The Black Dahlia Files

The Black Dahlia Files by Donald H Wolfe.

Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (September 5, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0060582502

 

Book Description

In 1946, Elizabeth Short traveled to Hollywood to become famous and see her name up in lights. Instead, the dark-haired beauty became immortalized in the headlines as the "Black Dahlia" when her nude and bisected body was discovered in the weeds of a vacant lot. Despite the efforts of more than four hundred police officers and homicide investigators, the heinous crime was never solved. Now, after endless speculation and false claims, bestselling author Donald H. Wolfe discovers startling new evidence—buried in the files of the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office for more than half a century.

With the aid of archival photos, news clippings, and investigative reports, Wolfe documents the riveting untold story that names the brutal murderer—the notorious Mafia leader, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel—and the motive—an unwanted pregnancy resulting from Short's involvement with the most powerful figure in Los Angeles, Norman Chandler. But Wolfe goes even further to unravel the large-scale cover-up behind the case. Wolfe's extensive research, based on the evidence he discovered in the recently opened LADA files, makes The Black Dahlia Files the authoritative work on the murder that has drawn endless scrutiny but remained unsolved—until now.

The Black Dahlia Murder.. yes, I remember hearing of it but did not remember a whole lot about it, and so when I found this book at a book store that was closing out for 3.45 I picked it up.

First I have to say that, even thought I feel sure I knew, seeing the photo’s of the dead in  this book made me realize just how desensitized I have gotten from bloody and gory movies.  Of course the fact that the photo’s aren’t that good and in black and white helped too.

The book was fast reading and was exactly what the cover said it would be about.  “The Mob, the Mogul, and the Murder”.   The book opens with the murder of Elizabeth Short: aka The Black Dahlia.

Hers was the most gruesome murder ever recorded at the time.  She was found in a field very close to a sidewalk, naked, badly beaten and cuts on her face and torso and her body was cut in half at the waist.    The book goes from there to the possibilities of “who done it” from back in the 40’s up to current of the books writing.

What I also found interesting was the mention of some of the stars back then (after all this did happen in Hollywood) and a lot of mention of some of the well known mafia from that period of time.  It is well believed that the fact that it was never solved was because the Los Angeles police were “paid off” by the mob and they could get away with anything… even torturous murder.  I did find the piecing together of any of the information found me making my own opinions…but of course no one ever knows everything to be able to make a conclusion.

As gruesome as this murder was I found the book very interesting.  Maybe because the knowledge of the murder was on the edges of my memory but not really there.  It probably held as much interest to me as the Jack the Ripper murders in England.

This would be a most excellent book to read for RIP !  I guess I shoulda waited huh?!