Black Dahlia Avenger

The True Story

For 56 years, the Black Dahlia murder case remained one of the most notorious and high-profile unsolved crimes of the 20th century. Now, Steve Hodel, a 24-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department, believes he has finally solved the case. On January 15, 1947, 22-year-old Elizabeth Short - "The Black Dahlia" - was found dead in a vacant lot in Los Angeles, her body horribly mutilated, bisected at the waist, and posed in a bizarre manner. The horrific crime shocked the country and commanded headlines for months as the killer taunted the police with notes and phone calls. Despite the massive manhunt, the murderer was never found.

Hodel began working on the case after he retired from the LAPD when he chanced upon an intriguing piece of evidence that led him on a trail that he had no choice but to follow - since it pertained directly to him. As he dug deeper, he came to believe that the killer was also responsible for over a dozen other unsolved murders in the Los Angeles area around the same time. He also found copious evidence of corruption at the LAPD, leading him to accuse the department top brass of covering up the Black Dahlia murder in order to conceal a deeper conspiracy involving crooked politicians and gangsters.

Despite a lack of physical evidence (which had been destroyed), Hodel is able to connect numerous dots and make a plausible case, complete with lurid tales of wild orgies that were attended by celebrities such as the artist Man Ray, the director John Huston, and a host of other Hollywood elites. He also discloses his killer’s obsession with the Marquis de Sade and Jack the Ripper and how he modeled his own crimes on their behavior. In particular, there is a disturbing connection between the work of Man Ray and the horrific circumstances of Short’s murder. It is doubtful that this will be the final word on the Black Dahlia murder - too much myth surrounds it and much of his evidence is circumstantial - but Hodel’s labyrinthine tale adds much to this intriguing case.

©2003, 2011 Steve Hodel (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

great book

wow, he did as thurough of a job as one can expect. when he went into his conspiracy i thought "you lost me!" but then he had decently compelling evidence even on that...well done! i consider it solved.

Thorough!

Having been interested in the Black Dahlia murder since seeing several documentaries and movies about Elizabeth Short, I wanted to read Steve Hodel's book concerning his father George Hill Hodel as her murderer. I believe he made his case.

CAn we say horrid?

This is such a conglomeration of conjecture and making pieces fit together that it's so unlikely that it happened that it must be true that it did happen. I was waiting all through the book for one "nail in the coffin" and there just isn't one. Disappointed that it really is conjecture and coincidence; disappointed in so many police/law enforcement officers being so lax and downright evil. I almost quit listening several times because there's just nothing of consequence there-nothing substantial to build on. The crime itself was horrid but so was everything else in this story except Elizabeth Short who was shortchanged throughout the entire sequence of events.

Real life super villain.

You’ve never, in real life heard of a character more impressive or more malevolent then the Subject of this investigation and book. First read it in 2019 and this story hasn’t left my mind for a single day since.

Compelling Listen!

Would you consider the audio edition of Black Dahlia Avenger to be better than the print version?

This made me want to go out and purchase the print version. The photos and diagrams are adequately described, but it would be nice to check them out firsthand.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I admire the author's courage to come forward with his findings.

What does Kevin Pierce bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I felt like I was being officially briefed on the case.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book reaffirmed my belief that the world has its own mechanisms to balance things out. (The son seeking justice for the sins of his father)
There is true evil in this world. It hurt me immensely to hear what happened to these women. Being a woman in this world is a scary thing. It shouldn't be, but it is.

Any additional comments?

I feel that the various low reviews for this book are from "armchair detectives" who are upset that their pet theories aren't in the spotlight. This is a solid book. Steve Hodel spent years piecing this together. One or two coincidences could obviously be written off, but this book spins a complex tapestry of them. Considering how old this case is and how most of the physical evidence has since "disappeared", I feel like this is the closest we are going to get to a definitive answer as to who killed Elizabeth Short.