I call middle sections of trilogies storytelling cartilage. You need that connective tissue for the sake of the saga’s culmination. But those second novels rarely satisfy. They don’t function as standalone narratives. They’re bridges.  Leave it to the maestro, Don Winslow, to refute that notion. “City of Dreams” picks up moments after “City on Fire” … Continue reading Review: City of Dreams by Don Winslow

Don Winslow's trilogy launcher builds like a summer storm — its tranquil beachside opening belies the violence, bloodshed and bodycount that ensues following the destruction of the armistice between two rival mob families. City on Fire is classic Winslow: an epic story tightly focused on a core group of characters. Danny Ryan is the headliner. … Continue reading Review: City on Fire by Don Winslow

The Manhattan North Special Task Force operates by one primary principle: if you don't intimidate the street, the street will kill you. Which means you've got to work outside the law to maintain it. And to keep the peace, you broker deals. You can't exterminate crime, so you work with the gangs. You maintain a … Continue reading Review: The Force by Don Winslow

Few writers — let alone crime writers — write with as much style and substance as Don Winslow. In "Broken," a collection of six novellas, he acknowledges Raymond Chandler, Steve McQueen and Elmore Leonard, which should give newcomers to his work some idea of his stylistic leanings; but the scope of his work — even … Continue reading Review: Broken by Don Winslow