photos to asuddenshot at gmail.com so I can post them! If you make hard copies, write me there and I'll give you an address to mail them and I'll put them in the big scrap book for the next event.

And thanks again to Paul for the chocolate! I did put out Cerreta's Jumping Cholla taffy--which everyone loved!--for everybody else, but I had to hoard Paul's gift for myself!

P.S. (next stop, West Valley, check list at right)
P.P.S. ( a wee confession: Paul, I'm having chocolate truffles for breakfast!)

(click on a title below to buy)

Camille Kimball's books:

**What She Always Wanted** as seen on TV!

                 **A Sudden Shot** as seen on TV!

        The Mammoth Book of Tough Guys

Coming soon: Masters of True Crime-Chilling Stories of Murder and the Macabre

Thoughts on this or any article at this site? To the next person whose comment I use for a post I will send a free signed book!  (If you post as "anonymous" for convenience, try to include an identifying website or name in your remark so no one else can claim your prize!)  For an example, please click here.

Private files....exposed!

Anything goes...now that Homicide Detective Cliff Jewell has retired. I happen to know he's poking through his private files right now, seeing what he can bring to the Poisoned Pen on Saturday afternoon to share with you.

Hey! I've got private files, too! I wrote in the book that even 325 pages is not enough room to tell all the stories so my office is still chock full of photographs and tidbits that haven't seen the light of day yet. Sneak a peek at them on Saturday when Cliff and I make a joint presentation.

The spirits tell me that Tolleson's Ron Rock, the first detective to get his Spidey senses going, will be in the audience. I promise to make him sign books and tell a few stories of his own.

Get at least three autographs (you never know who else might show up that you'll want to have sign your copy!) and see extra photos and material on Saturday. Think I might just have to bring some of that Jumping Cholla taffy from Cerreta's with me, too!

Where: Poisoned Pen Book Store
When: Saturday Sep 26
Time: 2-4 pm
Address: 4014 N. Goldwater (In Scottsdale, on block south of Indian School, just west of Scottsdale Road)
Link: (hyperlink at right) http://www.poisonedpen.com/event-calendar/kimball-camille-1
Yummies: from Cerreta's!

Launch Party Photos!

Photos from Maggie Brock. Long stemmed red roses from shotgun survivor Paul Patrick. What. a. Night!