Angel in Black

Rating:
Summary: Heller vs. the Black Dahlia killer
Review: Max Allan Collins is a sort of a Renaissance Man. He's an independent film-maker, scripted the Dick Tracy comics series for 16 years, and writes mystery novels (ten Shamus nominations, won twice). You wonder how he has time to breathe and eat, let alone make a life with a wife and son. Of these accomplishments, the mystery novel series is perhaps the best known. A dozen of the books are private eye novels with a main character who's a sort of guide to the crime world of the late 20's to the late 50's. This character is Nathan Heller, the half-Irish half-Jewish ex-cop who is friends with Capone, traded shots with Dillinger, and searched for Amelia Earhart and the Lindbergh baby. You have to be willing to accept that one person would be involved in this many different famous crimes of the century, but once you make this leap of faith, the books are wonderful evocations of life in the first half of the century, replete with characters and scenes that stay with you. The solutions to the real-life mysteries are well-researched and believable, and often the author has done original work that leads non-fiction writers to new sources and accounts of the crime in question.

The crime in question is the Black Dahlia murder case, in which an aspiring actress was tortured and murdered, the body being cut in half at the waist after death. Collins has to hook Heller in somehow, and as is often the case, his libido gets him involved: he had a short affair with the victim, Elizabeth Short. Coincidentally, Heller is in Los Angeles, and happens to be there when the body's discovered, and recognizes his former lover. Soon he's working for a local paper, doing background, and unofficially looking to find the killer himself. Admittedly, this beginning is a bit of a stretch, but if you read the series, you're used to this sort of thing and accept it. If you're not, just go with it, it's worth it.

Heller has an interesting problem, which is two-fold. First, he has the problem that if the L.A. cops figure out that he was having an affair with the victim, he might wind up a suspect, especially as he's in L.A. with his new wife, who wouldn't be amused by an old girlfriend. Second, and perhaps worse, he's the only cop on the case who thinks this killing might be something other than a bizarre sex-crime. The plot zips right along, with Heller crossing paths with Orson Wells, Mickey Cohen, and other famous figures from L.A. history, entertainment, press, and politics. There's even a cameo with Heller's old friends Barney Ross and Eliot Ness. The solution is something of a surprise, possible but a bit of a stretch, but fun none the less. I would highly recommend this book, with the caveat that if you haven't read the author's earlier book Butcher's Dozen, you're going to be a bit taken aback when the twist comes. I know I was, even though I'd read the previous book.

Rating:
Summary: A brilliant read -- a haunting book
Review: Max Allan Collins is as good as it gets when it comes to mysteries, and especially in his chosen genre -- true crime solved by his own fictional detective, Nathan Heller -- Collins is unbeatable. ANGEL IN BLACK is a haunting rendition of the Black Dahlia murder in L.A. -- a story I didn't know when I began reading the book. As usual, his research is impeccable (I've since done my own research on this) and his rendering of the people involved brings you straight into the heart of the story. His solution may not be correct, but it is compelling (and no one really knows, either -- the Black Dahlia murder remains officially unsolved). And like his other brilliant Heller stories -- STOLEN AWAY (the Lindbergh kidnapping), FLYING BLIND (Amelia Earhart disappearance), MAJIC MAN (Roswell, New Mexico UFO incident) ... you believe it and cannot help but be drawn in further. Don't miss this; it has its gruesome moments (which I know will automatically recommend it to some people) but it also has some marvelous characters and surprising relevations. Heller solves this one the way he does all his investigating -- he's tough, sexy and can't help but get involved. This one is a five-star winner.

Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: This is a lack luster book. If you want to read a really great fictional story about the black dahlia case then read Ellroys The Black Dahlia. Collins should stick to Dick Tracy.