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Anna Travis #2
The Red Dahlia
Detective Anna Travis is working on a murder case that has created a media frenzy. The victim, Louise Pennel, a 24-year-old girl, was last seen in a London night club. Her body was found dumped by the River Thames. Anna must summon all her strength and guile to hunt down this sadistic killer.
485 pages, Hardcover
First published October 2, 2006
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August 18, 2017
This is the 2nd book in the Anna Travis series by author Lynda La Plante.
Detective Anna Travis is working on a murder case that has created a media frenzy. The victim, Louise Pennel, a 24-year-old girl, was last seen in a London night club. Her body was found dumped by the River Thames. Anna must summon all her strength and guile to hunt down this sadistic killer.
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the 1st one in the series but liked the fact that the characters are becoming more well known to me and growing with every chapter. I finished this book and immediately started the 3rd book in the series.
Detective Anna Travis is working on a murder case that has created a media frenzy. The victim, Louise Pennel, a 24-year-old girl, was last seen in a London night club. Her body was found dumped by the River Thames. Anna must summon all her strength and guile to hunt down this sadistic killer.
I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the 1st one in the series but liked the fact that the characters are becoming more well known to me and growing with every chapter. I finished this book and immediately started the 3rd book in the series.
August 21, 2009
This book had the potential to be interesting, at least in the first 150 pages or so. I was attracted to the grim descriptions of the autopsy reports and at first, the cops' diligence in tracking the killer as well as the copy-cat description of the crime scene with that of the Black Dahlia murder in the 1940s. After the name of the killer gets revealed, the book goes downhill, and the only thing I looked forward to were the one or two lines dedicated to describing what Anna Travis ate for dinner every "day" (the book is divided into days of investigation rather than chapters). Maybe I'm Hollywood glamorizing detective work, but once I know who the killer is, I want him carted off to jail awaiting trial. I don't want to deal with the complexities of trying to find a piece of evidence that will allow the cops to get a warrant, or eventually, to arrest him.
The book is in serious need of editing. I can't remember the last time I read a mystery novel over 350 pages (and that was Agatha Christie, the only mystery author that I'd allow to get away with something like that). This book is 432 pages long--unacceptable for a genre that's supposed to be quickly paced. The love story in the background also doesn't add a thing to the novel. I haven't read other LaPlante books, so I don't know the background behind Langton and Travis' relationship, but to me he is presented as a rude, aggressive, pushy man with alcoholic tendencies. In short, if he wasn't on the side of the "good guys" I would wonder if he was a baddie. The much more pleasant reporter gets shafted as a baddie because he writes about the case through Travis' notes. Why can't the reporter help uncover some secrets of his own? He's a much nicer character than Langton.
Going back to the point about needing editing, I'm a bit confused about the author herself. Is she English herself? Her backflap bio states that she resides in England, but if that's so, then why does she retain certain American words? She keeps using the word sweater instead of jumper; while I'm American, it seems weird that something written in an Englishwoman's perspective would call it an American term. It's not fanfiction, it's published work, and it must be edited accordingly.
The book is in serious need of editing. I can't remember the last time I read a mystery novel over 350 pages (and that was Agatha Christie, the only mystery author that I'd allow to get away with something like that). This book is 432 pages long--unacceptable for a genre that's supposed to be quickly paced. The love story in the background also doesn't add a thing to the novel. I haven't read other LaPlante books, so I don't know the background behind Langton and Travis' relationship, but to me he is presented as a rude, aggressive, pushy man with alcoholic tendencies. In short, if he wasn't on the side of the "good guys" I would wonder if he was a baddie. The much more pleasant reporter gets shafted as a baddie because he writes about the case through Travis' notes. Why can't the reporter help uncover some secrets of his own? He's a much nicer character than Langton.
Going back to the point about needing editing, I'm a bit confused about the author herself. Is she English herself? Her backflap bio states that she resides in England, but if that's so, then why does she retain certain American words? She keeps using the word sweater instead of jumper; while I'm American, it seems weird that something written in an Englishwoman's perspective would call it an American term. It's not fanfiction, it's published work, and it must be edited accordingly.
