Nancy A. (Chocoholic) reviewed on 6/23/2011 + 291 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 1

This is an interesting concept for a true-crime / art history book. The author uses another author's premise (Steve Hodel) that his own father (George Hodel) was the murderer of Elizabeth Smart and Nelson takes the ball and runs with it. What results is equal parts true crime and art history. Nelson examines the surrealist art movement in America in the 1940's-1950's and how the artists and their art might have inspired the murderer to do what he did. Though the Black Dahlia case is still unsolved and will probably never be resolved, Nelson makes a very compelling argument that Hodel was indeed the murderer and why he may have done it. I read a lot of true-crime books, but this one kept me up at night and actually gave me the heebie-jeebies. The book is full of pictures of Elizabeth Smart, both alive and dead, and various artists and their pieces. People with weak stomachs are advised that there are plenty of graphic pictures.

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