Negative Positive
Title: Uneven and ultimately disappointing
Review: This book promises to "solve" the mystery of who killed the Black Dahlia, but the outcome seems highly contrived and, I suspect, not entirely true. The book does paint an interesting picture of Elizabeth Short and her wanderings but important events often lack dates or sources, which suggests to me that much of this book is pure fiction. I'm no quicker to believe the solution in another book, "Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer" (Knowlton / Newton), but I found that book more satisfying. We'll probably never know for sure who killed the Dahlia (or why). "Severed" is definitely worth reading, but I doubt it's the once-and-for-all "solution" it promises to be. Some of the author's claims of first-hand knowledge-- including meeting the Dahlia when he was an 11-year-old kid (!) AND, as an adult, actually knowing her killer (!!)-- are, to me, a little insulting. P.S. Beware of a few disturbing photos.
Is the review positive or negative? 