Two New Books Cover OC's Seamy Side

We all know Orange County has its less-than-desirable neighborhoods, and reading the local  news only confirms the belief that this place can be just sordid as any true crime show on TV. But if you can't seem to get your fill on crime thrillers and its place Orange County's history, there are two new books out that might make for some good summer reading.

Notorious OC
Larry Welborn (Author), Bill Diepenbrock (Editor)

Written by a crime reporter for the Orange County Register, Notorious OC covers 59 of the darkest crimes committed in Orange County. From the ones that entwined themselves in our history (remember when Samantha Runnion was kidnapped?) to the ones that happened centuries before us (horse thieves that roamed the county when it was still large ranches owned by the wealthy), Notorious OC looks like a interesting read for those fascinated with true crime, and for $2.99 on Amazon Kindle, its hard to resist.

The Kings of Cool
Don Winslow

If you prefer your crime to be made up, Don Winslow has written the prequel to Savages, the novel that was recently made into a movie by Oliver Stone. Set in Laguna Beach, hippies, drugs, the mob, and a cult collide in the 1960s in this novel that's getting favorably reviewed in the New York Times.