Publication Date April 4, 2024
Earlier this year, I read and reviewed Don Winslow’s City of Dreams. At that time, I said my perception of the books written by Don Winslow had been that they were the kind of books my husband loves: full of action, violence, drugs, sex, and maybe even some rock ‘n roll, but I hadn’t read any of them (although I had started but DNF both The Cartel and The Power of the Dog). When William Morrow and Netgalley offered the opportunity to read City of Dreams, in exchange for an honest review, I was READY! Then I realized it was the SECOND in a projected trilogy that began with City On Fire, and I decided I should start with THAT book, so I bought it and settled in. And holy crap, I nearly gave up. I read about 10% but felt I was lost and overwhelmed – there were SO MANY characters, I kept getting confused. I DID read both City books. And I liked City of Dreams MUCH more than City On Fire. Frankly, I think I would have liked Dreams just as much if I’d read it as a standalone. In that second book, Winslow does a GREAT job bringing the reader up to speed, summarizing the Providence, RI-based war between the two organized crime factions (Irish and Italians), briefly telling us who all died in the frenzy, and introducing the primary characters who are the focus of book #2.
Kind-of-a-spoiler coming: the war that broke out in Providence ended (or did it?) with the Irish on the losing side, and Danny Ryan going on the run to escape the wrath of the Italians. He was being chased by the cops and the FBI in addition to The Mafia, and If that wasn’t bad enough, Danny’s wife lost her battle with breast cancer, he had a toddler-age son, his elderly father was showing signs of dementia, and he wasn’t sure who (if anyone) he could trust. He landed in California and, after a transition period in San Diego, made his way to Hollywood, where a major studio was making a “gangster film” based on the war in Providence. Danny visited the set and fell in love with a beautiful, troubled movie star. What could possibly go wrong? It was a gangster story, a family saga, and a thriller all in one. I liked it a lot. In my review I said I was hoping book #3 in the trilogy would turn out to be more like City Of Dreams than City On Fire. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley, I received a copy of the third book in this series in exchange for another honest review.
In this final piece of the City Trilogy, Danny Ryan is settled in Las Vegas with his wife and son, and is wildly rich — but he wants more. He tries to buy an old hotel and turn it into a dream resort. This sets off a new war, involving a rival casino owner, an FBI agent, and lots of Vegas power brokers. As if that isn’t enough, some of his old enemies come calling, and Danny has to make a choice between the life he has created and the old ways of doing things that got him run out of Rhode Island and involved with Hollywood and Vegas. The setting moves among various locations, and there are once again LOTS of characters in the story, but this book can be enjoyed as a standalone. Five stars.