January 11, 2019
One of my all time favourite books, is Above Suspicion by Lynda La Plante. I read it such a long time ago and I absolutely loved it as soon as I started it. The Red Dahlia is the second book in the Anna Travis series, and I’ve wanted to read it for ages.
It was everything I hoped it would be. It was fast paced, thrilling, detailed, exciting and suspenseful. I got to the final pages and didn’t want it to end – well I kind of did, the baddie needed putting down!
The story is about Anna Travis, a police detective, who gained experience of homicide detection from her first case in Above Suspicion, and now must use that experience to solve a new crime. Somebody is killing women in a gruesome way that mirrors a murder in America over 50 years ago called, by the press, The Black Dahlia. The new murder victim is given the moniker The Red Dahlia, due to a red flower in her hair. (Clever, these press peeps)!
There is conflict in the department, when Anna’s old boss and love interest gets drafted in to head up the team. But Anna soon finds comfort in the form of a reporter who the killer happens to be contacting about his crimes.
Will Anna catch the bad guy? Will her relationship with a reporter hinder the case? Will her relationship with the Guv reignite? Who killed the Red Dahlia??
This was suspense filled and very well paced. For a detective novel with only two murders, one of which has happened before the story starts, it doesn’t have any dull moments. We follow Anna and the team as they get clues, interview suspects, gather evidence, and as we go along we feel more excited that we are going finally be able to get this guy. There are frustrating moments where we think he is off the hook, but justice usually prevails in these kind of books.
There is a lot of detail about the evidence gathering and the procedures used. I found this really interesting, some may find this a little repetitive, but I thought it added a narrative to the story. We could see how close, and yet how very far they were from catching this guy.
It is hard to know where to lay your sympathy in this story. There are two sisters, whom we feel very sympathetic for, due to what has happened to them. But they just don’t seem to want to help themselves or the police. The son, Edward, is just a bit odd. He has been coerced by his father to do all sorts of things, from a very young age. So I kind of felt conflicted about whether to feel sorry for him or not.
The TV adaptation of the Anna Travis series was fantastic. They ran under the title Above Suspicion and were based very closely on the books. The casting of Kelly Reilly was perfect – she is an excellent Anna Travis. This is one instance where the TV/film is as good as the book.
Thoroughly recommended to all police procedural, crime/thriller fans. Definitely pick up a Lynda La Plante, this is a perfect place to start. Although, be warned, it is VERY graphic in places and quite gruesome! :)
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
It was everything I hoped it would be. It was fast paced, thrilling, detailed, exciting and suspenseful. I got to the final pages and didn’t want it to end – well I kind of did, the baddie needed putting down!
The story is about Anna Travis, a police detective, who gained experience of homicide detection from her first case in Above Suspicion, and now must use that experience to solve a new crime. Somebody is killing women in a gruesome way that mirrors a murder in America over 50 years ago called, by the press, The Black Dahlia. The new murder victim is given the moniker The Red Dahlia, due to a red flower in her hair. (Clever, these press peeps)!
There is conflict in the department, when Anna’s old boss and love interest gets drafted in to head up the team. But Anna soon finds comfort in the form of a reporter who the killer happens to be contacting about his crimes.
Will Anna catch the bad guy? Will her relationship with a reporter hinder the case? Will her relationship with the Guv reignite? Who killed the Red Dahlia??
This was suspense filled and very well paced. For a detective novel with only two murders, one of which has happened before the story starts, it doesn’t have any dull moments. We follow Anna and the team as they get clues, interview suspects, gather evidence, and as we go along we feel more excited that we are going finally be able to get this guy. There are frustrating moments where we think he is off the hook, but justice usually prevails in these kind of books.
There is a lot of detail about the evidence gathering and the procedures used. I found this really interesting, some may find this a little repetitive, but I thought it added a narrative to the story. We could see how close, and yet how very far they were from catching this guy.
It is hard to know where to lay your sympathy in this story. There are two sisters, whom we feel very sympathetic for, due to what has happened to them. But they just don’t seem to want to help themselves or the police. The son, Edward, is just a bit odd. He has been coerced by his father to do all sorts of things, from a very young age. So I kind of felt conflicted about whether to feel sorry for him or not.
