The Black Dahlia Message Boards

[Coop]

I just finished "The Black Dahlia Files," and must say it made a very intriguing read from Donald Wolfe. This has to be the best book up tp date about the last years, the activities, and murder of Elizabeth Short. Picking up where the vague sentences of "Severed" trailed off, Wolfe, finshes them with vital new info from the L.A. District Attorney Files, thus giving us new, startling evidence and information we never knew about Short, the murder, and the possible killer(s).

By no means, do I think that the case is solved by this read, nor due I believe what is presented as a "theory" maybe accurate, but it does give the reader and researcher a better understanding of the (possible) motive behind the murder. This book paints a more realistic picture and feel of the 1940's seedy Los Angeles and Hollywoodland glamour. From this, my perspective of Elizabeth Short, as a "kind, nice girl from Medford," was then changed to a "freeloading, you-got-what-you deserved, money-blackmailing" individual. I'm not sure if that was the true nature of the victim or that the author intentionally made it this way.

Overall, it was the best insight of the case, and I would love to see the author release another Dahlia File Book (Volume 2) about the other stacks of boxes of evidence from the D.A.'s files ready to-be-archived.

[Jam Tart]

Have you had a look a Larry Harnisch's blog on the book?

http://lmharnisch.blogspot.com/

Over the top sarcasm (which many object to) aside, Harnisch's observations on Wolfe's book are a great lesson in taking everything you read with a grain of salt.
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[Autumn]

It's a good read but I it's more fiction than fact.

[Briar]

Larry said something I liked. He said something to the effect that he never makes jokes or flippant remarks because when he says something he wants it to be the truth as he knows it. If only all people we look to for facts did that. (I actually believe Steve does too.)
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[Nora Charles]

I bought this book a few weeks ago. It was the first one I've read on the case since reading Ellroy's book in the 80s.

I'm glad I got to read this one, the pictures make it worth buying, but there were so many errors. It was very interesting to read JAW's retelling of the murder. The way he describes Beth's lower body falling into the bathtub at an angle answers my question about why it looked like she was sitting up when she died.

And the way he said they/he dragged her by the ankle getting her situated after her body was dumped, makes it sound like she wasn't "exposed" on purpose, that it was just the way it happened, more or less.

The part about Jean Spangler made sense, and I guess if Beth was in the same situation her murder would make sense. I think his saying the cops went to the house & saw blood everywhere was hard to believe.

After reading the book I was left wishing he'd said more about Beth, and less about everyone else in the world. I don't believe his theory on her being pregnant, but I don't think it was a random act anymore, which I had for awhile...

[Gabriel]

When you read it you think WOW! This is it! Unfortunately, the book isn't it although I think he does raise some interesting points. Too many factual errors and suppostitions on his part.

You know, he could have written a GREAT book. With his contacts.

Whatever. It's not the solution.