Widespread Panic

I didn’t like how I bought the book but can’t get past page 52

Author
American best known for the L.A. Quartet novels—The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz—all of which were international best sellers. His novel American Tabloid was Time magazine’s Best Book (fiction) of 1995. He employs a "telegraphic" writing style (I prefer jack hammer), which omits words usually considered necessary, and heavily reliant of sentence fragments. His books are noted for their dark humour, dense plotting, dropping the names of celebrities (generally dead ones so they can’t sue), and pessimistic view of life.

In summary
Freddie Otash, a crooked ex-cop turned sleazy PI and accumulator of dirt as well as enforcer for Confidential magazine, was the inspiration for Jack Nicholson’s character in the movie Chinatown. He appeared in a couple of Ellroy’s previous novels (I forget which). Now he’s in purgatory, confessing his many sins, if telling crudely amusing stories to ones partners in crime counts as confessing. Jack Kennedy, James Dean, Montgomery Clift, Burt Lancaster, Liz Taylor, Rock Hudson and numerous other cop a pasting.

Writing
Expands on a short story Mr Ellroy wrote some years ago. I’m not sure why he felt the need to do so and wish he hadn’t. His usual style heavily peppered with alliteration I could have done without.

Bottom line
The work of a singular talent whose best days appear to be behind him.