Corpus Delicti
The True Crime Case of Murder Without a Body
In May 1955, socialite Evelyn Scott vanished from her Bel Air home. Her husband, L. Ewing Scott, claimed she left on an errand—as he quietly liquidated her fortune.
In a landmark legal battle that captivated the nation, prosecutor J. Miller Leavy secured a murder conviction based entirely on circumstantial evidence. Scott, sentenced to life in prison, steadfastly maintained his innocence for three decades.
Decades later, writer Diane Wagner revisited the case, gaining unprecedented access to the aging killer. What began as an investigation into a legendary trial culminated in an extraordinary journalistic coup: Scott’s stunning late-life confession.
This edition is updated with a new foreword and epilogue. You can hear Scott's audio taped confession for free on SoundCloud.com.
Reads like a thriller ... with a truly shocking and disturbing ending.
-- Literary Guild
Could easily be mistaken for one of the seedier episodes of TV's Alfred Hitchcock Series.
-- Kirkus Reviews
Reporter Diane Wagner carefully recreates the events surrounding one of California's most infamous crime cases.
-- Booklist
Byline Budapest
A Charlie Atkins Cold War historical thriller
Europe, 1956. Hungarians revolt against Soviet rule, and 23-year-old Charli Atkins seizes her chance to prove herself as a reporter--defying orders to cover the uprising in Budapest.
But Soviet tanks are already on the move. Trapped in a city under siege, Charlie races to get her story, uncover her missing father's fate, and survive the deadly crackdown.
Inspired by true events, Byline Budapest is a gripping Cold War thriller of courage, ambition, and the high price of facing the truth.
A riveting Cold War drama -- richly researched and heartbreaking human. Part history, part thriller, all heart -- the novel immerses you in the streets of 1956 Budapest.
-- K.R. Kiehl, author, Saving Krakow
If you like novels that balance grit with heart, or if you've ever wondered what it might feel like to stand at the edge of history with a notebook in hand, this book is for you.
-- Literary Titan
I was living in Hungary as an 11-year-old boy in 1956 ... The novel is extremely well-written ... the plot unfolds in a slowly accelerating drama that keeps the reader turning the pages, unable to put the book down.
-- Reader's Favorite
About Me
I write The Byline Series featuring journalist Charlie Atkins as she covers the Cold War. I'm also the author of Corpus Delicti, the gripping true story of a precedent-setting 1956 Los Angeles murder featuring the killer’s confession.
I've also written for The New York Times, film, and children’s television. When not writing, you can find me curled up with a good book, hot coffee and three cats.
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© 2026 Diane Wagner Writes. All rights reserved.
