Reviewed
in the United States on March 13, 2024
Reviewed in the
United States on April 28, 2024
Philip
J Zozzaro
The news and
entertainment world were stunned by the
untimely death of writer and TV quiz show
panelist Dorothy Kilgallen at age 52. She
was found dead in her Manhattan apartment on
November 8, 1965. Her death was attributed
to a combination of alcohol and
barbiturates. However, those familiar with
the pioneer journalist knew that there was
something more behind her death, perhaps
something sinister.
Dorothy Kilgallen had the nose for news instilled in her DNA as her father James was a veteran reporter for various outlets in his long life. Dorothy was intrigued by her father's work and struck out on her own and landed a position with the New York Evening-Journal. Dorothy made a name for herself as her "Voice of Broadway" column was syndicated far and wide across the United States. Dorothy covered the glitz and glamour of the entertainment beat along with high society, but she possessed an unparalleled tenacity when it came to covering high profile crime stories such as the Sam Sheppard murder case. This fierce determination would only be furthered with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963.
The murder of the 35th President of the United States was a moment that shocked the country and the world. Dorothy had liked John F. Kennedy and had even visited him with her young son Kerry. As the circumstances of the tragic events were relayed across the airwaves, questions began to mount in Dorothy's mind. These questions would only be compounded with the televised murder of alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Dorothy travelled down to Dallas for the trial of Oswald assassin Jack Ruby. Dorothy spoke to Ruby's attorneys and was able to gain access to Ruby himself. Could this access and the information she received from Ruby have led to Dorothy's mounting skepticism over JFK's murder? Was Dorothy about to blow the lid off the case and render the Warren Commission moot?
Sara Jordan-Heintz has written a spellbinding biography and true crime mystery that is rich in investigative research and detail. The characteristics of Dorothy's life story pre 1963 are fascinating and wonderful to read and digest. Dorothy's work as a journalist, TV and radio star often had to compete with her marriage and motherhood. Despite the occasional turbulence in professional and personal life, Dorothy possessed a grace and persistence that saw her through any ordeal. The details of the dark day in November are brought forth in depth and the undercurents of conspiracy are not easy to ignore. Once Dorothy begins to pursue leads in the case and calling out inconsistencies in the case, the countdown to her own tragic ending has begun. There have been countless books written about the Kennedy assassination, some adhering to the lone gunman narrative, others to conspiracy. Sara Jordan-Heintz lays out the facts of Dorothy's life and death along with the death of JFK in precise detail. She offers her own views on both and makes a convincing argument for why Dorothy's death was orchestrated. A well-written volume to be added to the library.
Dorothy Kilgallen had the nose for news instilled in her DNA as her father James was a veteran reporter for various outlets in his long life. Dorothy was intrigued by her father's work and struck out on her own and landed a position with the New York Evening-Journal. Dorothy made a name for herself as her "Voice of Broadway" column was syndicated far and wide across the United States. Dorothy covered the glitz and glamour of the entertainment beat along with high society, but she possessed an unparalleled tenacity when it came to covering high profile crime stories such as the Sam Sheppard murder case. This fierce determination would only be furthered with the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963.
The murder of the 35th President of the United States was a moment that shocked the country and the world. Dorothy had liked John F. Kennedy and had even visited him with her young son Kerry. As the circumstances of the tragic events were relayed across the airwaves, questions began to mount in Dorothy's mind. These questions would only be compounded with the televised murder of alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Dorothy travelled down to Dallas for the trial of Oswald assassin Jack Ruby. Dorothy spoke to Ruby's attorneys and was able to gain access to Ruby himself. Could this access and the information she received from Ruby have led to Dorothy's mounting skepticism over JFK's murder? Was Dorothy about to blow the lid off the case and render the Warren Commission moot?
