The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, the Mogul, and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles – A True Crime Investigation Naming Bugsy Siegel and Exposing the Hollywood Cover-Up

by Donald H. Wolfe

In 1946, Elizabeth Short traveled to Hollywood to become famous and see her name up in lights. Instead, the dark-haired beauty became immortalized in the headlines as the "Black Dahlia" when her nude and bisected body was discovered in the weeds of a vacant lot. Despite the efforts of more than four hundred police officers and homicide investigators, the heinous crime was never solved. Now, after endless speculation and false claims, bestselling author Donald H. Wolfe discovers startling new evidence—buried in the files of the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office for more than half a century. With the aid of archival photos, news clippings, and investigative reports, Wolfe documents the riveting untold story that names the brutal murderer—the notorious Mafia leader, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel—and the motive—an unwanted pregnancy resulting from Short's involvement with the most powerful figure in Los Angeles, Norman Chandler. But Wolfe goes even further to unravel the large-scale cover-up behind the case. Wolfe's extensive research, based on the evidence he discovered in the recently opened LADA files, makes The Black Dahlia Files the authoritative work on the murder that has drawn endless scrutiny but remained unsolved—until now.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Mystery, Biography, Research

448 pages, Paperback

First published December 27, 2005

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much more violence than I usually want to read about. However, my family lived in Los Angeles at the time. I was a 9-year-old,and recall overhearing adults talking, without wanting children to hear, about this brutal murder. This book was compelling in describing the life of Elizabeth Short, AKA The Black Dahlia, as it led up to her death. More interesting to me was the picture it painted of the movie industry and the competing mob interests that operated within the control of a corrupt police force and city government.

[Niki · Rating 1 out of 5]

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE! Do your research before reading this book or believing anything contained therein. While this book is very well written and nicely structured, it's full of holes and is just plain not true. Donald Wolfe builds a bit on John Gilmore's crackpot theory and throws some of his own odd tidbits in there for good measure.

I would direct people to Larry Harnisch's blog where he disects this book chapter by chapter first. He finds many of the holes I mentioned and lays out why Wolfe's theory is just impossible. I personally though, don't believe Larry's theory.(Dr. Leslie Audrain, a doctor in his 60's at the time who also had a bad heart, just doesn't seem plausible.)Then I would encourage you to do your own research and read the other books available about the Dahlia before believing wholeheartedly in Donald's theory.

Overall, this was just too far-fetched for me to believe and I stumbled upon Larry Harnisch's blog while reading this book so I just found myself questioning and researching everything in this book. It was not an enjoyable read because of that and I wouldn't recommend it unless you are someone like myself who is intensely interested in all aspects, angles, and theories about the Black Dahlia murder.

[Sam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmmm I kind of feel like this is two books in one, the first half dealing with the facts of the murder itself and the second which is the author's own theory and 'solution' to the killing. Both are really well written and vivid in their accounts, bringing the people and places, sights and sounds to life so you feel the public terror and outcry at such a brutal killing. But then the theory side of things, while well supported by various pieces of evidences and less well by hearsay and gossip (including from the author's own background), is just too far-fetched and barely believable. While I like the idea that the Dahlia killing was some kind of mob hit covered up by the LA police and politians, I really struggle to actually believe this. This is the first book on the Black Dahlia that I've read and now I feel like I need to read much more to be able to say whether Wolfe's theory holds any kind of water, but I really doubt it. Because of this I found I enjoyed the second half much less, spending much of the time incredulous and cynical at the conclusions and accusations being made. An interesting read but a dubious conclusion.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was interesting, but also rambling. The author makes a solid case that Elizabeth Short was involved with the mafia. And, it was this connection that brought about her horrid demise wherein her body was found severed in many pieces, left in a lot, near a sidewalk where it could easily be found. Bloodless, severed with her mouth slit from each side of the lips to the ear, this was indeed a very brutal crime.