The TV adaptation of the Anna Travis series was fantastic. They ran under the title Above Suspicion and were based very closely on the books. The casting of Kelly Reilly was perfect – she is an excellent Anna Travis. This is one instance where the TV/film is as good as the book.
Thoroughly recommended to all police procedural, crime/thriller fans. Definitely pick up a Lynda La Plante, this is a perfect place to start. Although, be warned, it is VERY graphic in places and quite gruesome! :)
www.thebeautifulbookbreak.com
September 28, 2008
Danny Fowler, a paperboy, was winding up his route and heading home from breakfast when he spotted what appeared to be a blow-up doll on the bank of the river. What Danny found wasn’t a blow-up doll and he no longer had an appetite for breakfast. His discovery began the investigation into a death that became known as The Red Dahlia murder.
Detective Inspector Anna Travis is a part of the investigation team and soon Detective Chief Inspector James Langton is called in to head up the investigation. It has been a year since the two worked together. The two had a romantic relationship at that time but Anna broke it off since James wouldn’t make a commitment. Anna is nervous about working with him again but the murder takes precedence over everything.
The woman later referred to as the Red Dahlia has been cut in half and her blood drained. Anna makes a connection between this murder and the long unsolved case of The Black Dahlia in California. Soon there are more parallels between the two cases when the killer begins sending communications to the newspapers and the police.
When Travis and Langton finally get an anonymous phone call that leads them down a gruesome path to a killer who is vicious to an extent that cannot even be imagined. The Red Dahlia is a fascinating story that finally results in a satisfying conclusion.
Detective Inspector Anna Travis is a part of the investigation team and soon Detective Chief Inspector James Langton is called in to head up the investigation. It has been a year since the two worked together. The two had a romantic relationship at that time but Anna broke it off since James wouldn’t make a commitment. Anna is nervous about working with him again but the murder takes precedence over everything.
The woman later referred to as the Red Dahlia has been cut in half and her blood drained. Anna makes a connection between this murder and the long unsolved case of The Black Dahlia in California. Soon there are more parallels between the two cases when the killer begins sending communications to the newspapers and the police.
When Travis and Langton finally get an anonymous phone call that leads them down a gruesome path to a killer who is vicious to an extent that cannot even be imagined. The Red Dahlia is a fascinating story that finally results in a satisfying conclusion.
October 28, 2019
The Red Dahlia, the second in La Plante's Detective Anna Ravis series, offers a plot as suspenseful and winding as her first book in the series. The murder(s) committed in this one are sadistic and horrendous. The police have got to stop the killer before he harms anyone else, but the dearth of clues makes the going very, very slow, though not for lack of trying on the part of the police.
In addition to the investigation, the story has some romantic suspense to it.
In addition to the investigation, the story has some romantic suspense to it.
February 13, 2010
The Red Dahlia is second in a series to feature DI Anna Travis, behind Above Suspicion, which I own but haven't yet read, although I don't think I missed anything. This was an outstanding mystery novel...perfect pace, building suspense throughout, characters that seemed real, and a story that kept me reading until I finished the book.
While out delivering the last of his newspapers, a young boy makes a gruesome discovery. The police arrive and discover the body of a young woman, severed in half, bloodless, and with grotesque cuts on either side of her mouth. One of the local newspapers gets an anonymous letter that relates the case to the old unsolved case of the Black Dahlia in Los Angeles, and Anna Travis and her team realize that they have their work cut out for them. Anna's gov, Morgan, is hospitalized, and DCI James Langton, with whom Anna had worked before and with whom she had some history, takes the lead in investigating the case. A profiler brought in to help realizes that the killer is going to strike again if the police do not find him, but the police have their hands full just trying to find out about the victim.
The novel is absolutely a mystery lover's novel. The first half of the book involves the team getting up to speed with the Black Dahlia case and trying to find out as much as they can about the victim, while the second half is all about locating the killer after an anonymous caller reluctantly leaves information about the murder. The mystery is very tightly plotted and the writing is excellent. LaPlante's characterizations are very well drawn, never being dragged down to the level of cardboard cutouts, the action never stops and the payoff is worth the 400+ pages of reading. I can most highly recommend this book -- it is probably one of my favorite mystery reads in a while.
