City of Dreams
A Novel
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4.2 • 603 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
New York Times Bestseller
Following the epic, ambitious, instant New York Times bestseller City on Fire, “The Godfather for our generation” (Adrian McKinty), comes the dramatic second novel in an epic crime trilogy from Don Winslow, #1 internationally bestselling author of the Cartel trilogy (The Power of the Dog, The Cartel and The Border).
Hollywood.
The city where dreams are made.
On the losing side of a bloody East Coast crime war, Danny Ryan is now on the run. The Mafia, the cops, the FBI all want him dead or in prison. With his little boy, his elderly father and the tattered remnants of his loyal crew of soldiers, he makes the classic American migration to California to start a new life.
A quiet, peaceful existence.
But the Feds track him down and want Danny to do them a favor that could make him a fortune or kill him.
And when Hollywood starts shooting a film based on his former life, Danny demands a piece of the action and begins to rebuild his criminal empire.
Then he falls in love.
With a beautiful movie star who has a dark past of her own.
As their worlds collide in an explosion that could destroy them both, Danny Ryan has to fight for his life in a city where dreams are born.
Or where they go to die.
From the shores of Rhode Island to the deserts of California where bodies disappear, from the power corridors of Washington where the real criminals operate to the fabled movie studios of Hollywood where the real money is made, City of Dreams is a sweeping saga of family, love, revenge, survival and the fierce reality behind the dream.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
A battle-hardened mafia boss tries to start over in this gritty crime epic from a master of the genre, Don Winslow. After escaping a bloody mob war in Providence, Danny Ryan settles in California with his young son and the tattered remnants of the Murphy crime family. He hopes to put that life behind him and go legit. But when he discovers that a movie is being made based on his own life, Danny becomes embroiled in another cutthroat world: Hollywood. In this intense story, Winslow gives us an up-close look at the graft and corruption of the movie industry, illustrating that the world of organized crime doesn’t have a monopoly on shady deals and easy money. If you haven’t yet read the first book in Winslow’s City series, this sequel is certain to spark your interest.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In 1988, Chris Calumbo, a lieutenant in the Providence, R.I., Italian mob, sets in motion a risky plan, in bestseller Winslow's powerful sequel to 2022's City on Fire. He brokers a deal with the Baja cartel for 40 kilos of heroin; gets his boss, Peter Moretti, and several other New England wiseguys to invest; and arranges for Danny Ryan, the Irish mob's leader, to hijack the shipment. Calumbo tips the feds, who will bust Ryan and return the dope to the Italians (minus a cut, of course). What could go wrong? Ryan, a recent widower, winds up fleeing Providence and landing in San Diego with his 18-month-old son and elderly father. Ryan and his crew spread out and work anonymous jobs, keeping their heads down until they hear that their nemesis, Moretti, has been killed. In a surreal twist of fate, Ryan ends up in Hollywood, where he finds himself investing in a movie called Providence based on the war between Italian and Irish mobs, and he falls in love with the film's beautiful, doomed starlet. This classically inspired mob story breaks no new ground, but fans of Dennis Lehane and Richard Price are sure to be well pleased.
Customer Reviews
Made
me wish part 3 was out so I could stay in this world a little longer.
Sadly lacking in many ways
Disappointing 2nd novel (following a solid first book) with a story line that reminds me of a well known Elmore Leonard novel that is much smarter and much more interesting. This book has too many characters, is kind of depressing, and not really that entertaining. I really enjoyed book 1 in this trilogy (and will not read book 3).
Incredible sequel!
A wonderful sequel to City on Fire!