Chaucer’s Books will host journalist Ivor Davis for a book talk and signing of his new true crime book “The Devil in my Friend,” 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 26 at 3321 State St., Santa Barbara.
 
“The Devil in My Friend—The Inside Story of A Malibu Murder” is a story of crime and investigation, as well as an examination of the human condition, the complexities of the heart, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness, Chaucer’s said.

“The book invites readers on a riveting journey through the veiled depths of a community’s soul, where the truth is as elusive as the ocean’s tide,” Chaucer’s said. “This book seeks to understand the intricacies of human nature, the pain of loss, and the redemptive power of truth.”

In the book, Ivor and Sally Davis were horrified when their Malibu neighbors, Verna Roehler and her son, died in a terrible boating accident. The nightmare only continued when her husband, their friend Fred Roehler was arrested and then convicted for their murder.

As investigative journalists, they set out hoping to find Roehler innocent — instead, they found a nest of deceit and murder.  
 
Award-winning author Davis is a writer, journalist, and speaker. In addition to “The Devil in My Friend,” also released this year was “The Beatles and Me On Tour: 60th Anniversary Edition,” an expanded edition of Davis’ 2014 personal account of his travels with the Beatles on their first American tour in 1964.

His previous books include “Manson Exposed: A Reporter’s 50-YearJourney into Madness and Murder,” published in 2019, an eyewitness account of Davis’ half-century covering the notorious murders.

As a foreign correspondent, he has written widely on popular culture, movies, and medicine for the London Daily Express.