Sara Jordan-Heintz has written a spellbinding biography and true crime mystery that is rich in investigative research and detail. The characteristics of Dorothy's life story pre 1963 are fascinating and wonderful to read and digest. Dorothy's work as a journalist, TV and radio star often had to compete with her marriage and motherhood. Despite the occasional turbulence in professional and personal life, Dorothy possessed a grace and persistence that saw her through any ordeal. The details of the dark day in November are brought forth in depth and the undercurents of conspiracy are not easy to ignore. Once Dorothy begins to pursue leads in the case and calling out inconsistencies in the case, the countdown to her own tragic ending has begun. There have been countless books written about the Kennedy assassination, some adhering to the lone gunman narrative, others to conspiracy. Sara Jordan-Heintz lays out the facts of Dorothy's life and death along with the death of JFK in precise detail. She offers her own views on both and makes a convincing argument for why Dorothy's death was orchestrated. A well-written volume to be added to the library.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2024
My
monumental excitement for this book
had me convinced that I was going to
devour it in a matter of days.
Instead, it exceeded my already high
expectations and I found myself
waiting for proper reading sessions
where I could take my time and jot
down annotations along the way.
Written by the author of the Midwest Today article "Who Killed Dorothy Kilgallen?", Sara Jordan-Heintz compiles years of thorough research into this book covering Dorothy Kilgallen's early life, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and Kilgallen's own mysterious death in 1965. I would go as far as to say that her original article brought Dorothy's story to a new generation.
Her death aside, Dorothy's life is one that should be celebrated in history books. She was a trailblazer for women, finding herself at the top of a male-dominated industry in the early-mid 20th Century. In addition, she was also a radio host, television personality, socialite, wife, and mother.
Yes, the book gives an intimate background on Dorothy's life and career, however, the larger portion of the book is dedicated to her investigation of John F. Kennedy's assassination. In addition, there is also a section that delves into the assassination itself. Sara Jordan-Heintz writes extensively about different eyewitness accounts, the problem with the Warren Commission's findings (which Dorothy herself challenged), a background of Lee Harvey Oswald, and much more. While Dorothy is mostly absent here, it provides important context for the last section of the book.
On November 8th, 1965, Dorothy Kilgallen was found dead in her New York townhouse. It is largely believed that her death was the result of her investigation into JFK's death (which had already led her to be under surveillance). Too much didn't add up between where she was found and her state of attire to name just a couple of the red flags. What's more is that her investigation notes have not been seen since.
In the 60 years since the assassination, there have been countless writings, documentaries, and discussions on what might have truly happened that day in Dallas. We can assume while reading this book that Dorothy must have had similar findings and more thanks to having a multitude of connections. Given in 2024 the "official" story is still being pushed by those in power, it's not unlikely that someone of Dorothy's stature and reach would be silenced at that time.
What impressed me the most about this book was how so much information was fit into a relatively short number of pages. It brought back a lot of things I've read about in other books on the topic, both a mix of things I'd forgotten as well as tidbits I've held onto and can't get out of my mind. Having so much at my fingertips now in one book makes me ecstatic.
I have read three of the four books author Mark Shaw has published on the subject of Dorothy Kilgallen and I worried that I would be spending a lot of time comparing this book to those. Instead, I felt as though I was looking through fresh lenses despite going in with some facts memorized. The books offer quite different narratives even though a lot of the information, of course, remains similar. The delivery and organization of this book were a better fit for my personal preference.
I have been an admirer of Dorothy's for several years now and it still boggles my mind that after first watching episodes of What's My Line? it took a good year or two before I realized she was such a renowned journalist, never mind the fact that she had a connection to JFK's assassination. It's a travesty that her life and accomplishments have been a forgotten part of history. Whether her death is the cause of this, I couldn't say, though I do think it adds to the suspicion in a time where we so fervently celebrate women. I'm glad there are people out there telling her story so that she will be remembered for years to come.
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2024
Written by the author of the Midwest Today article "Who Killed Dorothy Kilgallen?", Sara Jordan-Heintz compiles years of thorough research into this book covering Dorothy Kilgallen's early life, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and Kilgallen's own mysterious death in 1965. I would go as far as to say that her original article brought Dorothy's story to a new generation.
