Propulsive, explosive and emotive, City of Dreams is a gritty yet beautiful tale of second chances, making deals and controlling your destiny. Don Winslow strikes gold once again with an absorbing novel that explores the intoxicating allure of power, fame, influence, control and money as well as the gravitational pull of loyalty, family and love.
Following the events of City on Fire, Danny Ryan and his Irish crew are making a run west to evade retribution from the rival Italian mob, the feds and anyone else who wishes them harm after a bloody gang war on the streets of Providence. Recently widowed and with a young son to care for, Danny has plans to go legit and start a new life in California. But the old life is hard to shake, either because he needs to pull a job to make peace with the feds or because it’s in his blood and he only feels alive when he’s got a piece of the action. And there’s plenty of action in Los Angeles where he and his crew get involved in a Hollywood production, hook up with beautiful women and get sideways with the west coast mob. But with death following Danny wherever he goes, will he and his crew be able to survive long enough to reap the benefits of their second act?
Being the second installment in a trilogy, City of Dreams has the critical job of being a bridge from the first book to the last and it doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it thrives on its own. It builds upon the backstories and unadulterated violence provided in City on Fire and moves Danny Ryan’s journey forward in both expected and unexpected ways. Expected in the way that his thought process and actions are still grounded in what he learned back in Providence, leading to making both shady and legitimate deals that benefit him and his devoted crew. Proving the adage that you can take the man out of the mob, but you can’t take the mob out of the man. And unexpected in the way he rebounds from the loss of his wife and all the bloodshed he experienced to be a good father, to find a way to forgive his estranged mother, to find someone to love and fulfill his potential.
City of Dreams is tremendous! Filled in equal measure with moving moments and “oh-shit” events, it’s emotional and stirring while also being vicious and calculating. It’s a brilliant follow up to City on Fire that perfectly sets up the final installment in the trilogy, promising to be entertaining as hell…either as a triumphant success or an ignominious end to the Danny Ryan saga. Regardless, it’ll be a final gift to readers from the genius pen of Don Winslow. And I can’t wait to find out how this epic story ends.
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