With CITY OF DREAMS, Don Winslow delivers his penultimate novel; the second book in his Danny Ryan Trilogy. After escaping Rhode Island, Ryan takes up residence on the West Coast hoping to put the mob life behind him. However, as we all know, it isn’t that easy. Ryan has made a lot of powerful enemies over the years and in order to provide a modicum of safety for his family, Danny must pull one final job that will not only alleviate some of the pressure, but will also make him a very wealthy man in the process.

Much like Winslow’s best novels, CITY OF DREAMS runs at a break-neck pace. Not only is the action and plot beyond tightly structured, Winslow’s prose has the staccato of a machine gun as he rattles off quick, biting sentences that had my eyes racing across the page. I had a few long nights with this one as I found it damn near impossible to put down. Ryan’s quest to be seen as either legit, or a “good guy” is constantly marred by his reluctance to steer clear of the kind of justice that only organised crime can deliver. Knowing he has that option when his back is against the wall certainly makes him a flawed protagonist but one who still has morality, in a way. The best crime fiction novels spotlight main characters like Ryan who deep down know right from wrong, but aren’t afraid to get in the muck with their adversaries to come out on top.

While this novel will get your heart racing and your adrenaline pumping, there is lots of heartbreak to digest as well. Danny is ultimately a tragic figure and Winslow does not allow him to get through this novel unscathed. Something happens near the novel’s conclusion that left me misty-eyed. Like the best writers out there, Winslow really gets under your skin with his character work allowing you to truly care whether these fictional characters live or die, which sometimes isn’t easy.

CITY OF DREAMS had been initially released in 2023 in hardcover and since the majority of my Winslow novels are paperback, I somehow held off on reading this one until the paperback release hit store shelves. Once I put this one down, there was no way I was waiting a year for CITY IN RUINS. I was lucky enough to get my hands on that a few days before release, so review to follow!