Her death aside, Dorothy's life is one that should be celebrated in history books. She was a trailblazer for women, finding herself at the top of a male-dominated industry in the early-mid 20th Century. In addition, she was also a radio host, television personality, socialite, wife, and mother.
Yes, the book gives an intimate background on Dorothy's life and career, however, the larger portion of the book is dedicated to her investigation of John F. Kennedy's assassination. In addition, there is also a section that delves into the assassination itself. Sara Jordan-Heintz writes extensively about different eyewitness accounts, the problem with the Warren Commission's findings (which Dorothy herself challenged), a background of Lee Harvey Oswald, and much more. While Dorothy is mostly absent here, it provides important context for the last section of the book.
On November 8th, 1965, Dorothy Kilgallen was found dead in her New York townhouse. It is largely believed that her death was the result of her investigation into JFK's death (which had already led her to be under surveillance). Too much didn't add up between where she was found and her state of attire to name just a couple of the red flags. What's more is that her investigation notes have not been seen since.
In the 60 years since the assassination, there have been countless writings, documentaries, and discussions on what might have truly happened that day in Dallas. We can assume while reading this book that Dorothy must have had similar findings and more thanks to having a multitude of connections. Given in 2024 the "official" story is still being pushed by those in power, it's not unlikely that someone of Dorothy's stature and reach would be silenced at that time.
What impressed me the most about this book was how so much information was fit into a relatively short number of pages. It brought back a lot of things I've read about in other books on the topic, both a mix of things I'd forgotten as well as tidbits I've held onto and can't get out of my mind. Having so much at my fingertips now in one book makes me ecstatic.
I have read three of the four books author Mark Shaw has published on the subject of Dorothy Kilgallen and I worried that I would be spending a lot of time comparing this book to those. Instead, I felt as though I was looking through fresh lenses despite going in with some facts memorized. The books offer quite different narratives even though a lot of the information, of course, remains similar. The delivery and organization of this book were a better fit for my personal preference.
I have been an admirer of Dorothy's for several years now and it still boggles my mind that after first watching episodes of What's My Line? it took a good year or two before I realized she was such a renowned journalist, never mind the fact that she had a connection to JFK's assassination. It's a travesty that her life and accomplishments have been a forgotten part of history. Whether her death is the cause of this, I couldn't say, though I do think it adds to the suspicion in a time where we so fervently celebrate women. I'm glad there are people out there telling her story so that she will be remembered for years to come.
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2024
I'd
somehow never heard of Dorothy
Kilgallen until diving into this book
-- which makes me that much more
impressed that Jordan-Heintz wrote it.
It would be a pity if DK were
forgotten, on so many levels. She was
a trailblazer in journalism but also,
it seems, on the verge of exposing the
truth about JFK's assassination. And
her untimely death itself smacks of
conspiracy.
This is such a readable account. The small, headlined sections within each chapter make it easy to sneak in a few pages if you only have a few minutes, but I also found myself reading after midnight on more than one occasion. From DK's coverage of royal events to her friendship with the Rev. Billy Graham to her testy back-and-forth with Johnny Carson, there are so many interesting surprises! The last few chapters, though, are engrossing for another reason: The details of DK's death don't add up. It reads like a tragic, real-life whodunit -- and by this point in the book I found myself truly admiring and caring about Dorothy. Her life and death mattered.
I'm amazed by the amount of research that must've gone into this, and Jordan-Heintz's writing style conveys it all so beautifully. If you enjoy learning about trailblazing women or lesser-known history -- or trying to unravel conspiracy theories -- this is a real page turner.
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2024
Reviewed
in the United States on February 13, 2024
This is such a readable account. The small, headlined sections within each chapter make it easy to sneak in a few pages if you only have a few minutes, but I also found myself reading after midnight on more than one occasion. From DK's coverage of royal events to her friendship with the Rev. Billy Graham to her testy back-and-forth with Johnny Carson, there are so many interesting surprises! The last few chapters, though, are engrossing for another reason: The details of DK's death don't add up. It reads like a tragic, real-life whodunit -- and by this point in the book I found myself truly admiring and caring about Dorothy. Her life and death mattered.
