City of Dreams is a superb story of resolve, renewal, and remorse. Don Winslow utilizes all of his storytelling genius, leading his readers across the country from the dying embers and smoldering ashes of a mob war to the bright lights and glitter of Hollywood where the allure and intoxication of fame, fortune, and fornication are impossible to ignore.
They say ‘a bad day in LA is better than a good day anywhere else’. Danny Ryan and what’s left of his crew might have some thoughts about such sentiment. After the catastrophic ending to City on Fire, we find Ryan doing his best to escape Rhode Island with his remaining family and friends. With no destination in mind for his pack of refugees, he heads west, doing his best to keep them off the radar of both the federal authorities and the Italian mob.
Despite keeping his head down and nose clean in an effort to provide a safe life for his son, you can’t outrun your past forever. When the feds finally track him down, they make him an offer he can’t refuse. Do something for them, they’ll make sure his troubles with the FBI go away… if he survives. With no real choice in the matter, Danny does what he does best.
While Dannny and his crew are participating in real life violence, a fictionalized account of the war they just survived is making its way to the big screen. When word gets out that there are folks trying to make money based on their lives, the crew finds itself in the movie business and with a whole new set of enemies and enigmas to deal with. The consequences of Danny’s decision are colossal and catastrophic.
City of Dreams is a wonderful bridge between the sensational start and the explosive ending of what will be an iconic trilogy. There is more emphasis on the emotional turmoil than the physical in this one, but there is still plenty of action for those craving it. The explanation and exploration of the psychological components is necessary to set up what is sure to be a thrilling finale that will go full tilt from the opening page. I cannot wait to see what Winslow has in store for us next.
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Barrington Books
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Once Upon A Crime
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