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Black Dahlia Avenger: The True Story
by Steve Hodel
A retired LA Cop investigates the Black Dahlia murder only to find that the trail leads back to his own father.
Los Angeles attracts hundreds of actress-wannabes every year. In January 1947, one of them turned up dead in a field. Twenty-two year old Beth Short was a recent import from back east that, due to her penchant for dressing all in black, picked up the nickname, "The Black Dahlia." There was nothing special about her except that whoever killed her also cut her body in half. That horrific detail, plus her exotic nickname, made front-page news all over the country at the time. The fact that her murder was never solved made her a legend for all times.
Every few years, someone writes a book claiming to have solved the Black Dahlia murder. I always buy them -- me and a bunch of other true crime aficionados. I'm sure that's why people keep writing them. I was well versed in Black Dahlia lore when I picked up ‘Black Dahlia Avenger' so there wasn't much about the murder itself that was new information. On the surface, Steve Hodel's premise -- that his own father killed Beth Short -- isn't new. At least one other author fingers HER father for the crime.
What makes Hodel's story intriguing is his background as an LAPD Homicide Detective. After finding a photograph of a young woman in his late father's possessions, Hodel believes that he's seeing the image of Beth Short. Personally, I stared at the photo included in the book until my eyes crossed and I couldn't see any resemblance, but, regardless, this was what started Hodel's investigation.
Drawing on his professional expertise, his intimate knowledge of LA police procedures and his access to family information, Hodel makes a case for his father's guilt. There is no direct physical evidence to connect the Dahlia to anyone, let alone George Hodel. However, Steve Hodel believes that samples of his father's handwriting match the notes sent to the newspapers by someone claiming to be the Black Dahlia murderer. He tracks George Hodel's interest in the Marquis de Sade and points to the sadism involved in the body mutilations. George also has a close relationship with a famous painter, Man Ray, who was part of a ‘swinging' LA group that included several well-known people in the movie industry. The author sees correlations between some of Man Ray's work and the way the Dahlia's body was displayed in that field.
However, more interestingly, whether or not the culprit is George Hodel, the author suggests that there was a serial killer working the Los Angeles area during the late '40s and that the police were aware of it and investigating it as such. Adding fuel to Hodel's fire, when the district attorney releases some of the Dahlia files, he discovers that George Hodel was one of many suspected of the crimes at the time.
The book, itself, is fun to read whether you are a Black Dahlia expert or just a casual reader. The author is earnest and diligent in his investigation. He puts together a story that is possible, but not very plausible. Unfortunately, Steve Hodel comes across as a bit too intense -- like maybe he's stretching the facts of the case to make them fit the circumstances of his father's life. In the end, I found him likeable and genuine. He had a solid career that perhaps he misses now that he's retired. He had an inquiring mind and too much time to think.
Whatever the truth of the Dahlia case, Steve Hodel has created an intriguing subplot involving his own family.
Title: Black Dahlia Avenger: The True Story
Author: Steve Hodel
Publisher: Arcade Books
ISBN: 1559706643
Review written by: Joyce Faulkner
Reviewer's Rating:6.5
Reader's Rating: 6.43
Reader's Votes: 7
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