While out delivering the last of his newspapers, a young boy makes a gruesome discovery. The police arrive and discover the body of a young woman, severed in half, bloodless, and with grotesque cuts on either side of her mouth. One of the local newspapers gets an anonymous letter that relates the case to the old unsolved case of the Black Dahlia in Los Angeles, and Anna Travis and her team realize that they have their work cut out for them. Anna's gov, Morgan, is hospitalized, and DCI James Langton, with whom Anna had worked before and with whom she had some history, takes the lead in investigating the case. A profiler brought in to help realizes that the killer is going to strike again if the police do not find him, but the police have their hands full just trying to find out about the victim.
The novel is absolutely a mystery lover's novel. The first half of the book involves the team getting up to speed with the Black Dahlia case and trying to find out as much as they can about the victim, while the second half is all about locating the killer after an anonymous caller reluctantly leaves information about the murder. The mystery is very tightly plotted and the writing is excellent. LaPlante's characterizations are very well drawn, never being dragged down to the level of cardboard cutouts, the action never stops and the payoff is worth the 400+ pages of reading. I can most highly recommend this book -- it is probably one of my favorite mystery reads in a while.
September 5, 2016
The Red Dahlia is a great read. Lynda La Plante has a unique style in crime fiction, where she is quite mechanical in the descriptions of what's going on. This means that you get to know Anna Travis quite well. You know when she's got ladders in her stockings, what she eats for breakfast, and how long she's had her car for.
It's a bit of an adjustment but once you get into the swing of things, this descriptive process really gives you great insight into what's going on in the book.
The Red Dahlia is a copycat killer who has taken a very famous case, and turned it into his own. No DNA, no witnesses, attempting to unravel this one is going to push Anna to her limits.
It's a bit of an adjustment but once you get into the swing of things, this descriptive process really gives you great insight into what's going on in the book.
The Red Dahlia is a copycat killer who has taken a very famous case, and turned it into his own. No DNA, no witnesses, attempting to unravel this one is going to push Anna to her limits.
September 4, 2022
was not my favorite, thought i did like the ending the best. could have used less words and been just as ok.
July 3, 2019
3.5 Stars a good read I enjoyed the book
October 21, 2017
A decent police thriller, second in the Travis series
April 4, 2022
A good page-turner and solid police procedural but part of me felt that I had read it before, so maybe an inadvertent re-read.
January 14, 2012
The second book in Lynda La Plante's Anna Travis series is another well-written book. Prior to reading this, I had already watched the BBC episodes. As with "Above Suspicion," the BBC version was faithful to the book. There were extra bits that added to the experience of reading the book, but I was pleased at the way the author's intent was preserved when bringing the story to television.
The books do focus more attention on the relationship, or whatever it might be, that exists between Travis and her superior, Langton. Both are driven by their police work, so it is doubtful that any sort of fulfilling relationship can ever develop. According to the time frame, Travis has been involved in several murder cases since she last worked with Langton.
The murder of Louise Pennel is identical to the murder of Elizabeth Short, known as The Black Dahlia. Travis, Langton, and the rest of the murder squad spend about 31 days trying to discover the identity of the murderer and then find evidence on which to convict him.
I plan to finish the current books in this series, although I believe only three of them have been made into television programs at this point in time.
The books do focus more attention on the relationship, or whatever it might be, that exists between Travis and her superior, Langton. Both are driven by their police work, so it is doubtful that any sort of fulfilling relationship can ever develop. According to the time frame, Travis has been involved in several murder cases since she last worked with Langton.
The murder of Louise Pennel is identical to the murder of Elizabeth Short, known as The Black Dahlia. Travis, Langton, and the rest of the murder squad spend about 31 days trying to discover the identity of the murderer and then find evidence on which to convict him.
I plan to finish the current books in this series, although I believe only three of them have been made into television programs at this point in time.
February 21, 2021
One word. BRILLIANT. Loved this book, gave a great insight into the workings of the murder/incident room. I found these parts of the book extremely interesting.Can't praise this book enough. Couldn't put it down. READ IT TODAY!!!
June 26, 2017
My first book by this author and I enjoyed it.
The Red Dahlia killer copycat's the murders committed in the 1940's in LA. The novel deals not with only finding the killer but in the actual difficulties in finding enough evidence to arrest him.