I'm amazed by the amount of research that must've gone into this, and Jordan-Heintz's writing style conveys it all so beautifully. If you enjoy learning about trailblazing women or lesser-known history -- or trying to unravel conspiracy theories -- this is a real page turner.
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2024
What
an accomplishment! The author blends
decades long research with
contemporary findings to weave
together the life story of
journalist Dorothy Kilgallen against
a backdrop of international upheaval
and the assassination of JFK.
Kilgallen's singular career is the
stuff of movies and her endless
inquisitiveness may well have cost
her her life. Deeply thorough in its
findings, this book is sure to find
its place among the classics of a
troubling moment in our nations
history.
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2024
I
was 11 years old and home sick from
school the day President Kennedy was
assassinated and from that moment on
I was intrigued by the mystery and
conspiracy theories about what
really happened. To this day new
material seems to keep surfacing and
this book presents much new
material. One story that always
stayed with me was what really
happened to Dororothy Kilgallen?
What I heard was she was the last
person to interview Jack Ruby, Lee
Harvey Oswald, President Kennedy's
assassin, which in itself fuels many
of the conspiracy theories. This
book is loaded with information not
generally known to the public and I
found it absolutely spellbinding as
I'm sure you will too. As a History
Major it filled in a lot of the
blanks about that era for me.
Congratulations to the author for a
job well done.
The
book takes you back to the Kennedy era
and follows the life of Dorothy
Kilgallen as she reports on major
stories, including the JFK murder. It
was during her investigation of the
JFK murder that her mysterious death
occurred.
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024
Love
this book! I have read many books
about Dorothy and JFK, but
definitely learned a lot more
through this one! Highly recommend!
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2024
This
book was a real page turner. It
was well-researched and written
and contained fascinating,
provocative information that left
me thinking long after I put it
down. The recounting of the life
of this little known journalist
was mind blowing -- a must read
for anyone interested in the
mystery surrounding JFK's death.
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2024
Reviewed
in the United States on February 5,
2024
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2024
Kudos
to Sara Jordan-Heintz and her
years of meticulous research for
bringing Dorothy Kilgallen's
life and accomplishments to the
forefront of today. Growing up
in the 1970's, I should have
known about this remarkable
woman, and onward into the 21st
century celebrating "girl
power." Not only was she
physically murdered by the
"powers that be", her identity
and accomplishments were buried
as well. Even today, DK is
portrayed by the establishment
as a pill-popping drunk with a
pathetic interest in younger
men, thus discrediting her
accomplishments and brilliant,
incisive reporting. (Misogyny?)
While there is now a cottage industry associated with DK, this book features DK's actual writings and enables her to come to life where we can now appreciate her POV and wit and humor. This book is well written and edited, packing a lot of information that is concise and easy to follow.
For those just beginning to research the JFK assassination, this book is an ideal source. This is one of the most up-to-date and cogent accounts of the JFK murder and underscores how correctly DK assessed the situation. To fully capture the antics of the "deep state" in the early 1960's, I recommend this book as well as Dr. Mary's Monkey by Ed Haslam and Peter Janney's book on the murder of Mary Pinchot Meyer.
It is my hope that Sara Jordan-Heintz can use her talents to write or consult for a limited television series on the life of Dorothy Kilgallen. It is my understanding that Dk's race around the world in 1936 was the basis for a murder mystery film and the creation of the Torchy Blaine character, which in turn, would become the inspiration behind the development of Lois Lane in comics.
Don't miss this book--it's quite engrossing.
While there is now a cottage industry associated with DK, this book features DK's actual writings and enables her to come to life where we can now appreciate her POV and wit and humor. This book is well written and edited, packing a lot of information that is concise and easy to follow.
