Four tales. Four legends. One dark mirror held up to Hollywood’s golden age.
In Crowned Heads, bestselling author and former actor Thomas Tryon takes readers beyond the glitz and glamour of Old Hollywood into its darkest shadows. This masterfully written collection of four interconnected novellas explores the fading brilliance, hidden regrets, and disturbing secrets of the movie industry’s most iconic stars.
From a reclusive silver-screen siren with a sinister secret, to a beloved comedian masking devastating truths, each story pulls back the curtain on fame and identity. Tryon blends gothic atmosphere with psychological depth, creating haunting portraits of personas crumbling under the weight of their own myth.
Equal parts mesmerizing and macabre, Crowned Heads is a chilling homage to the dream factory—and a cautionary tale about the cost of celebrity.
❤️ Why You’ll Love It
Evocative, cinematic writing with a gothic noir twist
Explores the psychological cost of fame and image
A perfect blend of Old Hollywood nostalgia and psychological suspense
Ideal for fans of anthology-style fiction with interwoven darkness
📌 Perfect For
Fans of Sunset Boulevard, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, and American Horror Story: Hollywood
Readers of Joyce Carol Oates, Shirley Jackson, and Daphne du Maurier
Collectors of vintage Hollywood fiction and literary thrillers
Anyone intrigued by the intersection of fame, identity, and madness
Crowned Heads by Thomas Tryon
Very Good –
- Format: Hardcover
- Author: Thomas Tryon
- Publication Year: 1976
- Publisher: Knopf
- Language: English
- Genre: Fiction
- Topic: Hollywood Noir, Psychological Fiction, Celebrity, Short Stories
- Special Features: Dust Jacket, First Edition (stated)
🌟 Notable Reviews
⭐ “As haunting as it is elegant. Tryon captures the price of stardom with eerie brilliance.” — The Los Angeles Times
⭐ “A spellbinding collection that plays like a slow-burning thriller on the big screen.” — The New York Times Book Review
⭐ “Tryon is a master of psychological storytelling. Each tale lingers long after it ends.” — Goodreads Reviewer