Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
The last book Ellroy wrote in conventional prose, it's still packed with violence, corruption, racism, misogyny, drugs, murder, sexual violence, sexual obsession, bad cops, and bad cops tormwented with a sliver of conscience. The search for the killer of Elizabeth Short is riven with politics and venality, and one cop who becomes utterly obsessed and his partner tagged along reluctantly for the ride, becoming drawn into the madness. Still, at heart, a tightly plotted whodunnit that unravels amidst the high-strung psychosis and melodrama.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I know it's a classic. I like suspense. I wanted to like it. But I didn't. Even for an average-lengthed book, it felt long and overraught. For whatever reason that was my reaction, but Ellroy is a good writer so worth a shot to try him out.
Very interesting and compelling character study inside a noir crime story. Very well written, occasionally confusing introduction of minor characters.
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Murder
I realize this one is in essence a dry run for what would come later, but there's something about these poor doomed bastards that I can't help but love. Will continue a revisit of the quartet and may even damn myself with a revisit of the Underworld Trilogy.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An interesting take based on the unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short.
The Black Dahlia is a good thriller read. The story keeps you engaged and despite the fact I know the murder was never solved in real life, I was rooting for the book to tell me who the murderer was. It was like I threw away all logic and thought for sure, the murder was solved and happened as written in the book.
I really felt so much sadness for Elizabeth. How tragic and how painful of a death she must have had.
What I didn't care for in the book... (1) The fact it took like 7 chapters to get to the actual story of The Black Dahlia. The beginning of the book was much too long with overly unnecessary character development of "Fire and Ice" (aka Bucky and Lee) and their boxing match. Yawn. It did not need to be that long. (2) I get it takes place in 1947 but I cringed every time someone used a derogatory term to describe other ethnic races.
The Black Dahlia is a good thriller read. The story keeps you engaged and despite the fact I know the murder was never solved in real life, I was rooting for the book to tell me who the murderer was. It was like I threw away all logic and thought for sure, the murder was solved and happened as written in the book.
I really felt so much sadness for Elizabeth. How tragic and how painful of a death she must have had.
What I didn't care for in the book... (1) The fact it took like 7 chapters to get to the actual story of The Black Dahlia. The beginning of the book was much too long with overly unnecessary character development of "Fire and Ice" (aka Bucky and Lee) and their boxing match. Yawn. It did not need to be that long. (2) I get it takes place in 1947 but I cringed every time someone used a derogatory term to describe other ethnic races.
The first 60+ pages of this were so dry. However, once that was done it was a great fictionalization of the black dahlia murder in LA in the 40s.