Trilogies can be tricky, especially the ‘bridge’ instalment in the middle. They can too easily become a slog through ‘Act 2’, without the incitement and freshness of the first, or the thrilling climax or sense of completion of the finale. For every standout second tale like The Empire Strikes Back or The Two Towers, there’s more than a few that fizzle.
Last year, masterful US thriller writer Don Winslow launched his swansong with City on Fire, the first instalment in an ambitious trilogy inspired by Greek and Roman epic poems and true-life tales of the Irish mob. A sweeping saga, it was one of the very best novels of 2022, and set the bar extremely high for book two. Fortunately, Winslow is brilliant enough to meet the challenge, and City of Dreams is a rich slice of gangster lit.
In 1988, Danny Ryan and the remnants of his crew head cross-country, having barely survived a bloody East Coast crime war. The Moretti crime family and federal agents want revenge. Widowed, and looking for a safer life for himself and his young son Ian, Danny eventually ends up in Hollywood, getting involved in a movie about his old life, and involved with a lead actress with plenty of demons. Is history repeating itself for the Dogtown crew? Winslow conjures up a page-whirring tale soaked in character and drama. Superb.
Reviewed by Craig Sisterson
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