The Black Dahlia

[NOIRTRASH]

THE BLACK DAHLIA by James Elroy

Its the fictionalized account of Elizabeth Short's 1947 murder out in Los Angeles.

Its a page turner but I don't buy plenty of its particulars.

For one, the murder is unsolved. Elroy presents a fascinating solution but its too complex. Reading between the lines I suspect Betty Short was sexually involved with someones lesbian wife, and 'someone' had a psychotic episode about it. It wasn't as complicated as Elroy imagined.

I know schizophrenics, and theyre so disorganized they cant plan what the book proposes.

 

[NOIRTRASH]

At the end of the book Elroy reveals his mom was a drunk and a whore, and died from violence when she was 30-31.