Mid way the author got off track, leading me to feel that he should have made his case and wrapped up pages earlier.

Elizabeth Short, aka The Black Dahlia was a sad soul who found herself attached to the wrong crowd. A magnet for the seedy, sleezy Los Angeles crowd.

[Abra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book I felt like I knew Elizabeth Short. It kept me turning pages too. Donald Wolf is an excellent writer as well as researcher. One of my favorite written descriptions to date is in the first chapter of this book. It is the description of a printing press. After reading this I knew I wanted to read more by Wolf so I checked out The Marilyn Monroe book he wrote. I didn't like it as much as this though, but it was still well done. This case has always fascinated me and this was the best look into it in my opinion.

[Emilie · Rating 4 out of 5]

of all the black dahlia books out there, i found this one is the most engaging and least daddy hating.

[Elevetha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting, and delves a whole lot deeper than just the surface of the case, as we explore LA's sinister and corrupt underbelly (uhhhh, overbelly??) in the decades surrounding but primarily in the 1940's. It was equally fascinating and horrifying to see just how embroiled the LAPD, City Hall, all the newspapers, EVERYTHING was to the Mob and how corrupt the entire city as a whole was. Certainly makes one wonder even more about today...

That being said, because it's not just focused on the Black Dahlia case, there are buckets of information to absorb here - overwhelmingly so. Every location seems like it has the whole address printed out, tons of dates are given to us (not all chronologically), but mostly the sheer amount of names/people mentioned and involved in everything in just staggering and can definitely be a bit of a turn-off.

This is one of several books on the Black Dahlia case, and not even the latest! I am interested in checking out some of the other ones (though not Black Dahlia Avenger: A Genius for Murder or Daddy Was the Black Dahlia Killer: The Identity of America's Most Notorious Serial Murderer--Revealed at Last because after reading this one, I am pretty convinced neither of those narratives are correct. Avenger sounds like total bullshit, but I guess I would need to read to fully establish that) to compare. I know most of the books come up with alternate answers as to who the killer really was, and on the one hand, this one could be considered hitting all the bases by listing multiple killers involved in the crime, but it also makes a lot of sense because the main guy I would suspect as having been eye-witnessed and also CONFESSED, there is just no way he did the whole thing on his own given the evidence and the medical expertise needed. Likewise, it wasn't just the medical guy either.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald H. Wolfe has presented a meticulously researched and thoroughly documented account of what likely is the truth about the brutal murder of Elizabeth Short. Wolfe's book has the authority of a properly prepared murder investigation, but reads with the building anticipation of a fictional murder mystery. The Black Dahlia Files is an excellent book in every respect, as Wolfe examines, in detail, the actual evidence. Certainly, he possessed the ability to refer to documents and information recently released by the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, many of which were unavailable to authors of previously-published "non-fiction" accounts of this crime (note that some of the "non-fiction" accounts previously published don't even count as non-fiction because they were based upon complete speculation).

In as much as he is seemingly able to, Wolfe sets right some of the wrongs committed against Elizabeth Short that occurred even after her murder. He speaks for her and sheds light on an ugly truth, not only about her murder, in particular, but in the subsequent cover up by LAPD investigators. This book names names and levels accusations against the perpetrators of this crime before, during, and after Short's death. It's an eye-opening account that I recommend to anyone who is familiar with the so-called Black Dahlia case or to those, like myself, who knew almost nothing about it. Thank you, Madelyn!

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Donald Wolfe uncovers what he believes to be the truth behind the unsolved Black Dahlia murder in this book. It is a quite interesting read and Wolfe seems to have quite a bit of information that previous authors were not privy to, mostly do to the time that has passed and the information that has been leaked to the public. Yet, I remain amazed that much of the evidence remains to be sealed despite the passage of time.

