A review by blevins
A Bright and Guilty Place: Murder, Corruption, and L.A.'s Scandalous Coming of Age by Richard Rayner

3.0

Since I'm a recent Los Angeles transplant [been here two weeks now!], I've decided to read some non-fiction set in Los Angeles and California. There seems to be a decent amount of books related to crime, the movie industry and the 1920s when it comes to LA. First up, Richard Rayner's look at the seedy, corrupt side of Los Angeles in the 1920s and 1930s by looking at some well known court cases and the men and women who were involved. Rayner includes not only the lawyers, police, judges on the law-fighting side, but also the bookies, harlots, gamblers, mobsters and killers on the other side of the law. Enjoyable in spots, the book is just a bit too rambling in places for me. Rather than tell one story, Rayner tells multiple stories and it lacks the intrigue of a single case. Still gives you a flavor of the times in the city as it was just becoming a boom town, exploding with growth and money.