For those just beginning to research the JFK assassination, this book is an ideal source. This is one of the most up-to-date and cogent accounts of the JFK murder and underscores how correctly DK assessed the situation. To fully capture the antics of the "deep state" in the early 1960's, I recommend this book as well as Dr. Mary's Monkey by Ed Haslam and Peter Janney's book on the murder of Mary Pinchot Meyer.
It is my hope that Sara Jordan-Heintz can use her talents to write or consult for a limited television series on the life of Dorothy Kilgallen. It is my understanding that Dk's race around the world in 1936 was the basis for a murder mystery film and the creation of the Torchy Blaine character, which in turn, would become the inspiration behind the development of Lois Lane in comics.
Don't miss this book--it's quite engrossing.
I
really enjoyed reading this
marvelous book about Dorothy
Kilgallen, who I was impressed to
learn built a serious career in
the newspaper business at a time
when most women reporters were
assigned to cover society news or
household hints and recipes.
Dorothy followed in her father, Jim Kilgallen's footsteps, he being a newsman for 75 years. When Dorothy was only 18 years old she got her first job as a reporter. In 1936, when she was just 23, she set off on a race around the world against two male colleagues. Her journey began on the Hindenburg, and relied on planes, trains, automobiles and every conveyance imaginable. She sent dispatches home from the farthest outposts and made headlines. Along the way she turned down a private interview with Adolph Hitler. It took 24 days for her to make it around the globe and she was only the second woman in history to do so. This was three years before Amelia Earhart attempted the same journey.
As this fine book points out, the rest of Miss Kilgallen's life was no less fascinating. When Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the U.S. and rode in a ticker tape parade in New York City, Dorothy rode in the third car behind the Royals. Her boss, William Randolph Hearst, Jr. arranged for her to travel in a Rolls-Royce, prompting one less fortunate reporter on the sidelines to observe "there goes the Queen covering the Queen."
True, Dorothy made a name for herself on "What's My Line?" as a sharp panelist, and wrote a gossip column. But her real calling was serious journalism. She covered the Dr. Sam Sheppard trial and even managed to get his murder conviction for killing his wife overturned, well before DNA evidence later implicated another suspect.
I especially enjoyed how the author of this book, Ms. Jordan-Heintz, reproduced excerpts from so many of Dorothy's columns. This gives readers a new appreciation for how gifted Dorothy was.
How sad she died under mysterious circumstances after courageously investigating the Kennedy assassination, posing many important questions that remain unanswered today.
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024
Dorothy followed in her father, Jim Kilgallen's footsteps, he being a newsman for 75 years. When Dorothy was only 18 years old she got her first job as a reporter. In 1936, when she was just 23, she set off on a race around the world against two male colleagues. Her journey began on the Hindenburg, and relied on planes, trains, automobiles and every conveyance imaginable. She sent dispatches home from the farthest outposts and made headlines. Along the way she turned down a private interview with Adolph Hitler. It took 24 days for her to make it around the globe and she was only the second woman in history to do so. This was three years before Amelia Earhart attempted the same journey.
As this fine book points out, the rest of Miss Kilgallen's life was no less fascinating. When Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited the U.S. and rode in a ticker tape parade in New York City, Dorothy rode in the third car behind the Royals. Her boss, William Randolph Hearst, Jr. arranged for her to travel in a Rolls-Royce, prompting one less fortunate reporter on the sidelines to observe "there goes the Queen covering the Queen."
True, Dorothy made a name for herself on "What's My Line?" as a sharp panelist, and wrote a gossip column. But her real calling was serious journalism. She covered the Dr. Sam Sheppard trial and even managed to get his murder conviction for killing his wife overturned, well before DNA evidence later implicated another suspect.
I especially enjoyed how the author of this book, Ms. Jordan-Heintz, reproduced excerpts from so many of Dorothy's columns. This gives readers a new appreciation for how gifted Dorothy was.
How sad she died under mysterious circumstances after courageously investigating the Kennedy assassination, posing many important questions that remain unanswered today.
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2024
The
book is two stories in one. It
covers almost all theories of
the JFK assassination and the
life of a most interesting woman
who is seemingly killed because
of what she's uncovered about
the JFK coverup.
