The writing felt like a cheap thrill, which I guess goes along with the tone of the storyline, but if this book did indeed launch Ellroy's career in the direction of serious writer like I've seen written in multiple places, then I don't really know why. I suppose Ellroy is able to dream up a complex crime plot from nothing, but that's not enough for me to consider him an artist worthy of accolade. I also found it hard to remember all the names that kept getting thrown at me (not that that says much, because I'm the worst with names in books).
Ultimately, I don't like that the entire thing (characters, motives, conclusion) was entirely fake. I wanted the main character to be a real cop who had worked on the case, and for all of the other characters to have actually existed (I googled their names and it seems like none of them were real). I wanted to hear about more real evidence that was found at the time. I didn't want a fantasy ending that wraps up the case when in actuality it's been a mystery for over 70 years. With the entire plot line revolving around bringing justice to The Black Dahlia, doing so kind of feels like it's doing the opposite for the real Elizabeth Short.
Anyway, my next book is a Michael Cunningham, and I'm SO EXCITED. Fangirllllll.
