The Silver Blonde
Book Review: “The Silver Blonde” by Elizabeth Ross is a straight ahead who-dun-it set in post WWII Hollywood. The baffling murder of a beautiful stand-in actress on the grounds of a major motion picture company becomes a young German immigrant’s obsession. Eighteen-year-old Clara who works aa a “vault girl” at the studio is the one who finds the silver blonde’s remains, the one who knows the police are on the wrong track, and the one who hunts down the real murderer. Being an enthusiast of silver screen era films, this book had an immediate appeal for me. In my mind I pictured the story in glorious black and white, complete with the glamourous gowns, smart suits, and moody sets making the very most of film noirish light and shadow. References to many well-loved films from the time established a sense of context and pleasurable familiarity. The more I read, the more immersive the experience became. Character’s voices took on the timbre and attitude of film icons from the 40’s, s...