I did not feel the lover story in the background added anything to the story but did not overly distract from it either.
Although this is the 2nd of the Anna Travis novels, it did not matter overly that I did not read the first one as this novel stood on it's own well.
The Red Dahlia killer copycat's the murders committed in the 1940's in LA. The novel deals not with only finding the killer but in the actual difficulties in finding enough evidence to arrest him.
I did not feel the lover story in the background added anything to the story but did not overly distract from it either.
Although this is the 2nd of the Anna Travis novels, it did not matter overly that I did not read the first one as this novel stood on it's own well.
September 24, 2018
What can I say...this is "my kind of book." Love the characters and the meticulous plotting. I am also a sucker for the kind of sexual tension La Plante builds between Anna Travis and her superior James Langton.
Not for the faint of heart as La Plante does not hesitate to describe the darker side of humanity. That said, the violence/descriptions never feel gratuitous.
The fact that I ordered this on my kindle rather than wait to have it sent from another library, not to mention that I already have the next three books in the series physically in my to -read pile and ready to go speaks volumes about my enthusiasm for the book and the series as a whole.
Not for the faint of heart as La Plante does not hesitate to describe the darker side of humanity. That said, the violence/descriptions never feel gratuitous.
The fact that I ordered this on my kindle rather than wait to have it sent from another library, not to mention that I already have the next three books in the series physically in my to -read pile and ready to go speaks volumes about my enthusiasm for the book and the series as a whole.
December 3, 2018
Probably one of the most gritty and gory police procedural mysteries I've ever read! I think I'll return to my cozier mysteries after this one.
August 29, 2022
Really great book. I really like this series a lot, it was a tough case for the team but they worked well together throughout the investigation. Really enjoying rereading this series.
May 9, 2024
Overall a good dose of gruesome murder but would of enjoyed much more suspense and plot twists, ending was very predictable, sorry Lynda
January 31, 2025
Holy moly. I read this back in 2008 and decided to do a reread, and WOW. Wow wow wow.
August 7, 2022
always great
What a fantastic book a brilliant plot and great characters. The writing made me want to get hold of the pompous Charles wickenham and give him a good slap .give this series of books a try you will love them
What a fantastic book a brilliant plot and great characters. The writing made me want to get hold of the pompous Charles wickenham and give him a good slap .give this series of books a try you will love them
May 3, 2020
I have read a number of Anna Travis novels now, though entirely out of order, but I don't really enjoy them. The issues that I had with this novel I remember having with the other novels as well. I think 'The Red Dahlia' has convinced me not to try another.
My biggest problem is that I do not like Anna. Anna is as dull as dishwater - probably less so because sometimes dishwater has little floating bits that keep it a bit exciting. She has no spark or personality. She lives to work and has no other interests or hobbies etc to give her depth. She seems to exist just for the sake of these books, I never feel like the book I am reading just happens to occur amidst Anna's life. I'm not sure if that makes sense.
She never 'gets' anyone's jokes, she finds things inappropriate, she gets offended... she just seems like a right stick in the mud and I don't enjoy reading about her.
I also really dislike this - and I am going to heavily emphasise the use of sarcastic quote marks here - 'romance' with Langton. Langton isn't the most likeable of characters either, he seems a bit pushy and arrogant and non-committal and he is evidently an alcoholic. I think if it was written better then the addition of a proper 'romance' would give such a series a real interest point, but I didn't come away from the novel thinking that Anna and Langton were end game.
I actually enjoyed the initial plot with the really gruesome murders and the shadowing of an older crime. However, it very quickly became repetitive and the pacing dwindled away.
There was too much of the police having no progress and Anna typing up reports. Every day that passed Anna typed up her report. Good Girl, Anna. Doing your homework.
There was too much interviewing, going away, reinterviewing, going away, interview again... it was boring. I'm not saying that everyone should have just outright told the police everything that they knew, but the format could at least have changed a bit. The people being interviewed could have changed.
Once we had a prime suspect the book just became a farce. There was very little progression and quite a lot of guess work and fishing. It seemed that the two victims were forgotten and instead pages and pages were given to trying to make the suspect seem utterly deviant. Descriptions of sexual depravity that were repeated several times as if to reinforce the fact that the bad guy was a bad guy. Was it bad enough that the suspect had killed two women in a very gruesome manner? Yes. But La Plante didn't seem to think so, she she threw in familial abuse, abortions, incest, rape, group sex, suicide ... your basic tick list of things that can be used to make a bad guy, but this one had all of them.
