La dalia negra

DNF @ 34%


TRIGGER WARNINGS: SEXUAL ASSAULT, INFIDELITY, TOURTRE, MURDER, HOMOPHOBIC/RACIAL SLURS (as used in the times of the 1940s)

POV: Singular, First PersonSeries/Standalone: StandalonePart of an interconnected series: YesFirst in series: YesSafe or Dark: Dark

The unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short AKA the Black Dahlia is what got me into true crime and the sordid world of serial killers. As crass as it sounds it is still to this day my favorite unsolved murder. I have researched it every which way but loose. Therefore, I wanted to love this book so bad. So very, very, bad. And I did for the first 124 pages. After that, it just fell apart. Don't get me wrong I knew this was a fictional story based on the actual murder. That wasn't an issue for me, what was an issue for me was the story itself.

I do want to mention that the noir vibes were vibing! I was very pleased with that.



I was not aware that The Black Dahlia was a book until a few years ago and ended up watching the movie of the same name when it was released in 2006. I usually like to read books before movie/television adaptions of them are released for two reasons, I like to get an idea of the full detailed story before stuff is omitted from the movie/show, and I like to build my description of a character in my head before I see who is cast in the movie/show. Since 2006 seems like it was eons ago, I had forgotten much about the storyline.

The story is told from the point of view of Dwight “Bucky” Bleichert, who is described as being 6'3 with dark hair, pale skin, and big buck teeth. Hence, his nickname. In the story, he is told by a woman that he would be “handsome if he got his teeth fixed.” All in all, Bucky sounds like a good-looking guy. In the movie, Bleichert is played by Josh Hartnett who was a heartthrob in his own right in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Although he had the height, dark hair, and good looks, he failed to have the bucked teeth. These set of chompers were talked about so much in the book that picturing Hartnett often pulled me out of the story. That being said, I did adore Bucky Bleichert's character. Dare I say I had a crush on this fictional man?



The other main character is Leland “Lee” Blanchard. Bucky's wise-cracking smart-ass partner, who was described as having a ruddy complexion and sandy blonde hair. In the movie, he is portrayed by Aaron Eckhart. Now, we are not given as detailed of a description of Blanchard since the story is not being told from his point of view and the quick description that we do get comes from Bleichert. So, picturing Blanchard as Eckhart did not bother me so much.

Katherine “Kay” Lake is Lee's long-time girlfriend whom Bucky eventually falls in love with and vice versa. However, Kay throws off a lot of mixed signals and I was often unsure of her and Lee's relationship dynamics. I couldn't figure out if it was a romantic or friendly one. She made it clear that the two of them were not intimate. They become the Blanchard/Lake/Bleichert gang. That would be a good name for a law firm “Blanchard, Lake, & Bleichert attorneys-at-law”. Three peas in a pod. While we get a fairly short description of Lake it is pointed out that she has basic features. A too-high forehead and a crooked nose were two that stood out to me. In the movie, she is played by Scarlett Johansson who is gorgeous. Again, picturing Johansson as Lake did not take me too much out of the story.

While I knew that this was not a true crime novel about the murder and was not going to be a factual book, there was just too much going on with the made-up storyline.

1) We get a peak into the (for lack of a better word) love-triangle, between Bucky, Lee, and Kay. I could have done without that. It wasn't pertinent to the story in my opinion.

2) Lee saved Kay from a gangster that we are to assume (based on what was told to us) pimped her out, and treated her poorly. This man made her do horrible things that would have left a scar on her psyche. So, it is hard to believe that a woman who was in her situation would find herself caught in between two men. One of which she often came onto very strong.

3) While it all did tie together, I did not need the added plot line of Bucky's love life. I wanted a crime story, not a romance one.

4) We get to the murder of Elizabeth Short about 70 pages into the book, and it quickly goes off the rails from there. While I appreciate James Ellroy giving Short the justice she never got in real life, it was just too unbelievable.

I will give credit where credit is due. Ellroy writes beautifully and builds a very passionate and dense story. I can see why he is a well-loved author. While I enjoyed the first (approximately) 80 pages, this book just wasn't for me. I did enjoy the deep dive into the detective's personal lives and how the murder affected them mentally. There was just too much going on outside of the actual crime itself. Maybe I would have gone into this with a different mindset if the title of the book wasn't literally The Black Dahlia.

This book is heavy with racial and homophobic slurs which was common with the times. So, if that is hard for you to stomach I don't suggest reading this.