City of Dreams by Don Winslow is the follow-up novel to City of Fire and the second book in the Danny Ryan trilogy. In the last novel, I said I felt the novel was an ode to Elmore Leonard, this book was no longer an ode it felt like Elmore Leonard wrote the whole Hollywood chapter, it was very reminiscent of Get Shorty and Be Cool. I would recommend you read the first book before you read this book there’s a little bit of catch-up, but the first book had too many characters and they don’t catch you up on everyone. This book could be called Gangsters Have Family Problems Too. Whereas in the Gangster world, you can get killed over petty squabbles. This book made some interesting choices, but I hate that it made the smartest character from the first book Danny Ryan make such a stupid mistake, and that it went on for so long. The pacing of the book is rapid fast, the only slow part were the Hollywood chapters. This book is not your typical gangster novel because of what happened in the last book most of the gangsters spend most of the book trying to go straight, there are a few heist and shoot out but for the most part, the book is light on the gangster activity. The tone of this book I would describe as zany with bursts of brutality. There are two very very brutal scenes and the rise of a new gangster. City of Dreams is my sixth Don Winslow book and I can tell you this book is unlike any of the others. City of Dreams was published on April 18, 2023.
Plot Summary: At the end of City on Fire Danny Ryan and his crew are on the run after killing a dirty federal agent and destroying keys of cocaine worth millions. Danny moves to San Diego and lies low. the FBI can’t confirm their agent was dirty but doesn’t want to bring it back up in courts, so they don’t want to pursue, but the dirty agent’s lover, also an FBI agent goes rogue and pursues him, she finds Danny Ryan’s dad’s retirement home. She can’t make a move but, she knows a party that will, Danny’s former rival and the owner of the cocaine he destroyed. The gangsters don’t know Danny destroyed the cocaine and that’s his leverage. At the same time, a low-level ex-gangster wrote a screenplay about all that went down in the last book and members of Danny Ryan’s crew find out and want a piece of it.
What I Like: There’s a pretty brutal revenge plotline that you see coming but you don’t know how far a character is going to take it. I think it is the best scene and the rise of a gangster in the final book in the trilogy. I liked the initial Hollywood shakedown but felt it went too far but the beginning was fun. I like that we got a follow-up on Pam’s character from the first book. I liked that the ending nails the brutal gangster code. The drugged fever dream was well written with how it mixed with real terror happening. I did like that Chis got held as collateral without him knowing it.
What I Disliked: The Hollywood was too long and it had Danny Ryan the smartest character of the last book make the dumbest mistakes. I did like how the book eventually got around to him mirroring Liam’s dumb mistake from the first book but it took the smartest character too long to figure out how much he was screwing up. I wanted more gangster scenes the 4 we got were great but I wanted more.
Recommendations: City of Dreams is an interesting book that is very different from Winslow’s other novels. I prefer Don Winslow to write more seriously with fewer jokes. This has been my least favorite Don Winslow novel so far. That being said this is by no means a bad novel Winslow is a great writer and this book has some great scenes. I will barely recommend City of Dreams. If you like Elmore Leonard novels you might like the Danny Ryan series and especially this book that mimics his writing style.
Rating: I rated City of Dreams by Don Winslow 3.4 out of 5 stars.
Ranking: Here’s the full ranking for the 6 Don Winslow books that I have read from favorite to least (reminder almost all are over 4 stars and all I recommend): 1) The Cartel, 2) Power of the Dog, 3) The Force, 4) The Border, 5) City on Fire and 6) City of Dreams.
Reading with My Eyes 