It was all just too much.
This book was a good 150+ pages too long. The pacing massively dwindled once we had a suspect and Anna is a wet blanket. I'm not sure that I am going to read another in this series.
My biggest problem is that I do not like Anna. Anna is as dull as dishwater - probably less so because sometimes dishwater has little floating bits that keep it a bit exciting. She has no spark or personality. She lives to work and has no other interests or hobbies etc to give her depth. She seems to exist just for the sake of these books, I never feel like the book I am reading just happens to occur amidst Anna's life. I'm not sure if that makes sense.
She never 'gets' anyone's jokes, she finds things inappropriate, she gets offended... she just seems like a right stick in the mud and I don't enjoy reading about her.
I also really dislike this - and I am going to heavily emphasise the use of sarcastic quote marks here - 'romance' with Langton. Langton isn't the most likeable of characters either, he seems a bit pushy and arrogant and non-committal and he is evidently an alcoholic. I think if it was written better then the addition of a proper 'romance' would give such a series a real interest point, but I didn't come away from the novel thinking that Anna and Langton were end game.
I actually enjoyed the initial plot with the really gruesome murders and the shadowing of an older crime. However, it very quickly became repetitive and the pacing dwindled away.
There was too much of the police having no progress and Anna typing up reports. Every day that passed Anna typed up her report. Good Girl, Anna. Doing your homework.
There was too much interviewing, going away, reinterviewing, going away, interview again... it was boring. I'm not saying that everyone should have just outright told the police everything that they knew, but the format could at least have changed a bit. The people being interviewed could have changed.
Once we had a prime suspect the book just became a farce. There was very little progression and quite a lot of guess work and fishing. It seemed that the two victims were forgotten and instead pages and pages were given to trying to make the suspect seem utterly deviant. Descriptions of sexual depravity that were repeated several times as if to reinforce the fact that the bad guy was a bad guy. Was it bad enough that the suspect had killed two women in a very gruesome manner? Yes. But La Plante didn't seem to think so, she she threw in familial abuse, abortions, incest, rape, group sex, suicide ... your basic tick list of things that can be used to make a bad guy, but this one had all of them.
It was all just too much.
This book was a good 150+ pages too long. The pacing massively dwindled once we had a suspect and Anna is a wet blanket. I'm not sure that I am going to read another in this series.
June 11, 2019
The Red Dahlia is the 2nd book in the DI Anna Travis mystery series by Lynda La Plante. La Plante is also known for her Prime Suspect series and also various screen plays.
This story is about a serial killer who is following the Black Dahlia murder crimes that took place in the US many years previously. The murder investigation team is called to investigate a horrendous murder, where the body of a woman is discovered, having been terribly abused and cut in half. (Yes, quite disgusting). When the leader of the team collapses, Anna Travis's old boss, DCI Langton is called in to take over. Of course, naturally, tension is ever-present between the two, due to their previous relationship in the first book.
As the murder team conducts its investigation, they slowly are made aware of the similarities to the Black Dahlia case. The physical crime, the contact between the murderer and the press and also the police all follow the same pattern. They investigate the case trying to follow clues from the previous crime.
The killer is basically a ghost and there are not many clues. But slowly evidence is gathered and the team makes steady progress. A profiler is brought in from the US and this adds to the tension between Travis and Langton as Travis thinks the two are having a relationship. Anna, as well, develops a relationship with a reporter who is getting correspondence from the killer.
So that is the basic gist. It's an interesting case with many twists and turns. While the story does show that the police aren't perfect, at times they do such stupid things and as well there are the ongoing relationship problems which I find irritating in this story (sometimes anyway).
