It was a great read however the author's claims that his father is responsible for the unsolved murder aka "The Black Dahlia" is pure conjecture. His claims have no basis or foundation of fact and his claims are sometimes outlandish. If you are unfamiliar with the Black Dahlia case I suggest that you may want to read this book just for background information concerning the actual facts (autopsy reports, photos etc...) of the crime and everything else seems to be the work of an over active imagination! ( )

A very interesting book, especially if, like me, you happen to be rather intriged by the Black Dahlia murder. It all began after the death of the author's father. His stepmother gave him a small photo album and in it were two photos of a woman Steve didn't recognize. They did, however, jog something in his memory. He was eventually reminded of the Black Dahlia. Personally, I don't think the photos are of Elizabeth Short, and since the book was originally published, the author has admitted that perhaps they aren't her--it could have been the photo of the woman with flowers in her dark hair that sparked that memory. But those photos started Steve Hodel on a rather horrifying journey--one that may indeed be correct in his conclusion that his father killed not only Elizabeth Short but some other women as well.

I did find some of his logic a little out of left field (hey, where the hell did THAT idea come from), but from what I understand cops do have a bit of intuition they rely on. And Hodel was a cop in the LAPD for many years. It's some of the stuff that was uncovered after the publication of the hardcover that gave me the creeps though (well, that and the incest trial, and Dr. Hodel's original admission that he did molest his daughter). It turns out that Dr. George Hodel was in fact one of the prime suspects in the Black Dahlia case and two other murders--something Steve didn't know when he was reasearching and writing the book. There were wiretapped conversations recorded--and it wasn't just the phone line that was tapped--there were bugs in the entire house. At one point he is heard to say something to the effect of: "Supposing I did kill the Dahlia? They can't prove it now. My secretary is dead." (He was suspected of killing his secretary as well.)

It all leads to a cover-up. The LAPD was extremely corrupt back in '47 and the following years. Dr. Hodel was the head of Hollywood's VD clinics. Lots of names of both cops and Hollywood elite would have turned up. The file that was kept at the police department turns out to have been "sanitized"--a lot of what should have been there was missing and only found through DA files of the grand jury investigation. The grand jury that was convened in '49 repeatedly heard reference to a "wealthy Hollywood man." And while that description fits numerous people, Hodel certainly seems to have a bit more evidence against him. It was said he was a skilled surgeon in med school. And he left the country in 1950, when it was looking like there might be a move against him (that is speculation, of course, but the evidence was growing).

What I find confusing and disturbing, though, is that the cop currently assigned to the case has neither read Hodel's book nor looked at the file for any of the evidence Hodel presented to the LAPD after the book was published. After being told that he should do so. It does bother me. One thing to look and not find anything. Another to look and find it was a major, horrible cover-up--but that wouldn't reflect on the LAPD of today. But to not check at all? It's kind of creepy. ( )