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

Hollywood private detective Fred Otash was infamously known as “scandalmonger to the stars.” As an LAPD officer and elite investigator, Otash rubbed elbows with all the Hollywood royalty and everyone in between. When he died, their secrets might have died with him; instead, he bequeathed them to former PR executive Westphal. Westphal, a family friend of Otash who inherited his 11-box archive of entertainment industry intel, and Young (Expedition Deep Ocean) present richly detailed revelations about everyone from everyday criminals to Kennedys. From busting a Paramount Pictures prostitution ring to wooing the wife of a mobster, Otash was a pop culture private investigator with no shortage of scintillating stories to share. An accompanying PDF includes family photos, famous faces, and images of artifacts such as Otash’s license to carry and his wiretapping devices. While Westphal’s narration of the prologue and epilogue is flat, Otash’s daughter Colleen narrates the afterword with a heartfelt air. Jefferson Mays carries the rest of the reading with expressive and engaging flair.