William J Mann has singlehandedly de-sensationalized the murder of Elizabeth Short with this book. He dismantles the fable of the "Black Dahlia" and returns her to her true form - a young woman. Mann presents the facts in a cohesive timeline, and while he does present and dispel common misconceptions, he does not give time to any outlandish theories. I appreciate this novel, and find writers like William J Mann so important in to the realm of true crime. At the end of the day these victims are people who were loved and are missed. Their lives and deaths should not be turned into an urban legend.

I've read nearly all the Black Dahlia books and this is by far the most balanced, thoughtful and sweeping one and, thankfully, it clears up countless myths and untruths about Elizabeth Short and restores her to the status of a real person, a young woman much loved by friends and family.

I was so excited to finally read a complete retelling of the E Short murder. This book was very informative and not drawing from media hype but by investigation of all the people who were suspected. It’s a sad story but one that is a much needed introspective book of the crime that we have come to know as “the black dahlia” murder. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

What a refreshing look at the true crime case of Elizabeth Short. I thought I knew all there was to know about this case but I was proved wrong. A whole lot of myths were addressed and debunked by the author. Mr. Mann did not force any theories to fit. He did not even name one person he thought was the murderer. He gave all the facts in a clear way but did not lean one way or the other as far as what happened during Elizabeth Short's lost week. What happened to Betty was horrible. It is sad that her murder was never solved. It is also sad that we don't have much information about Betty Short in general.

What an exhaustive review and analysis of the Black Dahlia case! I learned so much about Elizabeth Short, the police, the journalists, the suspects, and the families involved. I'd watched a documentary or two about the case but never got the insight into it - and the woman at the center of it - before now.

Such a huge book could have been dry and textbook-like but this wasn't. The author makes it feel like we're friends and he's telling a story. A very detailed story. And though the case hasn't been solved, there's so much to learn in the pages of this book. Real people who lived through it, or didn't...

I absolutely recommend this book for anyone who loves true crime.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ebook.

I found this book to be very informative about the times, the city, the people at the time of the Black Dahlia's horrible killing. I had heard just the outline of the story a few years ago, but this book goes deeper into everyone suspected of her killing. I found the book to be depressing and sad. I just about stopped around the half way mark, but went back and finished it. It is hard to advise any group to read this book, but it must be remembered and with the knowledge in it perhaps learn how to avoid or control this behavior in the future.

This is the perfect non-fiction book for learning about the black dahlia. It goes through the life of Elizabeth Short, how she was trying to get into Hollywood and the facts around her murder and who possibly done it. It is still an unsolved mystery even today. This book kept me interested all the way through. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Rarely do you see such a comprehensive book on a single case in the true crime realm. This is exhaustively researched and is sure to become the seminal work on Short.

I love this book!! I’ve been hooked on the Black Dahlia case since I watched a documentary on it when I was a little kid! So when I was able to get this Netgalley read I was beyond excited!!! Great book! I highly recommend reading! I cannot wait to have the hardback copy!

I was hoping this new novel would bring more conclusive and previously undivulged information that would suggest closure in this very cold, but interesting case. The author certainly spent a good deal of time doing his research, working up a picture of Elizabeth Short's brief life in Los Angeles leading up to her murder. But so many of those who came to know Elizabeth in LA are long gone, and the information gathered appears to have been second or third hand from surviving family members or friends who might or might not have remembered information that was factually correct. But at least, we do get a picture of this woman's brief existence in LA before her death.