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2024
The mysterious
death of Dorothy Kilgallen -
and its immense implications -
is one of the greatest
unsolved murders in history.
Sara Jordan has dedicated
years of research into this
topic; and it shows! She
uncovers new evidence and
makes a very compelling case
against the original verdict
of suicide. A fascinating
read! You won't be
disappointed!
From other countries
Steven
morewood
The
Anatomy of the JFK
Assassination
Reviewed
in the United Kingdom on
February 16, 2024
I have
long been fascinated
by the JFK
assassination, but
have generally found
most books on it
poorly researched and
badly written, often
repeating the same
point again and again,
boring the reader.
This fourth biography
of Dorothy Kilgallen,
a feisty latter day
Scarlett O'Hara,
suffers from none of
these defects. Rather
it is based on
longstanding research,
including newly
released material from
the Dallas police
archives and the
Assassination Records
Board, reflecting
author Sara
Jordan-Heintz's
training as a
historian and
investigative
journalist. She has
also unearthed obscure
DK articles,
interweaving
quotations into the
narrative, giving the
subject a voice from
beyond the grave. What
is noticeable is that
SJH similarly injects
go figure questions of
incredulity when faced
with the fatuous
claims of the Warren
Commission. I was
thoroughly absorbed
reading this 407 page
in depth revelatory
study on my train
journeys into work.
Dorothy Kilgallen's background story is sketched in with just the right level of detail. A superb writer, admirers included Ernest Hemingway (pictured with her) who gave her the appellation of "the best writer in the world". Sent to cover major celebrity events, such as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and murder trials, her sparkling prose and acerbic wit enlivened her reporting. DK was also what today would be called a "gossip columnist". She earned the eternal ire of Frank Sinatra through a three-article expose which led to him deriding her as "the chinless wonder" in his act. DK also penned three articles about Marilyn Monroe, in the last week of her life. The final piece alluded to her dalliance with "a handsome man who is a bigger name that Joe DiMaggio was in his heyday". SJH convincingly argues that this brought the gentleman in question, JFK's brother Bobby (who Marilyn referred to cryptically as "the general") to confront the actress next day, implicating him in her death. No doubt much more will be revealed in the upcoming The Real Marilyn Monroe by SJH's father Larry Jordan.
The kernel of the book is undoubtedly the JFK assassination. Here SJH excels in piecing together the reasons for the incredibly lax security surrounding the president's Dallas leg of his Texas electioneering tour, something that had astonished DK at the time. A crucial figure was the Lincoln Continental limousine driver. JFK's usual driver died suddenly in mysterious circumstances six weeks prior, despite recently passing a health check. His replacement, Bill Greer, an Orange Irishman Protestant who disliked the Catholic president, slowed the car to a virtual standstill and turned round not once but twice when shots began reining in despite Secret Serviceman Roy Kellerman, sitting beside him, ordering him to hightail it out of there. Only when the fatal final shot exploded into the president's head did Greer finally oblige, picking up speed at an incredible rate. Mysteriously, yellow marker lines had appeared in the road the day before. Was this the kill zone for Greer to manoeuvre the car into?
Among the many revelations are the changing of the usual order of the motorcade (exposing JFK to frontal fire as the second vehicle in the procession), the LBJ party ordering the police motorcyclists to leave a clear view of the president and hold position to the back wheel of the Lincoln Continental (exposing JFK to side fire), and any Secret Service man who got on the back of it being implored by their senior officer, riding in the following vice-presidential car, ironically filled with standing agents, to get off (thereby exposing JFK to rear fire). A case is convincingly made for the underpass immediately ahead of the presidential vehicle being the location whence the fatal head shot originated. Police Chief Curry, in the lead car, certainly thought so, quickly changing his tune once the lone wolf communist extremist assassin Lee Harvey Oswald became the official storyline. Then there is the immediate cover up -- the two caskets, tampering with the corpse (a Dallas mortician disappeared refusing to enlighten his family) , LBJ ordering the presidential limousine, with a conspicuous bullet hole in the windshield, be restored, the absurdity of the "magic bullet" theory.
