Most Evil by Steve Hodel

Author: Steve Hodel

Title: Most Evil

Publisher: Berkley Books

Published: 2009

Pages: 309

Gerne: True Crime 

     A veteran LAPD homicide detective who discovered that his own father was the Black Dahlia killer shares his subsequent investigations into his father's other criminal activities, which the author believes include unsolved murders spanning more than six decades. Co-written by the Edgar-finalist author of The Black Dahlia Avenger.

     

      Whilst I am an avid fan of crime fiction in all its various guesses every once in a while I like to dip my toe into the world of true crime. It is something that whilst I find fascinating tends to get stuck in my head long after I have finished the books. And frankly, no one needs that bouncing around in their mind too often. When it comes to Most Evil my interest was peeked down to its connection between the Black Dhali murders and Zodiac. Both of these crimes I have read a great deal about over the years in one way or another. And I suppose they are some of America's most infamous crimes. Both in their ferocity and the fact that neither has ever been solved. So obviously I was interested to see how the author was going to try and link these two together. And whilst I had heard of the author before I was yet to read anything by him. 

     So this book aims to build on the foundations of what was started in his previous work. This centers around the fact that Hodel believes his father killed Elizbeth Short AKA the Black Dhalia as well as several other women around the L.A. area at the time. This he briefly covers again at the start of this book. Now to me, there does seem to be some evidence that he may have been responsible for at least a few of these crimes. Everything I have read about George Hodel does paint him as a sadistic and unpleasant man possibly capable of some horrific things. It is then that the author starts to lay out his theories as to just how nasty a man his father may have been. And when it comes to George there is a long list of crimes that he is now being accused of. So the question we are being asked is can one man be responsible for killings that span the globe over a great many years and that no one has ever connected the dots before his son?

     When it comes to Most Evil it is very easy to get whipped up in Hodel's theory. Maybe being an ex-police officer means that he can come across as convincing and forthright. And the author has clearly put a great deal of time and research into building his case to us the judge and jury as to just what secrets the past is holding.  And in part, there are some fascinating crimes to learn about within these pages. And whilst some are probably quite well known to the readers others may be unknown to almost everyone. So for that when it comes to the world of the true-crime reader I'm sure there is much to be learned and explored. But for me at least it is difficult to not let my doubts come to the surface as to just how connected they are. Yes at a brief look, there would appear to be these bonds but when you start to scratch the surface it is all just a little too circumstantial. It seems too easy to pick apart what he is trying to sell to us. The likelihood of some super serial killer who changes locations and M.O. with such ease feels like the world of crime fiction rather than the real world. 

     As for this reader by the time I had finished the book I was no less convinced of the connection between these crimes than when I had started. So on that basis, It would be disingenuous to say that Hodel pulled off what he was hoping to achieve. There is just too much uncertainty in the things he is presenting to us as facts. Now do I believe that George Hodel was an evil man? In my opinion, I think he was a very disturbed and sadistic man who took it out on those closest to him. And as I previously said he may very well have killed Short. But when it comes to the rest whilst it makes for a thrilling and harrowing tale I think it is best left to the world of fiction.