Jon Taylor’s Reviews > The Black Dahlia > Status Update
Jon Taylor
is on page 307 of 348
I’m slowly realising I am in the hands of a huge intellect. This is incredibly detailed with a clear sense of place, complex, multi-layered characters, real depth to the psychological insight and authentic. Requires huge knowledge of all sorts of things to do this. The plotting is intricate and structured like a cantilever bridge. Nasty, racist and misogynistic too. Deliberately?
— Oct 08, 2026 04:39AM
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Jon’s Previous Updates
Jon Taylor
is on page 334 of 348
Looks like we are going to get a denouement. New line of questioning has opened up a sudden rush of leads. What is going on with the ‘Hollywoodland’ sign? Love the way Ellroy mixes real history with fiction.
— Oct 09, 2026 03:51AM
Jon Taylor
is on page 283 of 348
Messy, complicated lives messed up. Once again I think the plot has nowhere left to go to find another 100 pages… Christ knows what else needs tying up - or can possibly go wrong.
— Oct 07, 2026 02:57PM
Jon Taylor
is on page 258 of 348
Truly surprising ’outcome’ to the case - one I did not see coming. Wondering now why there are still 130 odd pages still to go?.. what had LB got to do with it all?
— Oct 07, 2026 03:23AM
Jon Taylor
is on page 225 of 348
Dulange - a truly awful creep of a man. Today’s equivalent would be that Tait bloke. All muscles and misogyny. Very satisfying when Bucky punched him out. Elroy’s view of men is dark. And the manipulation of the press is another really interesting facet to this, along with Elroy’s historical details (Fatty Arbuckle).
— Oct 06, 2026 03:32AM
Jon Taylor
is on page 211 of 348
The psychology here is interesting. Bucky has become as obsessed as Blanchard was. The confusion on Madeleine and Betty (with Kay thrown into the mix) is weird, unsettling.
— Oct 05, 2026 03:09PM
Jon Taylor
is on page 200 of 348
Exciting couple of chapters concerning Bobby de Witt and Blanchard. Wondering now if Blanchard killed the Dahlia… but that’s a massive reach. Elliot’s ‘tough guy’ stuff feels real enough - nobody’s 100% heroic or even decent and honest. Bucky closest. There’s mucho sexism, racism. But it is real and it is gripping.
— Oct 05, 2026 03:31AM
Jon Taylor
is on page 183 of 348
Grimy, sleazy and disturbing. Blanchard is losing his mind and Bucky is withholding information. No idea how this is all going to work out and fear it will be grim.
— Oct 04, 2026 02:54PM
Jon Taylor
is on page 147 of 348
All this gritty guy stuff - I can’t work out how Ellroy feels about it. Is he living out a fantasy of his own. Can’t feel like the sort of man he writes about as an author can he? I wonder how much of the interrogation of Red was his own insecurity? Or is he judgement-free, a presenter of the facts, for better or worse?
— Oct 02, 2026 03:27AM