Another theme explored is the subject's rigorous probing into what happened. Dorothy Kilgallen's reporter instincts told her that there was a conspiracy to murder the president, whom she had met in the White House with her young son, and from the get go she began to question and ridicule the Warren Commission. What marked her out as dangerous was the fact that her articles for the Hearst Press were syndicated and reached millions of readers. When DK gained an exclusive interview with Jack Ruby and published details of his Warren Commission testimony before their report was published her days were numbered. Perhaps realising that she was in danger, DK eased off on assassination reporting near her death while secretly writing an explosive book on the assassination which, had it appeared, would undoubtedly have blown the Warren Commission's fabrications and distortions out of the water.
What SJH establishes is that her lover (DK had an open marriage) Ron Pataky had CIA links. As SJH relates, why otherwise would this handsome young man be interested in a married woman in her late forties. They first met in June 1964 and, despite Pataky's denials of involvement in her death in November 1965, he kept contradicting himself in recorded telephone conversations with Larry Jordan, a sure sign of a compulsive liar. Evidently his role was to keep tabs on what DK knew and where her investigations were going. Shortly before her demise, she visited Dallas, New Orleans and Miami. She was due to visit New Orleans again, looking to wrap up the case. Her last assassination article, questioning the authenticity of the Oswald photograph, appeared in September 1965. Aware her phone was tapped, who exactly DK met or was due to meet she kept to herself, but she was well connected, including knowing mobsters. After appearing for the umpteenth time as the star panellist on What's My Line she was found dead at her home next day in mysterious circumstances in a room she didn't sleep in, propped up in bed, still made up and bewigged, wearing evening clothes, not her usual pyjamas. She had been seen after the show drinking in a dark corner, speaking intimately with an unknown man. Since DK had broken up with long time lover, singer Johnny Ray, who believed she was murdered, the mystery man is likely to have been Pataky, despite his denials and claims not to have been in New York.
This brief review can't do justice to what is a superbly well crafted investigative biography, dominated by the twin tragedies of the murder of the century and the subject's sudden death, with all indications being that Dorothy Kilgallen was taken out to silence her. The disappearance of her assassination files lends weight to that scenario. My recent assassination reading has taken me in the direction of LBJ being implicated. Indeed, DK hinted at a coup in Texas that paralleled the movie, "Seven Days in May". Texas oilmen, Texas mafia and the CIA all fit into the mix presented so cogently here. This is a must read for any assassination buffs. I learned a lot from reading this gripping account which puts the pieces together as surely as Dorothy Kilgallen would have had she lived to tell the tale
Dorothy Kilgallen's background story is sketched in with just the right level of detail. A superb writer, admirers included Ernest Hemingway (pictured with her) who gave her the appellation of "the best writer in the world". Sent to cover major celebrity events, such as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, and murder trials, her sparkling prose and acerbic wit enlivened her reporting. DK was also what today would be called a "gossip columnist". She earned the eternal ire of Frank Sinatra through a three-article expose which led to him deriding her as "the chinless wonder" in his act. DK also penned three articles about Marilyn Monroe, in the last week of her life. The final piece alluded to her dalliance with "a handsome man who is a bigger name that Joe DiMaggio was in his heyday". SJH convincingly argues that this brought the gentleman in question, JFK's brother Bobby (who Marilyn referred to cryptically as "the general") to confront the actress next day, implicating him in her death. No doubt much more will be revealed in the upcoming The Real Marilyn Monroe by SJH's father Larry Jordan.
