“[A] juicy page turner . . . capturing both the allure and the perils of the dream factory that promised riches and fame.”—New York Times Book Review The gruesome 1947 murder of hopeful starlet Elizabeth Short holds a permanent place in American lore as one of our most inscrutable true-crime mysteries. In a groundbreaking feat of detection hailed as “extensive” and “convincing” (Bustle), skilled legal sleuth Piu Eatwell cracks the case after seventy years, rescuing Short from tabloid fodder to reveal the woman behind the headlines. Drawing on recently unredacted FBI and LAPD files and exclusive interviews, Black Dahlia, Red Rose is a gripping panorama of noir-tinged 1940s Hollywood and a definitive account of one of the biggest unsolved murders of American legal history.

This new edition of the L.A. noir classic is released just in time to accompany the Brian De Palma film.

For Viewers of the TNT Series I Am the Night and Fans of the Root of Evil Podcast, the Bestselling Book That Revealed the Shocking Identity of the Black Dahlia Killer and the Police Corruption That Concealed It for So Long A New York Times Bestseller An International Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book An Edgar Award Finalist In 1947, the brutal, sadistic murder of a beautiful young woman named Elizabeth Short led to the largest manhunt in LA history. The killer teased and taunted the police and public for weeks, but his identity stayed a mystery, and the murder remained the most tantalizing unsolved case of the last century, until this book revealed the bizarre solution. Steve Hodel, a retired LAPD detective who was a private investigator, took up the case, reviewing the original evidence and records as well as those of a separate grand jury investigation into a series of murders of single women in LA at the time. The prime suspect had in fact been identified, but never indicted. Why? And who was he? In an account that partakes both of LA Confidential and Zodiac, for the corruption it exposes and the insight it offers into a serial killer’s mind, Hodel demonstrates that there was a massive police cover-up. Even more shocking, he proves that the murderer, a true-life Jekyll and Hyde who was a highly respected member of society by day and a psychopathic killer by night, was his own father. This edition of the book includes new findings and photographs added after the original publication, together with a new postscript by the author.

******* A TIMES 'BOOK OF THE YEAR' ******* 'A magnificent, meticulous and startling re-examination of a crime that haunts the world's imagination' Geoffrey Wansell, author of An Evil Love: The Life of Frederick West 'Eatwell writes brilliantly . . . [she] has finally offered [Elizabeth] Short a type of belated justice. Her book reads like a thriller' Sunday Times 'A compelling read, in both style and substance . . . A must-read for anyone with an interest in the Black Dahlia - or indeed any fan of the true-crime genre' Rod Reynolds, author of The Dark Inside 'Compulsively readable, impeccably researched and heart-rending at times . . . Superb' Sarah Lotz, author of The Three and The White Road ************* On 15th January 1947, the naked, dismembered body of a black-haired beauty, Elizabeth Short, was discovered lying next to a pavement in a Hollywood suburb. She was quickly nicknamed The Black Dahlia. The homicide inquiry that followed consumed Los Angeles for years and the authorities blew millions of dollars of resources on an investigation that threw up dozens of suspects. But it never was solved. Until now. In this ground-breaking book, Piu Eatwell reveals compelling forensic and eye witness evidence for the first time, which finally points to the identity of the murderer. The case was immortalised in James Ellroy's famous novel based on the case, in Kenneth Anger's Hollywood Babylon and Brian de Palma's movie The Black Dahlia. This is a dark tale of sex, manipulation, obsession, psychopathy and one of the biggest police cover ups in history.

Electronic Distribution Date: October 1999 Printed & Bound Distribution Date: October 1999 This is a unique and compelling account of the Black Dahlia murder - one of Hollywood's most infamous unsolved crimes. Childhood Shadows: The Hidden Story of the Black Dahlia Murder combines the author's personal experience as a close friend of Elizabeth Short with in-depth research, bringing a unique perspective and opening up an intriguing new area of speculation about who the killer might be. Author Mary Pacios sets the stage by recreating the neighborhood she shared with Elizabeth 'Bette' Short during the years of the Great Depression and World War II. The war ends, but instead of peace, the horrendous murder of the young and beautiful Elizabeth Short sends shock waves through the nation. Years later, haunted by the unsolved murder of her childhood friend, Pacios sets out to discover the true circumstances surrounding her friend's brutal death. Because of her personal relationship with the victim, Pacios gains access to officials close to the investigation, who discuss with her unpublicized details of the case and their own privately held theories about who murdered the Black Dahlia. A Network of people sent Pacios information and gave her referrals. The research that Pacios expected to last only a few months, turned into a strange ten-year odyssey, leading her to a well-known celebrity whose name as a suspect is likely to startle millions. Appendices of public documents, an extensive annotated bibliography and photographs are included.

