Strange guy, Ellroy. Have you ever seen one of his appearances on the late night talk shows? He's one of those people who comes across as half genius, half raving lunatic. Not surprising, considering the way his life has gone. He lived in a neighborhood not far from where I grew up, and I remember the hushed whispers of the adults at the time his mother was murdered. (I didn't know it was his mother, then, of course- I heard him tell about it a few years ago, and remembered the incident.)

I've read the first three books you mentioned, but haven't gotten around to White Jazz. His take on the Black Dahlia murder is interesting. In another strange coincidence, my aunt lived in a house very near where Elizabeth Short's (is that the right name?) body was found. My aunt always claimed that she knew who the murderer was, but, as far as I know, she never told anyone. There's a lot of weirdness in my mom's family.