There is a lot (and I repeat, a lot) of background information about too many players that seemed wholly unnecessary and I found myself skipping paragraphs and then pages. But Elizabeth is presented to us as a naive and impulsive young woman from a small town in Massachusetts who arrives in Los Angeles almost penniless, but with a dream of becoming a model. Unfortunately she has no real understanding of how to achieve that goal. The more I read, the more I struggled not to be judgmental. Elizabeth gets to LA in what appears to have been a period of significant crime and exposes herself to the invitation for a crime to be perpetrated against her by her chosen lifestyle. She has no idea of how to live on her own and never manages to support herself by getting a job. She lives on the street and spends her days wandering around window shopping, or sitting in the seats of local cafes hoping to snag some simple soul who will provide her with a roof over her head for the night, or a free meal. She falls into a pattern of a reliance on others and regrettably, and for the most part, those others were a lot of men she met on the street or in those cafes. She seemed particularly attracted to servicemen returning home from WWII. Elizabeth Short was an accident waiting to happen.

While the author believes Elizabeth was not a "professional" sex worker, as others have suggested, he also seems to suggest she was not offering sexual favors in exchange for places to sleep for the night or a free meal. I find that difficult to believe. She is characterized as canny and intelligent enough to manipulate her temporary benefactors. She managed to turn one night stays into weeks or months with the seriously gullible. But her manner of choice of day to day survival seems to suggest to me that perhaps she was canny and manipulative, but I just do not see her as intelligent. And I would hope that young women reading this book would take note because there is a lesson to be learned.

In the end, Elizabeth was a victim of her own life choices and superbly unlucky in her final choice of a companion of the moment. The perpetrator she met on that fateful day was no ordinary man, but a true psychopath with a serious case of misogynistic hatred. The sick things done to her body after her death show that clearly enough. Sadly, although it was interesting to get a picture of this young woman's life before her untimely death, I found her superbly irritating. And, I sense no closure from the book. I don't necessarily agree with the author's suggestion of a possible suspect. I came away with a strong feeling that this crime was not perpetrated by someone Elizabeth had fouled or offended. It seems to smack of a crime of opportunity by a seriously sick individual.

As a true crime junkie, this is the least sensationalized piece of media regarding the Black Dahlia. It was so well-written, so accurate and so thoroughly researched. Mann’s writing style kept me engaged throughout. I also loved reading about other “lesser known” players that often get left out of the movies, podcasts and tv shows.

Also, ten points for the ending section on where everyone is now. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the case or a true crime fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Black Dahlia by William J. Mann is a true crime book that really sticks with you. Mann puts years of research into this story and it shows. He digs through everything from FBI files to police reports and even talks to the families of people involved. The result is a deeply detailed look at not just the crime but the world Elizabeth Short lived in. This isn’t another sensational retelling. It’s a serious, thoughtful effort to understand who Elizabeth really was.
What really stood out was how Mann brings Elizabeth to life as a real person, not just a victim. She was smart, driven, and trying to find her place in a world that didn’t give her many options. Some parts were tough to read because they’re so graphic and honest, but it felt important. You can feel how much care went into telling her story right. This is definitely the most in-depth and respectful account of the case I’ve ever read.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of Black Dahlia in exchange for my review.

If you say that the murder of Elizabeth Short is one of the most notorious cold cases in US history I would hazard a guess that most people would be confused. Say “the Black Dahlia” and you would get a different reaction. This is indicative of what happened to Elizabeth: a horrific tragedy was turned into a legend, suited for tabloid journalism. The real young woman behind the moniker became lost to time, her short life turned into myth.

I have read several books about this case, each with a different theory about what happened. The latest is Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood, by William J. Mann. What makes this one different is the lens in which Mann views the facts. Taking into account the societal changes, and especially the social, cultural, and psychological aspects of gender, this is a fresh approach to viewing Elizabeth’s life and the lives of those affected by her fate. Mann uses this lens to analyze the actions of the police force as well as of the journalists. This makes for a much more nuanced, humane look at everyone involved. Mann has written this with the greatest empathy for the victims and survivors of the many events of these turbulent post-war years.

Perhaps that makes this sound like a textbook, but it most definitely is not. It is beautifully written and well-researched. There is new (to me) information that makes me think that the author is on to something. Even though this crime will probably never be solved, at least this book humanizes Elizabeth. I would highly recommend it to those interested in post-war history, the history of Hollywood, and true crime.

