Matt Birkbeck
Encyclopedia
Matt Birkbeck is an American
author
and award winning investigative journalist
. His articles have appeared in The New York Times
, The Philadelphia Inquirer
, Reader's Digest
, Boston Magazine
and a host of other magazines, including People
, where he served as a correspondent for a decade. In 2004, he joined the staff of The Morning Call
(Tribune).
He is the author of A Deadly Secret: The Strange Disappearance of Kathie Durst
, (Berkley/Penguin 2002), which follows the bizarre story of New York real estate heir Robert Durst
; A Beautiful Child
, (Berkley/Penguin 2004), which tells the heartwrenching, tragic story of Sharon Marshall
; co-author of Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage and the Mind of the Killer Spouse
, (Atria/Simon & Schuster 2006), with psychotherapist Robi Ludwig
. His latest book, the critically acclaimed Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob
, (Amistad/Harper Collins September 2008), explores Sammy Davis Jr., who died $15 million in debt and whose estate, as of 2008, remains insolvent.
The New York Times
Book Review called Deconstructing Sammy "Gripping" and "Sensational" and the Los Angeles Times
called the book "Epic".
Birkbeck received an Investigative Reporters and Editors
Award in 2002 for his groundbreaking stories on mortgage fraud in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and award winning investigative journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. His articles have appeared in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Philadelphia Inquirer is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as The Pennsylvania Inquirer and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the...
, Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
, Boston Magazine
Boston magazine
Boston is a monthly magazine concerning life in the Greater Boston area and has been in publication for more than 40 years.-About the magazine:The magazine is self-described as:...
and a host of other magazines, including People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, where he served as a correspondent for a decade. In 2004, he joined the staff of The Morning Call
The Morning Call
The Morning Call is a daily newspaper based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The newspaper is owned by the Tribune Company, whose other publications include the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and Baltimore Sun....
(Tribune).
He is the author of A Deadly Secret: The Strange Disappearance of Kathie Durst
A Deadly Secret: The Strange Disappearance of Kathie Durst
A Deadly Secret is the true story of Robert Durst, the heir to a New York real estate dynasty who is suspected of killing his wife Kathie in 1982. The story is written by journalist and author Matt Birkbeck, and was published by Berkley/Penguin...
, (Berkley/Penguin 2002), which follows the bizarre story of New York real estate heir Robert Durst
Robert Durst
Robert Alan "Bobby" Durst is a son of the late New York real estate mogul Seymour Durst, and brother of commercial developer Douglas Durst.-Early life:...
; A Beautiful Child
A Beautiful Child
A Beautiful Child was published in America in 2004 and in paperback in 2005. It tells the story of a young woman known by many names, including Sharon Marshall, who was kidnapped as a toddler and raised by a convicted felon, Franklin Delano Floyd.Written by author Matt Birkbeck, A Beautiful Child...
, (Berkley/Penguin 2004), which tells the heartwrenching, tragic story of Sharon Marshall
Sharon Marshall
Sharon Marshall is a British entertainment journalist best known for being the resident "Soap Expert" on ITV1's This Morning since 2003...
; co-author of Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage and the Mind of the Killer Spouse
Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage and the Mind of the Killer Spouse
Till Death Do Us Part: Love, Marriage and the Mind of the Killer Spouse, co-written by Matt Birkbeck and Robi Ludwig with an introduction by Larry King and a foreword by Nancy Grace, is a book published by Atria, March 28, 2006.- Description :...
, (Atria/Simon & Schuster 2006), with psychotherapist Robi Ludwig
Robi Ludwig
Robi Ludwig is a psychotherapist and host of the reality television program, One Week to Save Your Marriage on TLC and Without Prejudice? on GSN. Dr...
. His latest book, the critically acclaimed Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob
Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob
Deconstructing Sammy is the critically acclaimed book by author Matt Birkbeck about the life and death of Sammy Davis, Jr. and the subsequent efforts to restore his legacy. The book focuses on the efforts of a Pennsylvania lawyer, Albert "Sonny" Murray Jr., who was hired in 1994 by Sammy's...
, (Amistad/Harper Collins September 2008), explores Sammy Davis Jr., who died $15 million in debt and whose estate, as of 2008, remains insolvent.
The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
Book Review called Deconstructing Sammy "Gripping" and "Sensational" and the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
called the book "Epic".
Birkbeck received an Investigative Reporters and Editors
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Investigative Reporters and Editors, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that focuses on the quality of investigative reporting. Formed in 1975, it presents the IRE Awards and holds conferences and training classes for journalists. Its headquarters is in Columbia, Missouri, at the University of...
Award in 2002 for his groundbreaking stories on mortgage fraud in the U.S.