An unsolved murder becomes the tragic beginning of a writer's life. Geneva "Jean" Ellroy was raped and murdered in 1958 in a shabby suburb of L.A. The perpetrator was never caught, the investigation was closed, and the case was filed away as a tragic outcome of a night of heavy drinking. James Ellroy was ten years old at the time. The murder of his mother became his obsession. Over the following decades, he alternately repressed and conjured up the disturbing memories through writing. It wasn't until 1994 that he confronted the trauma of his life. Together with retired detective Bill Stoner, Ellroy embarks on a search: for his mother, her murderer, and his own redemption. "Ellroy is the most important contemporary crime writer." - Der Spiegel "A harrowing autobiography... unflinching, brutal, and strangely exhilarating." - San Francisco Chronicle.