*Includes pictures *Profiles Short's life and death, and the theories and suspects *Includes footnotes, online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "The body was just a few feet from the sidewalk and posed in the grass in such a way that the woman [who discovered it] reportedly thought it was a mannequin at first. Despite the extensive mutilation and cuts on the body, there wasn't a drop of blood at the scene, indicating Short had been killed elsewhere. An extensive manhunt followed, but the killer has never been identified." - The FBI The latter half of the 1940s found the major cities of post-war America in a precarious position. On the one hand, population centers were reabsorbing many thousands of returning veterans into the work force, and into a social system they had not experienced for some years. Previous relationships had changed during their absence, and many were starved for female company. While making the necessary readjustments to the war's end, major cities such as New York, Chicago, Cleveland, and Los Angeles, were plagued by regionalized mob rule behind the scenes of the entertainment industry, from clubs and casinos to print and film media. Included in the list of supporting institutions and side markets were studios, liquor manufacturing, and all peripheral markets connected with gambling, and prostitution. In the years following World War II, Los Angeles and other large American cities were hit with a series of brutal murders that, in many ways, fit into distinct patterns across the country. The Los Angeles Police Department was overwhelmed, caught up dealing with mob activities, inner corruption, a regional press that brazenly invaded legal confidentiality within the walls of the police department itself, and a lack of advanced technology. As a result, several of the most highly publicized murders committed against young female newcomers went unsolved in perpetuity, and they have remained topics of conversation among crime enthusiasts well into the following century. That said, one of these crimes stands above the others as an iconic example of unthinkably grotesque savagery, a psychopathic act equal to any horror movie Hollywood has produced-the January, 1947 murder of Elizabeth Short, famously dubbed 'The Black Dahlia' by an engrossed press and public. The investigative case of Elizabeth Short was - and still is - filled with speculative suspicion so saturated with circumstantial evidence that to accuse a perpetrator outright is all but impossible without immediate qualification and backtracking from the claim. The horrific physical realities of the crime reach out in many directions, toward medical practitioners, the arts, the mob, writers, and in every case, the macabre. Conclusions are scarce and fragile, even as the possibilities seem endless. Decades after the fact, the world still cannot say for certain what sort of young woman Elizabeth Short really was, nor can anyone trace her activities or whereabouts in the timeline of her final days with absolute certainty. However, the indelible photographs of Short's savaged body following its discovery on a clear January morning, and the scientific reports that attempt to describe her final hours, remain at the forefront of graphic human atrocities within America's criminal files. The Black Dahlia Case: The History of the Unsolved Murder of Elizabeth Short looks at LA's most famous murder, and the theories and speculation behind who did it. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the attempt to identify the Black Dahlia like never before, in no time at all.

In Black Dahlia Avenger II, bestselling author and veteran homicide detective Steve Hodel presents his six-year follow-up investigation [2006-2011] into Los Angeles's 1947 Black Dahlia and other serially connected 1940s Lone Woman Murders. After the 2003 publication of his NYT bestseller and MWA Edgar nominated true-fact crime book, Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder, and receiving a "CASE SOLVED" legal opinion from many of LA's top law enforcement officials-which included a then active Head Deputy District Attorney and LAPD's Chief of Detectives-Hodel didn't stop there. In this investigative sequel he presents his careful deconstruction of the Dahlia Legend-exposing and correcting the Black Dahlia Murder's Three Greatest Urban Myths: Myth No. 1-"It was a standalone murder." Myth No. 2-"There was a 'Missing or Lost Week'" Myth No. 3-"The case was never solved." Some of BDA II's new investigative findings: The obtaining of the killer's full DNA PROFILE which can now be made available for law enforcement testing and comparison to multiple Cold Case unsolved crimes. Discovery of the Hollywood residence where the BLACK DAHLIA MURDER was committed along with physical evidence connecting the killer to the house and to the vacant lot where he later transported and posed the victim's body. Identification of "The Baron," George Hodel's house guest and an accomplice overheard and tape-recorded by detectives discussing "crimes and payoffs" on the 1950 DA/LAPD bugging tapes. New expert medical testimony and evidence photos proving-"A Doctor Did It." Complete original and unabridged 1950 DA-Hodel Black Dahlia Bugging Transcripts. [146 pages.] THE HUSTON LETTERS- Personal correspondence between famed film director, John Huston and his ex-wife, Dorothy Huston Hodel [the author's mother] covering the years 1948-1957. In these private letters Dorothy shared with John the day to day personal fear and terror she was experiencing living with George Hodel, as the doctor threatened her and the children with physical harm in the months just prior to his fleeing the country. A World Class Surrealist Photographer reveals his first-hand knowledge of the murders. Over 300 photographs and crime exhibits including the 1969 Sowden House 17-Photo Historical Survey About the Author: STEVE HODEL is a retired LAPD homicide detective and a licensed P.I.and has specialized in criminal investigations for the past 49-years. During his twenty-four years service with LAPD he was assigned to Hollywood Homicide where for eighteen-years he worked on more than three hundred murder cases and achieved one of the highest "solve rates" on the force. He retired as a Detective III [the highest attainable rank in the Detective Bureau] and resides in his hometown of Los Angeles. Show less