SEVERED, John Gilmore’s account of the Black Dahlia Murder is the most plausible of the four books that I have now read, not that any of them actually came up with irrefutable evidence.
Gilmore’s culprit is a despicable character who had a rap sheet five pages long, entailing everything from drunkenness to theft to sodomy. The culprit was a 6 foot 4 inch cross dresser who looked more like the bride of Frankenstein than one of the boy/girls out on the Sunset Strip.
The big pause to Gilmore’s flow is the fact that this individual died in a hotel fire before LA detectives could put a loop on him. But, of course, “chit” like that sometimes happens.
A very intriguing fact about this individual is that he was born in Canton, Ohio, and he was in Cleveland, Ohio during some of the infamous Torso Murders. Could he have served an apprenticeship, learned the ways of the butcher knife? A butcher by the same name was on Eliot Ness’ cuddle list.
SEVERED is a good read. I give it four stars for Gilmore’s work and three stars for a plausible suspect.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Hello! Larry W. here again, your Pulp Noir book reviewer. I'm going to review the following books in the coming weeks written about the Black Dahlia murder that occured in Los Angeles in 1947, Elizabeth Short's ghoulish bisection.
The first group of books were purportedly written as True Crime exposés, claiming to name the killer. We shall see who is truly full of Penn and Teller's Bullshit and who has the plausible solution--if any.
The second group contains Novels with the Black Dahlia murder as the basis on which each book's story turns.
(1) Severed: The True Story Of The Black Dahlia Murder by John Gilmore.
(2) Childhood Shadows: The Hidden Story of the Black Dahlia Murder by Mary Pacios.
(3) Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer by Janice Knowlton with Michael Newton.
(4) Black Dahlia Avenger, The True Story by Steve Hodel.
(1) Black Dahlia by James Ellroy.
(2) Angel In Black by Max Allan Collins.
If you have a suggestion for additions to group two, let me hear it*
The rating system will be simple, one to four stars with a summary as to why the book is worth the price, or why the book should remain in the warehouse.
The first group of books were purportedly written as True Crime exposés, claiming to name the killer. We shall see who is truly full of Penn and Teller's Bullshit and who has the plausible solution--if any.
The second group contains Novels with the Black Dahlia murder as the basis on which each book's story turns.
(1) Severed: The True Story Of The Black Dahlia Murder by John Gilmore.
(2) Childhood Shadows: The Hidden Story of the Black Dahlia Murder by Mary Pacios.
(3) Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer by Janice Knowlton with Michael Newton.
(4) Black Dahlia Avenger, The True Story by Steve Hodel.
(1) Black Dahlia by James Ellroy.
(2) Angel In Black by Max Allan Collins.
If you have a suggestion for additions to group two, let me hear it*
The rating system will be simple, one to four stars with a summary as to why the book is worth the price, or why the book should remain in the warehouse.
Daddy Was The Black Dahlia Killer by Janice Knowlton.
The basis for this book is Ms. Knowlton's repressed memories of having seen her Father kill Elizabeth Short, among others. According to her recovered memories, her father's libido was gargantuan. He raped it if it moved and killed it if it wouldn't, male and female.
She readily admits to major emotional problems after her Dr. performed an unneeded hysterectomy, which she purports to be the catalyst for recovering her lost memory years after her father's death. I know nothing of her medical history nor of the veracity of her claims about memory loss. I do know, however, that she presents no facts to substantiate her claim that George Knowlton killed the Black Dahlia.
I would suggest that her repressed memories are more commonly called Imagination
The book gets one star for that Imagination and two stars for Michael Newton's writing ability.
The basis for this book is Ms. Knowlton's repressed memories of having seen her Father kill Elizabeth Short, among others. According to her recovered memories, her father's libido was gargantuan. He raped it if it moved and killed it if it wouldn't, male and female.
She readily admits to major emotional problems after her Dr. performed an unneeded hysterectomy, which she purports to be the catalyst for recovering her lost memory years after her father's death. I know nothing of her medical history nor of the veracity of her claims about memory loss. I do know, however, that she presents no facts to substantiate her claim that George Knowlton killed the Black Dahlia.
I would suggest that her repressed memories are more commonly called Imagination
The book gets one star for that Imagination and two stars for Michael Newton's writing ability.
Childhood Shadows: The Hidden Story of the Black Dahlia Murder.
Mary Pacios, the author, was a childhood friend of Elizabeth Short, though Mary was many years younger. Throughout the book, one gets the feeling that Mary idolized Elizabeth, much as a younger sibling would idolize an older brother or sister who was held in high esteem for an admirable characteristic or other. In this case it was Elizabeth’s grace and beauty and, of course, her kindness toward Mary.
Mary repays that kindness with loving remembrances of Elizabeth.
However, Mary does not have a clue as to who killed her childhood friend. She points toward a well-known movie actor/director with the flimsiest of circumstance as nexus.
Mary gets two stars for a well-written book, and one star for having the audacity to imply that this great actor/director was possibly the killer. After all, this implication did sell her book. I bought it.****
Mary Pacios, the author, was a childhood friend of Elizabeth Short, though Mary was many years younger. Throughout the book, one gets the feeling that Mary idolized Elizabeth, much as a younger sibling would idolize an older brother or sister who was held in high esteem for an admirable characteristic or other. In this case it was Elizabeth’s grace and beauty and, of course, her kindness toward Mary.
Mary repays that kindness with loving remembrances of Elizabeth.
However, Mary does not have a clue as to who killed her childhood friend. She points toward a well-known movie actor/director with the flimsiest of circumstance as nexus.
Mary gets two stars for a well-written book, and one star for having the audacity to imply that this great actor/director was possibly the killer. After all, this implication did sell her book. I bought it.****
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