I thought Part 1 of the book was put together rather well and easy to follow (although the author tends to go off on tangents by talking about random personal things). Part 2 was insane to me. There were way too many people mentioned to keep concise track of. Sometimes I had no clue who he was talking about. It would have been nice to have some kind of summary of people to follow or may just a list of sorts at the end saying who belonged where and what their importance was to the whole case.

Wolfe draws conclusions of what happens at the end of the book and puts the puzzle pieces together - his ideas are complete but may not be 100% accurate - but the truth will probably never be known. The book is worth reading and considering.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without giving too much, if anything, away if no one has ever really heard much about the Black Dahlia case, I thought it was extremely well written and presented. The book progresses through the evidence, and gradually outlines to the reader what is known, what isn't known, and the history behind the key people involved. I think that's what I liked most about it, that it didn't really straight out exclaim things immediately, but kind of let you figure out and put the pieces of the puzzle together along the way. I also liked that it shared a lot of back story about not only Elizabeth, but other people that played significant roles. The fact that it was very to the point and didn't really exaggerate anything beyond what it was, made the findings very convincing and believable. I also liked that it included dozens of photos, maps, messages, and really involved you in the evidence... it also gave a clearer picture of what was actually going on. I think the occasional visual goes a long way in painting a picture in your mind about what happened. I think I started it not even 2 weeks ago, and already finished it... it was one of those books that keeps you wanting to read to find out what happened. The only downside was the many, many names mentioned, and at times it was hard to keep up with who was who, but I found that the book often referred back to information to remind the reader, and the photos helped putting a face to the names as well. A fascinating story, it's unfortunate that it will probably always remain 'open and unsolved'.

[Suvi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolfe writes engagingly and he has truly made his research. He doesn't reveal his theory about the murderer(s) until in the very end, forcing the reader to think about the case and connect the clues. For that reason I'll try not to give away too much in the following.

I actually believe that the solution Wolfe provides is how things really happened. It all makes sense, pieces fit in the gaps. Even if it's not true, files that became public only recently give away pretty big clues, things that dirty cops and corrupt big shots had so adamantly wanted to hide. Mafia involvement was the biggest factor. I was pretty shocked to find out that Cary Grant and Gary Cooper among others were Bugsy Siegel's friends, at least until Hollywood realized he was a raving gangster.

Marilyn Monroe also talked to Elizabeth Short at one point, when she was asking about how to get into the right Hollywood crowd, and later Monroe was very disturbed by her murder. There was so much anecdotes and information about the case, varying from plausible (an interview with the possible murderer) to downright ridiculous (lesbian killer hoax). The cover-up probably lasted well until the 1980s when someone talked a bit too much (hint: a very movie-like scenario involving an apartment fire). Whatever the truth is, it's likely that the murderer(s) will never be punished for what they did.

[Eve Keeller · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to this true crime case I take every detail with a pinch of salt as there is so much information that’s unavailable however, this is the best book I’ve read on the black dahlia. The author was in LA at the time which gives crucial context and he had spoke to people involved in the investigation. This might be sprinkled in just to make you believe the story more but like I said I try to look it objectively. The book was very easy to read and included A LOT of pictures which was fantastic! It’s interesting to see which conclusion the author comes to and what parts of the case they focus on. The other book I have read was totally different it’s amazing how many viewpoints there is. I feel Donald might actually be right about what happened. Not being allured by his personal claims to the case to me it makes the most sense. By no means am I going to stop reading about the case but for now, this is what I’m believing in.

[Theremin Poisoning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A frist-rate true crime book. The unprecedented access to police files allows for a piecing together of the tangled society that allowed for such a grisly murder and the coverup that kept this enigma alive since 1947. Highly recommended, this volume includes police interrogation transcripts, copious photographs of all involved, and a sensible rebuttal of the "Hodel hypothesis."

[Mitch Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Black Dahlia Files: The Mob, the Mogul, and the Murder That Transfixed Los Angeles (2005) by Donald H. Wolfe is a wonderfully written book about the very sad true case of a young woman called Elizabeth Short’s death.