All in all, it's an engrossing, well-written story. The murders are disgusting and the reactions of the police are appropriate. I do like the team aspect of the murder investigation. There are many unlikable characters but there are reasons for it. The ending was ultimately reasonably satisfying. Not my favorite mystery series but still entertaining so far. I have another book in the series so will continue to explore it (3.5 stars)
This story is about a serial killer who is following the Black Dahlia murder crimes that took place in the US many years previously. The murder investigation team is called to investigate a horrendous murder, where the body of a woman is discovered, having been terribly abused and cut in half. (Yes, quite disgusting). When the leader of the team collapses, Anna Travis's old boss, DCI Langton is called in to take over. Of course, naturally, tension is ever-present between the two, due to their previous relationship in the first book.
As the murder team conducts its investigation, they slowly are made aware of the similarities to the Black Dahlia case. The physical crime, the contact between the murderer and the press and also the police all follow the same pattern. They investigate the case trying to follow clues from the previous crime.
The killer is basically a ghost and there are not many clues. But slowly evidence is gathered and the team makes steady progress. A profiler is brought in from the US and this adds to the tension between Travis and Langton as Travis thinks the two are having a relationship. Anna, as well, develops a relationship with a reporter who is getting correspondence from the killer.
So that is the basic gist. It's an interesting case with many twists and turns. While the story does show that the police aren't perfect, at times they do such stupid things and as well there are the ongoing relationship problems which I find irritating in this story (sometimes anyway).
All in all, it's an engrossing, well-written story. The murders are disgusting and the reactions of the police are appropriate. I do like the team aspect of the murder investigation. There are many unlikable characters but there are reasons for it. The ending was ultimately reasonably satisfying. Not my favorite mystery series but still entertaining so far. I have another book in the series so will continue to explore it (3.5 stars)
August 20, 2010
A young girl's body is found dismembered close by the Thames at Richmond and the killing mirrored an unsolved 1940s Los Angeles murder that came to be known as The Black Dahlia.
The similarities in the killing and the fact that the young lady by the Thames had a red flower in her hair earned this new case the sobriquet of 'The Red Dahlia'.
Newly promoted Detective Inspector Anna Travis is on the case but she meets with little success and eventually is joined by a former paramour, Detective Chief Inspector James Langton.
Still there are no clues to who the killer is despite extensive police work. Then a break through, just as the media were beginning to lose patience with the police.
This leads to the uncovering of some bizarre practices within one particular family but even so there are no definite clues as to who the murderer is.
However, good work by Travis and Langton, not really hindered by their smoldering passion for one another, eventually leads to the murdered being uncovered.
A real page-turner that has the reader on the edge of the seat from beginning to end.
The similarities in the killing and the fact that the young lady by the Thames had a red flower in her hair earned this new case the sobriquet of 'The Red Dahlia'.
Newly promoted Detective Inspector Anna Travis is on the case but she meets with little success and eventually is joined by a former paramour, Detective Chief Inspector James Langton.
Still there are no clues to who the killer is despite extensive police work. Then a break through, just as the media were beginning to lose patience with the police.
This leads to the uncovering of some bizarre practices within one particular family but even so there are no definite clues as to who the murderer is.
However, good work by Travis and Langton, not really hindered by their smoldering passion for one another, eventually leads to the murdered being uncovered.
A real page-turner that has the reader on the edge of the seat from beginning to end.
October 13, 2012
For years I was a big fan of the British police procedural TV series PRIME SUSPECT (starring Helen Mirren) created by author Lynda LaPlante. This was the first novel I'd read by LaPlante, and I was not disappointed. The plot involves the murder and grisly dismemberment of two British working girls, in a manner that immediately suggests a copycat killing of the infamous Red Dahlia murders in 1947 California. The focal detective Anna Travis and her boss Peter Langton, overcoming some awkwardness due to a failed romantic escapade awhile ago, set their personal issues aside and develop the necessary leads to identify a suspect. The police procedure is impeccable, and the characterization of cops, criminals and witnesses is very deftly handled. The plot moves along in a brisk manner, without hiding the fact that it (realistically) takes roughly 35 days from the discovery of the first victim to the arrest of the psycho perpetrator. As a writer of crime fiction myself, this book was right up my alley -- entertaining and informative at the same time.
January 28, 2018
Tiene todo lo que una buena Novela negra debe tener, un asesinato espantoso, un asesino frío, inteligente y muy enfermo, una extraordinaria investigación policíaca, unas muy buenas escenas de medicina forense, unos policías que se enfrentan a sus propios demonios y conflictos en medio de una dura investigación policial.
