Deborah Holt Larkin

Deborah Holt Larkin’s debut book, A Lovely Girl: The Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California’s Most Notorious Killers, is a true story of a bizarre 1958 murder plot, intertwined with a poignant coming of age story of a ten-year-old girl obsessed with Olga Duncan’s disappearance.

Deborah is uniquely qualified to tell this captivating yet horrific story of the last woman ever executed in California. From a front row seat at her family’s dining room table, she listened to her crime reporter father’s nightly spellbinding tales about Olga Duncan’s disappearance and the trial of her killers. The discovery of Olga’s body near the author’s home town so many years ago was a pivotal moment in Deborah’s young life. Olga’s story has shadowed her, rippling through her life and motivating her to write about a terrible tragedy that happened in what’s generally considered a more innocent time.

Set against the backdrop of iconic 1950s small town family life, A Lovely Girl grippingly depicts the fear and disbelief of a community that struggled to come to terms with a crime so monstrous that it was almost unbelievable. The story is artfully told, with details of the investigation woven into nostalgic scenes of growing up in the 1950s.

The author relied on numerous sources to recreate the investigation and trial scenes: over 5,000 pages of trial transcripts, news interviews and articles from four major newspapers, her father’s files and recollections of the investigation and trial, his weekly columns about their oddball 1950’s family life, and exclusive access to the memoir of the young DA who prosecuted the accused killers.

Deborah Holt Larkin’s articles have been published in Newsweek, Writers Digest, and Crime Reads. She has also appeared on numerous podcasts.

Endorsements & Reviews

"In writing about what proved to be the most memorable and formative years of her life, Larkin portrays her Scout-Atticus Finch love for her father and for justice in general. The book honors Olga and her community and shows the impact that horrific crime can have on all those who bear witness." Booklist

"Readers will be drawn to Larkin’s first-person narrative of the events as well as her reconstruction of this tragic true-crime story." Library Journal

"In this excellent debut, educator Larkin revisits the case of Elizabeth Duncan, who was convicted of the 1958 murder of her daughter-in-law and was the last woman to be executed in California before the Supreme Court suspended the death penalty in 1972...Larkin writes beautifully about her own coming-of-age, sibling rivalry, and pet bird, intermingled with the details of the horrific case. Captivated by her father’s front-page stories on the trial, she brought the newspaper to class for show-and-tell and spent hours listening to her parents discuss the case over dinner. As a result, Larkin became a lifelong true crime fan. This page-turner is not to be missed." Publishers Weekly, starred review

"[Deborah] has penned a meticulously researched and deeply personal page-turner that is a suitable tribute to both the victim and to her father."

The San Diego Union-Tribune