There is clearly much extensive research involved in the putting together of this book. It looks at the murder of a 22-year-old woman Elizabeth Short who was murdered brutally in 1947. Her body was cut up after her death which suggested that someone with medical experience or knowledge was involved in her death. Elizabeth was pregnant when she died and the baby also did not live. This book gives us information on Elizabeth’s backstory and tells us about many people she knew around the time she died. We also get information on who was suspected at the time and after and the numerous theories which have been put forward since her horrifying murder which has never been solved.

This book shows how Elizabeth had her good and bad points and was like us all leaving the terrible thought that it could be anyone something like this could happen to. She had all these hopes and dreams and a real zest for life and all of that was took away from her.

A very harrowing read. Many of the photographs which accompany this book are also harrowing. A very interesting read but a very sad read.

[Zach Sergi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always been aware of the general understanding that the LAPD has a history of corruption & oppression. After reading the Dahlia case, oh man, there have been some very deep roots of inhumane evil within LA. The content can get gruesome, from the visuals to the descriptions. Also, there will be plenty of names and places mentioned, some more relevant to the case than others.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Larry Wolfe does a solid job of researching this heinous crime. He uncovers the corrupt politics behind the investigation and the shady dealings of the press and the police that has hindered the solving of this famous murder case. The crime lords at the time were so powerful and influential that people with knowledge of the case were terrified to come forward with information.
Eliizabeth Smart a girl from Medford Mass was a dreamer and wanted to find fame in Hollywood, but ended up being exploited and died tragically at the age of twenty-two. She was prone to depression and mood swings, and underneath all she really wanted was to find a nice guy and get married.
Warning some portions aren't for the faint-hearted people like me.

[Rachael Nichols Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

First, the positives: it’s well written, does a good job of setting the tone of the time, and also does a good job of accurately describing the murder and the press coverage thereof.

Now the negatives: it’s much longer than it needs to be, the case it makes, while interesting, is flimsy, and it goes off subject a lot.

The first part of the book was intriguing, while I found my mind wandering in the second part, even checking how many pages I had left to read to be done.

The case he lays out is plausible, but barely so. It was interesting and I’m glad I read it, but I wouldn’t read it again and probably wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re a big true crime fan.

[Marilyn Sue Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone with illusions about the 1940s should read this book about the awful merging of the wealthy and powerful with criminals, police, and media, resulting in the brutal slayings of young, naive women, which are not "solved" because the police know exactly who did it, but they are under protection.

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW I was blown away with all the history in this book. The crime story was well done, it did not go over board with detail but it did show as well as paint a pictures of a very disgusting crime scene. I can't get over all the suspects and the fact it is unsolved.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this was a very well-written and compelling book, I have a lot of trouble believing the author's conspiracy theory. I don't think enough hard evidence exists that will ever definitively solve her murder. This was entertaining though, like a Godfather twist on James Ellroy's famous novel.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a well told story, but that is all it is, a story. If you are trying to find out as much about Elizabeth Short as you can, then read this book. Otherwise, I'd leave it.

[Maria Manvik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I read this book, I was expecting it to be full of lies, another book “solving” the Black Dahlia case. Besides, from what I’d gathered from various other sources, this book’s presented theory was not consistent with the facts of the case, not even close. But, I actually found this book to be one of the most insightful books on this case, and I was very positively surprised. If I hadn’t known anything about this case, I would totally have bought into the theory presented. However, I would recommend you (if this book is the first book you read on this case) to do your own research. Many of the facts in the book are totally unsupported by official case records, but those “facts” make the theory totally unsubstantiated and irrelevant. I don’t believe the theory here at all, but I definitely don’t regret reading this book. Would recommend, but please, please do your research beforehand.

