The Black Dahlia - James Ellroy
The Black Dahlia is a novel written by James Ellroy (LA Confidential), partly based on the true murder story of Elizabeth Short ( which up to this day remains unsolved ). The book's protagonist and narrator is ex-boxer Dwight "Bucky" Bleichert who after being promoted to Warrants Division, he was paired with Lee Blanchard a fellow prizefighter of the ealy 40's.
Through him Bucky meets Kay Lake, who at that time lives with Lee and the three forms a special friendship with Bucky developing deep feelings for Kay while at the same time nurturing a budding brotherhood and friendship with Lee.
Together Bucky and Lee goes on with their job, with Ellroy describing a realistic scene of 1940's Los Angeles, streets bristling with crime, dope neighborhoods and the usual cop corruption.
After being involved in a tragic shoot-out with 4 drug peddlers, both men are starting to carve a legend among the world of LA cops.
Shortly after that, a mutilated dead body of a woman was discovered in a vacant lot, revealed to be Elizabeth Short,an aspiring hollywood actress and dubbed as the "Black Dahlia" by the media.
With the case grabbing frontpage news, most of the cops were assigned on the case including Lee and Bucky. The two men will then find themselves trying to solve the seemingly dead-end case.
Which would later turn into a mad obsession, particularly Lee, because the death reminds him of his own sister who vanished and pressumed to be murdered years ago.
With the investigation still ongoing, Lee's behaviour becomes more erratic, thus affecting his own relationship with Kay, thus bringing both Kay and Bucky closer together. until Lee with his growing behaviour problem went Awol and gone missing.
Bucky is left by his own, tagging along with other cops pursuing leads and at the same time comforting Kay.
All the while, Bucky is drawn closer to an obsession with the murder victim itself after initially questioning Lee's own obsession with the Dahlia case itself, at the same time developing a sexual relationship with a woman who may or may not be an important piece on the Black Dahlia puzzle.
James Ellroy doesn't merely focused on the Black Dahlia scenario, but just a backdrop that serves as the stage of the whole events that unfolds in the novel.
Bucky uncovering a trail of police corruption while investigating the Black Dahlia case, which i think is also a huge theme of the novel. It was known that the Black Dahlia was the first of Ellroy's "LA Quartet" novels which includes "The Big Nowhere", "L.A. Confidential", and "White Jazz".
The ensuing conclussion about the fate of Lee, Bucky's relationship with Kay, and the surprise identity of the real killer, the answers to the how? the why? proves to be the novel's strongest point.
Although the real Black Murder case remains unsolved, one will think that the ending of the novel gives readers a temporary halt, thinking the case was really solved. Thanks in part to Ellroy's realistic portrayal of the characters and a genuine plot that leaves no room for doubts and lingering questions.
To sum it up, it was a great novel, mostly detective novel, with the usual violence, history of the 40's underworld ( Bugsy Siegel has an appearance ), cop corruption ( that was the major theme of LA Confidential ) and also part love story.
Through him Bucky meets Kay Lake, who at that time lives with Lee and the three forms a special friendship with Bucky developing deep feelings for Kay while at the same time nurturing a budding brotherhood and friendship with Lee.
Together Bucky and Lee goes on with their job, with Ellroy describing a realistic scene of 1940's Los Angeles, streets bristling with crime, dope neighborhoods and the usual cop corruption.
After being involved in a tragic shoot-out with 4 drug peddlers, both men are starting to carve a legend among the world of LA cops.
Shortly after that, a mutilated dead body of a woman was discovered in a vacant lot, revealed to be Elizabeth Short,an aspiring hollywood actress and dubbed as the "Black Dahlia" by the media.
With the case grabbing frontpage news, most of the cops were assigned on the case including Lee and Bucky. The two men will then find themselves trying to solve the seemingly dead-end case.
Which would later turn into a mad obsession, particularly Lee, because the death reminds him of his own sister who vanished and pressumed to be murdered years ago.
With the investigation still ongoing, Lee's behaviour becomes more erratic, thus affecting his own relationship with Kay, thus bringing both Kay and Bucky closer together. until Lee with his growing behaviour problem went Awol and gone missing.
Bucky is left by his own, tagging along with other cops pursuing leads and at the same time comforting Kay.
All the while, Bucky is drawn closer to an obsession with the murder victim itself after initially questioning Lee's own obsession with the Dahlia case itself, at the same time developing a sexual relationship with a woman who may or may not be an important piece on the Black Dahlia puzzle.
James Ellroy doesn't merely focused on the Black Dahlia scenario, but just a backdrop that serves as the stage of the whole events that unfolds in the novel.
Bucky uncovering a trail of police corruption while investigating the Black Dahlia case, which i think is also a huge theme of the novel. It was known that the Black Dahlia was the first of Ellroy's "LA Quartet" novels which includes "The Big Nowhere", "L.A. Confidential", and "White Jazz".
The ensuing conclussion about the fate of Lee, Bucky's relationship with Kay, and the surprise identity of the real killer, the answers to the how? the why? proves to be the novel's strongest point.
Although the real Black Murder case remains unsolved, one will think that the ending of the novel gives readers a temporary halt, thinking the case was really solved. Thanks in part to Ellroy's realistic portrayal of the characters and a genuine plot that leaves no room for doubts and lingering questions.
To sum it up, it was a great novel, mostly detective novel, with the usual violence, history of the 40's underworld ( Bugsy Siegel has an appearance ), cop corruption ( that was the major theme of LA Confidential ) and also part love story.
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