Me encanta como escriben los ingleses, realmente tienen un estilo narrativo muy de ellos, de esos que fluyen y que a pesar de lo negro del caso en ningún momento toca lo escabroso como podríamos encontrar con los norteamericanos o incluso los nórdicos. Esta escritora, a la que yo nunca había leído me ha encantado, una pena que no se encuentren muchos libros de ella en español, tendré que ver si los encuentro al menos en inglés.
Sus personajes son geniales, todos ellos, los buenos, los malos y los otros, el final de la historia me ha parecido tan bien construido, pocos libros me dejan ese buen sabor de boca con respecto a los finales.
Realmente lo recomiendo mucho
Me encanta como escriben los ingleses, realmente tienen un estilo narrativo muy de ellos, de esos que fluyen y que a pesar de lo negro del caso en ningún momento toca lo escabroso como podríamos encontrar con los norteamericanos o incluso los nórdicos. Esta escritora, a la que yo nunca había leído me ha encantado, una pena que no se encuentren muchos libros de ella en español, tendré que ver si los encuentro al menos en inglés.
Sus personajes son geniales, todos ellos, los buenos, los malos y los otros, el final de la historia me ha parecido tan bien construido, pocos libros me dejan ese buen sabor de boca con respecto a los finales.
Realmente lo recomiendo mucho
February 16, 2018
I enjoyed reading Above Suspicion and decided to pick up the second book in the series. I completely disliked it. Although just slightly longer than the first one, it seemed to go on forever. The first half of the book NOTHING happened. Really, literally, nothing. I don't know what was the point of the first 200 pages. Also quite annoying, maybe 20 % of the book was "him" snapping. He snapped, and then he snapped again, and again, he never... barked or snarled or any of a hundred other possibilities. He snapped a few times a page. And about... maybe another 5 % of the book was her blushing or flushing.
So there you have it. If you haven't read the book yet, maybe just start around the middle, and believe me, you haven't missed a thing.
So there you have it. If you haven't read the book yet, maybe just start around the middle, and believe me, you haven't missed a thing.
November 29, 2022
This is the second of the Anna Travis series of books, but the last I’ll bother with. Intentionally and gratuitously sexually violent, it’s obvious from the outset this is not going to be a pleasant story. The storyline is unlikely and far-fetched, but even that could have been overlooked, had the characters been interesting. But the male detectives are obnoxious and misogynistic, and Anna behaves like teenager vacillating between her chauvinistic “Guv” and the scurrilous journalist who uses her for the Inside Scoop. And The Baddies are VERY Bad. Grotesquely so.
The story ends in a predictable fashion,
Overall, a particularly nasty storyline, and not for anyone looking for a pleasant mystery.
The story ends in a predictable fashion,
Overall, a particularly nasty storyline, and not for anyone looking for a pleasant mystery.
May 11, 2009
This book was ok, but I felt it was written with an eye to a TV adaptation.
The confession came all of a sudden, in one paragraph the person was refusing to talk, and a couple of paragraphs later the detective was explaining what the person had confessed to him and it seemed like there was a big chunk missing. There were quite a lot of typos throughout the book too, which I find quite irritating.
If you like TV police dramas you will probably like this book, but I don't think I'll read any more La Plante myself.
The confession came all of a sudden, in one paragraph the person was refusing to talk, and a couple of paragraphs later the detective was explaining what the person had confessed to him and it seemed like there was a big chunk missing. There were quite a lot of typos throughout the book too, which I find quite irritating.
If you like TV police dramas you will probably like this book, but I don't think I'll read any more La Plante myself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2008
For anyone with a knowledge of La Plante’s books, this one will come as a big disappointment. There is a death – murder – followed by another, filled with all the gruesome details. Maybe La Plante didn’t make use of her usual editors, maybe she was in a hurry to get it onto the shelves, be that as it may, there is no particular attention to character development and some of the scenes are really gross.
November 4, 2008
Lynda La Plante is the author of the Prime Suspect series, & this is just as gritty as those books. Someone is copycatting the Black Dahlia murder in LA back in the 1940s. Only this is London in the present day. You need a strong stomach to read THE RED DAHLIA.
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