Book Review: CITY ON FIRE by Don Winslow

CITY OF FIRE by Don Winslow (William Morrow & Company, April 2022) Hardcover, 384 pages. ISBN # 9780062851192 

Synopsis on the Goodreads website . . . . .

New York Times Bestseller!

From the #1 internationally bestselling author of the Cartel Trilogy (The Power of the Dog, The Cartel, and The Border), The Force, and Broken comes the first novel in an epic new trilogy.

“Superb. City on Fire is exhilarating.” – Stephen King

"Epic, ambitious, majestic, City on Fire is The Godfather for our generation.” – Adrian McKinty, New York Times bestselling author of The Chain

Two criminal empires together control all of New England.

Until a beautiful woman comes between the Irish and the Italians, launching a war that will see them kill each other, destroy an alliance, and set a city on fire.

Danny Ryan yearns for a more “legit” life and a place in the sun. But as the bloody conflict stacks body on body and brother turns against brother, Danny has to rise above himself. To save the friends he loves like family and the family he has sworn to protect, he becomes a leader, a ruthless strategist, and a master of a treacherous game in which the winners live and the losers die.

From the gritty streets of Providence to the glittering screens of Hollywood to the golden casinos of Las Vegas, two rival crime families ignite a war that will leave only one standing. The winner will forge a dynasty.

Exploring the classic themes of loyalty, betrayal, and honor, City on Fire is a contemporary masterpiece in the tradition of The Godfather, Casino, and Goodfellas—a thrilling saga from Don Winslow, “America’s greatest living crime writer” (Jon Land, Providence Journal).

My Five-Star Review on the Goodreads website . . . . .

     What Stephen King does for horror, Don Winslow does for crime fiction. Both writers manage to pull readers into the story based on strong characterization. There's plenty of that in CITY ON FIRE, an update on Godfather themes featuring Irish and Italian organized crime gangs in Providence, Rhode Island in the 1980's. This has that brand of authenticity that Winslow is noted for. 

     CITY ON FIRE is a real page-turner and really shines the spotlight on those who live on the edge, revealing just how fragile relationships are and how the peace between two rival gangs can turn in an flash, when drunken impulses and jealousies take over. In a tribute to Homer's ILLIAD and Helen of Troy, it's a beautiful woman who comes between the two groups and sparks a war. 

     There are a myriad of compelling themes within this first of a trilogy, but what really rests at the heart of this book are the family relationships: loyalty, responsibility, trust, etc. Prepare to be heart-broken. This is a gem of a book.