[Ellenore Clementine Kruger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This started out ok but got harrowing. I cried A LOT. It was a huge surprise. I am someone in the particular demographic. I think this case makes me want to be better about psychology and details. I just feel I also would be attacked like this. She was just way too overexposed in the area and then cornered. It felt half human, half something else, like jon benet or tate labianca tragedy. I grew up knowing very little about what the darkness is beyond just the feeling. I hope everyone stays safe, but this book will remind you that without money or critical/sober thinking, you may be too friendly to the wrong people. She was innocent. No one should go through this. Food for thought is family needs to be with you for your career in an industry involving vanity. It just gets too creepy. I also do not have a sixth sense 98% of my life. I am super super sick from years trying to fight trauma with weed and now hiv and anti-depressants… sober! The memories NEVER LEAVE.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A crime so horrible, so brutal, that we’re still talking about it 70 years later. If you watched LA Confidential, and were taken with the seedy underbelly of Hollywood, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. It’s amazing what a soulless place LA could be in the carefree post WW2 days, but it’s laid in gruesome detail by Wolfe, a lifelong resident of Los Angeles. The main thrust, the investigation into the murder of Elizabeth Short is an incredible story in itself, as it has almost an endless pit of sadness. Wolfe’s knowledge and research are excellent, but one must take everything with a grain of salt, as there are many contradicting “facts” in this case. His theory about the killer of Short, doesn’t add up to me, but I think he’s in the ballpark. A highly disturbing book, but one that should be read if you have an interest in history, or true crime.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very engaging book about the murder that shocked, and still continues to shock the world. In this take on the infamous murder, Donald Wolfe explores a different side to the story, with evidence and claims that point to a conclusion that many may not have known about. Like just about every book on the subject, Wolfe presents to you his take on the crime, and who he thinks is responsible. While I don't agree with his conclusion, I did enjoy the book thoroughly, and highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of true crime. This may be one of the most popular unsolved mysteries in Hollywood history, and enthusiasts won't be disappointed.

[Candy Galindo · Rating 3 out of 5]

the author did a good job incorporating research, and interviews, as well as some personal insight due to his step father knowing several of the individuals mentioned in the case files. the author provides a reasonable hypothesis regarding the murder which unfortunately cannot be examined further due to the mass corruption at the time, the tampering of evidence, and the murders and deaths of key individuals . my rating was lowered due to some parts being repetitive and the story telling was a little disjointed. I loved seeing the pictures at the end as a lot of the buildings and locations have changed

[Jarrod · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gave this book one Star and that was hard because the prose was very good and engaging which earns it the star however, by the time I reached the final chapter I came to find out that there exists a website that deconstructs every single chapter of this book - in expressed detail - and reveals that this book is 99.9% fiction and alleges that the author has gone to such length to cause history to bend to his vision of it as to doctor scores of documents, which is horrifying as this is about the gruesome murder of a real woman.

[RLD · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up in LA, and this crime has always fascinated me. I bought this book at a public library fundraiser. I had set it aside until a TV show about it the murder prompted me to read it. It was worth the wait.

This all makes sense from what I know about people in Los Angeles at the time. It did go back and forth somewhat, but there were many things happening at once that needed to be covered. I highly recommend it to anyone from LA, or who has an interest in the mob, or has an interest in the protection of powerful people doing bad things.

[Kenzley Ricklefs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful insightful read, I have always been curious about old Hollywood, the mob and the black Dahlia. This book is wonderfully written and not give you a look into the this very cold case, the mob and old Hollywood and how the mob controlled the police but also a look into the authors life as well. I learned new things I never knew from reading other books like this, and it may shine some light on who was the actually murderer. But we will never know for certain.

[Rachel Bertrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely an interesting book. Wolfe presents the evidence meticulously, weaving his own theories so seamlessly, one would think this was a report of a solved case.

Overall, if you're interested in unsolved crime, this is worth a read. However, take it with a grain of salt - this case remains unsolved, and Wolfe's accusations are not the only possible scenario.