Cover Image: City of Angels

City of Angels

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Member Reviews

When I read the info sheet on City of Angels, I was excited. Just knowing it was a 1920s crime novel was enough to hook my attention and sign me up. The author, Kenneth Bromberg, was a new-to-me writer, so there were no expectations there. I went into this one almost blank, and yet hoping to be blown away. I don't read much crime fiction anymore, after all, despite my love of the genre.

On some level, I suppose I was hoping for something you'd get from Hard Case Crime, but this didn't have a pulp or noir feel to it. Bromberg almost has a historical tone to his writing. Maybe that's because he is heavy on background information. While this paints a great picture of the characters, it was also tedious at times and took me out of the main story. I also found that, despite all I came to know about the characters, Edward was the only one I actually liked.

The story here isn't cohesive, though it's the opening murder that leads the book into the end. There's a bit of jumping around, and a change of narrative just about every chapter. With it all being in the FPS, I found myself "playing catch-up" every time I had a narrative change. And, as I said previously, a lot of these chapters are basically flashbacks for the characters. I just didn't feel like I was reading a single story - it was more like studying detailed notes on a world Bloomberg was fleshing out prior to publishing a book or series.

So, while the writing was detailed and strong, the story and structure of City of Angels were lacking, enough so that I was frequently daydreaming during this novel.

***

Highlights: If you like detailed character profiles, you'll get that here ... Classic setting

Shadows: Aside from Edward, I didn't care about any characters ... Frequent changing of character narrative in the FPS ... Often boring or tedious

FFO: Crime fiction that relies heavily on world building ... Stories set in the early 1900s

Takeaway: City of Angels is written well, but structured poorly, allowing for easy stretches of daydreaming.

Would I read this author again? I hate to say no, but I wouldn't seek out this writer again. If another book of his catches my attention with his synopsis, though, I will give it a shot.

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An interesting story that mixes historical thriller and horror.
Good character development and world building, a gripping and entertaining plot.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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Los Angeles: 1924. Be prepared. There is NO #MeToo Movement. Little legality. Very little morality. It's the era of Prohibition, so more crime. In Hollywood, the studio bosses rule.. they do what they want. Management? Forget unionizing. Even the cops support corporations, for pay. And civil rights? Far in the future.


But even a sometimes-hard guy strikebreaker cop can "do the right thing," even if it requires the impetus of the killing of a once-upon-a-time lover. CITY OF ANGELS is an electrifying stroll through a long-ago era, not "the good old days."

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City Of Angels is a detective story set in the 1920's. It follows Sam Lacy, a LAPD detective who has a strange moral code. He's ok with being hired as a thug but draws the line at racist attacks, attacks against women and murder. He works with his partner, Lonnie and Edward Bixby, a black man who helps him unofficially since his race means LAPD would never hire him. Besides them, the only people Sam cares about are his sister Susan and her son, Pete.
This story seemed a bit jumbled to me. The plot jumped all over the place with no sense of cohesion. Just as I thought we were focusing on a murder, the author stuck in another random crime which had to be solved. The seamless flow that is supposed to be in stories was not there.
The character development was done quite well though. I liked the back stories about the different key characters which explained why they were the way they were.
Since it was based in the 20's, there was a lot of racism within the book which was hard to read. It was expected though as it was part of life back then.
In my opinion, Kenneth Bromberg needs a little work but he shows great potential with this offering. I actually won't mind trying another book by him.

This book has a lot of sexual content, violence, racism and obscene language. It should definitely be read by adults only.

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A new author for me and what a read. Set in 1920's Los Angeles this is a creat crime thriller with more than a touch of horror. Embroiled in the darker and seedier side of this town. Great characters, fast paced and I want so much to read more of this authors work. In my opinion one to watch. Loved it.
Thanks to Flame Tree Press and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

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Set in 1920s Los Angeles, this great crime thriller follows a homicide detective as he works his way through several overlapping cases. Great characters support a stellar plot that exploits Los Angeles’ darker side to great effect. Period-correct history weaves through the story seamlessly. This is my second Bromberg novel (AMERICAN DREAMS was the first) and I’m officially a fan.

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