The Black Dahlia

My coworker gave me the best-selling James Ellroy book, The Black Dahlia. I did not have very high expectations, because the last time that a coworker gave me a best-selling book, this happened.

However, this book was an excellent read. Perhaps it helped that I had just come off a serious Raymond Chandler binge, and this was taking the whole matter to its logical conclusion. The characters were complex, and the story was fascinating. Throughout the book, I kept hoping that this wouldn't be one of those "we didn't actually find the killer, but look how much we learned about ourselves and our society in the process of investigation." That would have been a huge letdown, and I am glad that the author had enough sense not to opt for such an idiotic conclusion.

So, I really recommend it to anybody interested in a fast and engrossing read. The movie just came out too. I can't say how it compares to the book, because I haven't seen it yet. But I am sure that I'll end up watching it eventually.