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The Hot One
The Hot One: A Memoir of Friendship, Sex, and Murder | Carolyn Murnick
13 posts | 14 read | 11 to read
A gripping memoir of friendship with a tragic twisttwo childhood best friends diverge as young adults, one woman is brutally murdered and the other is determined to uncover the truth about her wild and seductive friend. As girls growing up in rural New Jersey in the late 1980s, Ashley and Carolyn had everything in common: two outsiders who loved spending afternoons exploring the woods. Only when the girls attended different high schools did they begin to grow apart. While Carolyn struggled to fit in, Ashley quickly became a hot girl: popular, extroverted, and sexually precocious. After high school, Carolyn entered college in New York City and Ashley ended up in Los Angeles, where she quit school to work as a stripper and an escort, dating actors and older men, and experimenting with drugs. The last time Ashley visited New York, Carolyn was shocked by how the two friends had grown apart. One year later, Ashley was stabbed to death at age twenty-two in her Hollywood home. The man who may have murdered Ashleyan alleged serial killernow faces trial in Los Angeles. Carolyn Murnick traveled across the country to cover the case and learn more about her magnetic and tragic friend. Part coming-of-age story, part true-crime mystery, The Hot One is a behind-the-scenes look at the drama of a trial and the poignancy of searching for the truth about a friends truly horrifying murder.
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NatalieR
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Mehso-so

This is a unique book. The author, Carolyn, describes growing up in New Jersey with her best friend, Ashley. The two girls were close and began drifting apart when they attended different high schools. The last time these women were together, Ashley visited Carolyn in New York. I describe this book as unique because it is a memoir and a true crime story weaved together.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com

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she.hearts.horror
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I hope this book is as interesting as this picture. Y‘alls reviews are scaring me 😭 Source: findac

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UnabridgedPod
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Mehso-so

Carolyn Murnick's The Hot One: A Memoir of Friendship, Sex, and Murder explores the course of Murnick's childhood friendship with Ashley. Any possibility of rekindling their friendship is ended when Ashley is murdered. (continued in comments)

UnabridgedPod While the central premise of this memoir (of sorts) is sensational, I was somewhat disappointed (I listened on @scribd). Yes, Murnick's exploration of their friendship had interesting moments, but I thought that each main component (exploration of friendship vs. true crime story) could have used more development. Ultimately, this was an interesting book but not a super-compelling one, particularly given its promising focus. 5y
6 likes1 comment
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riversong153
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Mehso-so

This book wasn‘t very good but maybe it‘s because I went in expecting something different. The author recounts a little of her childhood and adulthood not as much as I had hoped. She is a journalist and the book felt very much like a long article instead of creative nonfiction. I know it‘s a memoir but it‘s just a bland one. Her childhood friend was killed after they went separate ways in adulthood. Very sad but I just didn‘t like her writing.

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tinaisreading
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Panpan

I was expecting something different from this book, I think I was waiting for a more intimate portrait of the victim that never came. I felt like the author wasn't sure about what they were trying to say with this memoir and it was frustrating structurally.

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Librarylady
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It's definitely not beach weather, but I'm finding myself sitting at the YMCA pool while my youngest daughter has swim team practice and getting some leisure reading in. Just started this one tonight.

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shanebeth
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Mehso-so

In 2001, beautiful, buxom "party girl" Ashley Ellerin was brutally murdered in her Hollywood home. Her childhood best friend uses this book to retell her search for answers about the crime and to reflect on her friendship with Ashley and the different paths they took in life. Murnick's meditations on friendship started feeling rambly and redundant, bogging down an interesting true crime case involving an alleged serial killer.

CouronneDhiver I'm pretty sure I've seen this case on "48 hours" or something like that... 7y
shanebeth @CouronneDhiver yea, she talks about that in the book. it's been in the tabloids a lot because the girl was supposed to go out with Ashton Kutcher the night she was killed. 7y
28 likes2 comments
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shanebeth
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I ❤️ the new bookmark I got from Shutterfly! love my sweet Heidi girl!! #catsoflitsy

BekahB That's a great idea!! 😀 7y
shanebeth @BekahB they have so many cute ones to choose from! I got this free with a special code but their shipping is pretty high. 🙄 I had to have one, though! 7y
rubyslippersreads I have to do this to immortalize my feline reading buddies. 😸 7y
AmyG I could make a bookmark with my cat on it????? Thanks! 👍🏻 (edited) 7y
29 likes5 comments
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Suetara
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Pickpick

I picked this up because it looked interesting and am on a bit of a true crime kick. I didn't know much about the book before I started reading it and was surprised when I found out what murder was involved-I'd heard about it before.

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shanebeth
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my reading has taken a hit since school started back. 😞 but thanks to the solar eclipse that will be rolling through the area on Monday, I have a three day weekend! this true crime book is a quick read so far, so hopefully I can finish it by Tuesday. #teachersoflitsy

L_auren I just finished this one! Let us know what you think when you finish it 7y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Maude
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Mehso-so

Ho-hum, a little too much navel gazing for me! I know that's what memoirs are mostly all about, telling someone's personal story but while this had a good solid story, buried in it somewhere, I think she forgot about the writing for others part. Her internal monologue jumped around an awful lot, leaving me confused and disconnected. It was an ARC, so maybe it will get cleaned up a bit, hopefully.

riversong153 Agree 5y
12 likes1 comment
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Maude
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Another rainy day, perfect for reading and lounging with Bryson #dogsofLitsy. So far, liking this ARC I received in a #goodreadsgiveaway.