The kernel of the book is undoubtedly the JFK assassination. Here SJH excels in piecing together the reasons for the incredibly lax security surrounding the president's Dallas leg of his Texas electioneering tour, something that had astonished DK at the time. A crucial figure was the Lincoln Continental limousine driver. JFK's usual driver died suddenly in mysterious circumstances six weeks prior, despite recently passing a health check. His replacement, Bill Greer, an Orange Irishman Protestant who disliked the Catholic president, slowed the car to a virtual standstill and turned round not once but twice when shots began reining in despite Secret Serviceman Roy Kellerman, sitting beside him, ordering him to hightail it out of there. Only when the fatal final shot exploded into the president's head did Greer finally oblige, picking up speed at an incredible rate. Mysteriously, yellow marker lines had appeared in the road the day before. Was this the kill zone for Greer to manoeuvre the car into?
Among the many revelations are the changing of the usual order of the motorcade (exposing JFK to frontal fire as the second vehicle in the procession), the LBJ party ordering the police motorcyclists to leave a clear view of the president and hold position to the back wheel of the Lincoln Continental (exposing JFK to side fire), and any Secret Service man who got on the back of it being implored by their senior officer, riding in the following vice-presidential car, ironically filled with standing agents, to get off (thereby exposing JFK to rear fire). A case is convincingly made for the underpass immediately ahead of the presidential vehicle being the location whence the fatal head shot originated. Police Chief Curry, in the lead car, certainly thought so, quickly changing his tune once the lone wolf communist extremist assassin Lee Harvey Oswald became the official storyline. Then there is the immediate cover up -- the two caskets, tampering with the corpse (a Dallas mortician disappeared refusing to enlighten his family) , LBJ ordering the presidential limousine, with a conspicuous bullet hole in the windshield, be restored, the absurdity of the "magic bullet" theory.
Another theme explored is the subject's rigorous probing into what happened. Dorothy Kilgallen's reporter instincts told her that there was a conspiracy to murder the president, whom she had met in the White House with her young son, and from the get go she began to question and ridicule the Warren Commission. What marked her out as dangerous was the fact that her articles for the Hearst Press were syndicated and reached millions of readers. When DK gained an exclusive interview with Jack Ruby and published details of his Warren Commission testimony before their report was published her days were numbered. Perhaps realising that she was in danger, DK eased off on assassination reporting near her death while secretly writing an explosive book on the assassination which, had it appeared, would undoubtedly have blown the Warren Commission's fabrications and distortions out of the water.
What SJH establishes is that her lover (DK had an open marriage) Ron Pataky had CIA links. As SJH relates, why otherwise would this handsome young man be interested in a married woman in her late forties. They first met in June 1964 and, despite Pataky's denials of involvement in her death in November 1965, he kept contradicting himself in recorded telephone conversations with Larry Jordan, a sure sign of a compulsive liar. Evidently his role was to keep tabs on what DK knew and where her investigations were going. Shortly before her demise, she visited Dallas, New Orleans and Miami. She was due to visit New Orleans again, looking to wrap up the case. Her last assassination article, questioning the authenticity of the Oswald photograph, appeared in September 1965. Aware her phone was tapped, who exactly DK met or was due to meet she kept to herself, but she was well connected, including knowing mobsters. After appearing for the umpteenth time as the star panellist on What's My Line she was found dead at her home next day in mysterious circumstances in a room she didn't sleep in, propped up in bed, still made up and bewigged, wearing evening clothes, not her usual pyjamas. She had been seen after the show drinking in a dark corner, speaking intimately with an unknown man. Since DK had broken up with long time lover, singer Johnny Ray, who believed she was murdered, the mystery man is likely to have been Pataky, despite his denials and claims not to have been in New York.
This brief review can't do justice to what is a superbly well crafted investigative biography, dominated by the twin tragedies of the murder of the century and the subject's sudden death, with all indications being that Dorothy Kilgallen was taken out to silence her. The disappearance of her assassination files lends weight to that scenario. My recent assassination reading has taken me in the direction of LBJ being implicated. Indeed, DK hinted at a coup in Texas that paralleled the movie, "Seven Days in May". Texas oilmen, Texas mafia and the CIA all fit into the mix presented so cogently here. This is a must read for any assassination buffs. I learned a lot from reading this gripping account which puts the pieces together as surely as Dorothy Kilgallen would have had she lived to tell the tale