Mann’s telling of the Black Dahlia case shows who the young murder victim was, and that was Elizabeth Short. Mann put to rest the myths and sensationalism associated with this case. He presented “just the facts ma’am” about the woman, Elizabeth Short. Mann shows a young, beautiful and naive girl, who came from a small town and thought she knew how to survive in a big city. It is a story that happens every day, a young girl sets out on her own and is lost to violence or the streets. That’s the real story of Elizabeth Short; the Black Dahlia is a made-up version of a young girl that sold papers and books.

I have listened to so many podcasts and watched so many videos on Elizabeth Short. Her story is heartbreaking, and I really loved the fresh perspective of this book. We (as a society) often fail to listen to the stories of these victims from the people who knew them best--family and friends. We always just listen to the media. But this was a new perspective, and everyone should read this. This was written so well and so well researched. Nothing was left out. I feel like there was almost too much information, which in a criminal investigation is never a bad thing. I never found myself bored or disinterested. I definitely want to read more from William J Mann as his writing style is excellent and very informative. The author does a great job of laying the facts out for you, starting with her last few months, and moving on from there. But also what’s important to note here is how much he humanizes her, and shows the reader who she really was.
Mann’s writing style kept me entertained and interested. He starts the story in 1945 when Elizabeth arrives in Los Angeles. He takes you through the course of her life there, who she stayed with, her friends, her dates, how she got food and housing without ever having a job. We learn a lot about Elizbeth and her habits around the time of her murder. We also learn the habits of the police, investigators, the police psychiatrist, the newspapers, and all the others that involved themselves in the case. We learn about corruption, how the newspapers and the police work together (that would never happen now) and how these factors changed the course of the story and may have affected their ability to solve this case. This is an interesting and very in depth look at Elizabeth Short, one of true crime's most famous unsolved murders. The author dispels some of the most common rumors about the case and humanizes Elizabeth in a way most people don't. She was more than her tragic end, and the author takes pains to remind the reader of that. A good addition to any true crime library.

This book I could not put down loved it from beginning to end. I would highly recommend!! This isn't like something ie read before.

I've always been fascinated by this case, and this book brings a new perspective to it and I love that, I truly hope we keep talking about her and find who did it to bring closure and peace

This book was very interesting. I have done plenty of research on the Black Dahlia and there was a lot of information in this book that I did not know about her. I have to admit as much as I liked the book and all the facts about her life, which is fascinating, there was also a lot of unnecessary information in this book that kind of muddled it up. It felt like there was alot of filler just to reach a certain length. I understand why the topics were in there but to the length they were is a bit much. An example would be how much was about the crime rate at the time and how it was going up after the war, while yes that is important to story and the flow there was a whole lot of that information that did not need to be in there. There was also a whole lot of people and it was hard to keep track. That was her life though and those people were involved in some way. But I feel like it kind of gets away sometimes. I very much enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in her life story and facts and not just theories on what happened to her and all the lies that are out there.

I have listened to so many podcasts and watched so many videos on Elizabeth Short. Her story is heartbreaking, and I really loved the fresh perspective of this book. We (as a society) often fail to listen to the stories of these victims from the people who knew them best--family and friends. We always just listen to the media. But this was a new perspective, and everyone should read this.

This was an excellent book. It was well-written.
At times it was hard to read but it's worth reading.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

I received an Advance Copy of this book through NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, thank you for allowing me to read this book and give honest feedback.

I am a huge true crime fan and the Black Dahlia murder has always fascinated me.
This is finally the case told from the perspective of Elizabeth Short's friend and family, those who knew her best. Not the speculative media or police.

This was written so well and so well researched. Nothing was left out. I feel like there was almost too much information, which in a criminal investigation is never a bad thing. I never found myself bored or disinterested.

I definitely want to read more from William J Mann as his writing style is excellent and very informative.