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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A familiar crime families story. I felt I'd previously read and seen in movies a lot like it. Winslow struggles with any depth to female characters.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
City on Fire is a fast paced, action packed saga full of drama and tension between the two criminal family empires; the Murphy's and the Moretti's.
Don delivers it all superbly. I did initially struggle wrapping my head around the cast of characters and which family it was they were connected to, but once that was established I was fully captivated and formed quite the soft spot for the main character, Danny Ryan.
It has been a while since I picked up a crime novel and this was a fabulous one to dive into. Set in the late 1980's in Providence, Rhode Island with a loose twist on Helen of Troy with references to the ancient Greek poem 'The Iliad of Homer' threaded throughout. As I didn't know alot about the historical influence I did have to google some parts which I found quite interesting to learn about.
Don delivers it all superbly. I did initially struggle wrapping my head around the cast of characters and which family it was they were connected to, but once that was established I was fully captivated and formed quite the soft spot for the main character, Danny Ryan.
It has been a while since I picked up a crime novel and this was a fabulous one to dive into. Set in the late 1980's in Providence, Rhode Island with a loose twist on Helen of Troy with references to the ancient Greek poem 'The Iliad of Homer' threaded throughout. As I didn't know alot about the historical influence I did have to google some parts which I found quite interesting to learn about.
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Swearing, drinking, sex and power in the eighties without cell phones! C’mon, it’s f**king Don Winslow!
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
🍀 Danny Ryan is part of an Irish crime family in New England competing with their Italian rivals. The clans manage to coexist until a woman causes tensions between them to boil over. Danny’s hope for a life outside of crime is interrupted when he is thrust into becoming the family’s leader. He must navigate complicated loyalties, plan the next move all while trying to avoid violence and bloodshed.
🍀 This was my first Don Winslow novel - I was impressed by both the story and storytelling. This book is a powder keg waiting to blow at any page. The anticipation of the next act of violence kept me reading, always with a bit of trepidation – and I mean that in a good way. When I think of books about the mob, I don’t typically think of the mid-1980s. It reads a little like an update of an older theme and it works. The mob is tired, seeking the next generation of leaders and torn between the traditional ways of making money and the lucrative but worrisome world of drug trafficking. Loyalty, at times uncomfortable and moral questions are explored so well in City on Fire. I’m looking forward to second book in this planned trilogy.
🎵 A City on Fire Playlist:
The Cure – Disintegration
Echo and the Bunnymen – Porcupine
The Psychedelic Furs – Forever Now
🍀 This was my first Don Winslow novel - I was impressed by both the story and storytelling. This book is a powder keg waiting to blow at any page. The anticipation of the next act of violence kept me reading, always with a bit of trepidation – and I mean that in a good way. When I think of books about the mob, I don’t typically think of the mid-1980s. It reads a little like an update of an older theme and it works. The mob is tired, seeking the next generation of leaders and torn between the traditional ways of making money and the lucrative but worrisome world of drug trafficking. Loyalty, at times uncomfortable and moral questions are explored so well in City on Fire. I’m looking forward to second book in this planned trilogy.
🎵 A City on Fire Playlist:
The Cure – Disintegration
Echo and the Bunnymen – Porcupine
The Psychedelic Furs – Forever Now
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes