4.5*
City on Fire is not a usual genre of books I'd read, but I know that Don Winslow is a fantastic author and that I'm going to enjoy this!

Danny just wants a normal life, it's not his fault that he's been born in and drawn to a gang. Even when he moves out for a while, he'll come back to the love of his life.
The pack of friends are always together and cover each other backs. They have a rival gang (as expected) but they're not in bad relationship... until a stunning woman starts dating one of the rivals, and shortly, it'll start a war.

It's violent, emotional, and at some point it made me cry.

The writing is excellent and the story flows. I'll definitely want to read the next part!

America’s master of crime lifted the lid on the South American drug trade in his powerful trilogy The Cartel. Now he’s turned his attention to the mob world of Providence, Rhode Island of the 80s and 90s, pitting Irish and Italian gangsters against each other in a testosterone-driven, blood-soaked roller coaster of a novel which riffs on the Helen of Troy myth.
Hardworking New England longshoreman Danny Ryan knows the minute a beautiful woman emerges from the sea on a family day at the beach that trouble is in store. And he’s right. The sexy siren triggers a bloody war between the Ryan and Moretti families, putting paid to Danny’s ambitions for a quieter life with his wife somewhere far away. Instead he finds himself having to step up as leader and defend the honour of his family.
In muscular prose, Winslow draws complex scenarios and colourful characters – the secretly gay mobster Sal, Danny’s ex-Vegas showgirl mom – weaving a deadly web of revenge, betrayal and violence.
This is the first in a promised trilogy, which has already been written and will be rolled out over the next two years. Its also Winslow’s swan song. The committed anti-Trump activist has announced his retirement from writing to focus on his online political campaigning.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This was a fabulous, gritty and engaging read. Set in Providence in the 1980s it’s the story of the clash of gangs, one Italian and one Irish. With great characters, writing and storytelling it’s a fantastic read and I highly recommend it!

I haven't read a gangster book for ages so I'm so pleased I grabbed this one, a slow burner but great twist and world building! Would recommend to anyone that loves a decent crime book

Completely new to me and not my usual kind of thing at all but thought this was excellent. I could almost visualise it all on screen but don't actually want it to be made into a film as it is usually unsuccessful. I don't know if this is a stand-alone or if there are other books about these families. I will definitely be looking at his other writing. Thanks to Netgalley.

This is the first book in a trilogy and it’s largely about the 1989’s Irish and Italian mob culture on Rhode Island. The main character is Danny Ryan, who is married to the Irish mob boss’s daughter John Murphy. He’s called upon occasionally to be some muscle for the mob, and despite showing his loyalties he’s never been invited to the top table of the Irish criminal empire. Danny is soon caught between the Irish and Italian gangs when a woman stirs trouble between the two, Danny must protect his family even though all he wants to do is escape and start fresh away from it all.

I’ll be honest and say I’m not really in to ‘mob’ and ‘gang’ type stories, however I did enjoy this one, it was well written and the story line was brilliantly thought out.

I never read a Don Winslow's book before, I had no expectations and was attracted by the blurb.
I got more than I bargained, in a positive way, as Don Winslow is a master storyteller and this story kept hooked.
There's something epic, there's action, there's great characters. And a fascinating plot, a sort of Iliade retelling in the world of Irish and Italian gangs.
I loved it, loved every page, the way he writes and how the apparently simple style of writing hides multiple layers.
i will surely read other books by this author, this one is highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

The Illiad as gang war should in some way sound preposterous, but in the hands of one of our finest crime writers it is more electrifying than you could imagine. The Irish and Italian mob exist in peace in Providence, Rhode Island to the point where they vacation in the same place culminating in a clam bake at the Italian head's beach house. Things turn when Liam Murphy comes onto Paulie Morretti's date, Pam and Paulie and his boys beat the snot of Liam. Thus, the war is set in motion.

Winslow, as if he needed to, confirms his place at the head of the crime fiction table with this stunning, breakneck paced gangster novel opening up his trilogy about Danny Ryan. Danny finds himself feeding for scraps in the Murphy family even though he's married to Terri Murphy. Reduced to leg breaking duties until the war dictates he step up and he finds himself invited to the inner sanctum of the Murphy family.

It's hard to pinpoint what makes Winslow so breathlessly good as to seem he is writing in a whole other language such is the intense nature of the storytelling and the feeling that the writing is just simply better than that of his peers. It's not even as though this is a book simply set upon telling a story and moving the plot as we get backstory on characters big and small throughout and the opening 20% encompasses the vacation upon which things go awry.

Winslow has delivered a gangster novel as epic as The Godfather and as sharp as Goodfellas and it would be far from a surprise to see this depicted on screen in the not too distant future. I am salivating at the thought of two more books in this vein as Winslow cements his legacy as an all time crime great.

“Danny Ryan watches the woman come out of the water like a vision emerging from his dreams of the sea. Except she’s real and she’s going to be trouble. Women that beautiful usually are. Danny knows that; what he doesn’t know is just how much trouble she’s really going to be.”

My thanks to HarperCollins U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘City on Fire’ by Don Winslow in exchange for an honest review.

This is Winslow’s first novel in an epic crime saga trilogy about Irish and Italian crime syndicates in America during the 1980s and 1990s. He opens each of its parts with a quote from either The Iliad or The Anead and it quickly became clear that Winslow had been inspired by the Trojan War as a framework for his story.

Just a few details to give a taster: 1986 Providence, Rhode Island. Twenty-nine-year-old Danny Ryan is a hard-working longshoreman, who on occasion serves as muscle for the Irish crime syndicate that oversees much of the city. Yet he yearns for something more.

When Pam, a modern-day Helen of Troy, triggers a war between rival mob factions, Danny becomes embroiled in a conflict that he can’t escape.

Don Winslow is an excellent storyteller and a master of this sub-genre of crime fiction. I have enjoyed a number of Don Winslow’s titles over the years and ‘City on Fire’ was no exception. I found it a powerful novel with strong characterisations and a well realised period setting. It was also interesting spotting the characters and events in the novel that were modern reflections from the classic accounts of the Trojan War.

Highly recommended.

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Danny Ryan lives in Dogtown, Rhode Island where he is a bit part player in the Irish mob. He is devoted to his wife and loyal to his friends but would love to escape it all.
His life becomes more complicated when things start to kick off between the Irish and Italian mobs over a marriage that no side would ever sanction. Life goes from bad to worse when bodies start to pile up and it’s not long before Danny is in the centre of it all. Can he find a peaceful solution or will he have to go down a route he would never have dreamed of before?
Don Winslow creates mob stories better than anyone in fiction. This hard-hitting story is immense and powerful, with strong characters and intense and immersive scenes. With his incredible writing talent and a remarkable use of the English language, it’s not difficult to see why Don is the best at what he does in his genre. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and I highly recommend it. It’s truly outstanding.

City on Fire is a terrific story; I was so disappointed when the author announced his retirement, however also relieved and thrilled that the 2nd and 3rd books in this series have already been written and will be published in 2023 and 2024.

The main protagonist, Danny is an outsider within an outsider group (American-Irish) and we find out in the first few pages that he no longer wants to be part of the family business. He's already escaped working on the Providence shoreline by becoming a fisherman, enjoying the extremes of the sea. However, he's now been dragged back in, having fallen heavily for the Boss's daughter.

The story starts with the American-Irish and American-Italian families enjoying a beach barbeque together. A beautiful woman emerges from the waves, captures everyone's attention, and during the story, causes utter mayhem.

Danny is an interesting character; he is smarter than his contemporaries and has a broader outlook on life. Being the boss's son-in-law gives him no favour in the hierarchy, and he is mocked by the American-Italian family members, who understand his intelligence and underutilisation. He knows he cannot escape to the West coast, as his wife is dedicated to her close family and associated get-togethers. 'Frustrated' doesn't even come close.

Danny's hugely conflicted loyalties create underlying tension, while the characters drive the story. Family and crime themes are obvious in their similarities to The Godfather and The Sopranos, however it is the realism and immediacy that sets this story apart. Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advance copy for review.

Brilliant author, excellent storyline, exquisitely drawn three dimensional characters all add to a book that is just waiting to have the film rights acquired. A young gang of Irish hoodlums, childhood friends living in America, enjoy a brief holiday with wives and children; a respite from their criminal lifestyle. A beautiful young woman slowly emerges from the sea and Danny Ryan, our chief protagonist fleetingly recognises her presence will upset the equilibrium never dreaming she will be the catalyst that will bring mayhem and murder to the Irish and Italian families, living in a tentative uneasy work related truce. Petty criminals become entrenched in gang warfare resulting in a violent confrontation from which there can be no winners. A thrilling story that slowly reveals in depth characterisation of a tight religious community who are adept at blurring the lines between right, wrong and sheer evil. A worthy conclusion as tightly drawn and exciting as the calibre of any book from this renowned author. Many thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.

Wow! I haven't read a mob thriller for years, since reading some Mario Puzo or Dennis Lehane novels a few years ago. This was a great read, from assassinations to backroom deals, to the showing off to other family members.

This read was good, and it hooked me from the start. I don't want to go into too much detail because I want you to get yourself a copy and read it and enjoy it for yourself!

I was provided a free ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in return for my honest review.

Irish and Italian gangs rule the roost in Providence, Rhode Island. When tensions heighten, cool heads try to maintain the peace.

Some of the plot lines are loosely linked to the Greek classics and tragedy hangs ominously over this tale. Like all of Winslow’s work, this story is steeped in authenticity, but maintains some of the tropes - femme fatales, snitches, cold-blooded killers - redolent of the gangster thriller.

Winslow’s skill leaves us rooting for a gangster who may not be a hardened killer but is still a criminal. The pacing is fantastic and there is real tension throughout.

Apparently the first in a trilogy (if you haven’t read the Power of the Dog trilogy yet, get to it!) this certainly leaves the reader wanting more. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel. Don Winslow is a master storyteller and this is no exception. Whether witing about drugs cartels, Californian surfers or crooked cops his stories always come to life and head inexorably to a satisfying conclusion - City On Fire is no exception. It tells the story of Danny Ryan, of Irish descent from Dogtown , which is, to all intent & purposes shard between the Irish and the Italian gangs in an uneasy truce. True to form a crooked cop shows up here as well and his & Danny's lives move towards an inevitable coming together. Danny is yet another in a long line of Don Winslow's unforgettable characters as this book is up there with his best and that is a recommendation if ever there was one.

1986, Providence, Rhode Island and the Irish Murphy and Italian Moretti crime syndicates have an arrangement to share the organised crime spoils of the city. The Italians have gambling, drugs and protection rackets while Irish have the docks, the unions and the loan sharks. Some of the alcohol and cigarettes the Murphys liberate from the docks even ends up in the Moretti protected clubs so that everyone gets a cut. The arrangement was brokered by the heads of the families, Jacky Moretti and John Murphy but now the next generation, sons Pat and Liam Murphy and Peter and Paul Moretti, are flexing their muscles and wanting more. All it takes is one spark to start a gang war that will shatter the peace and burn everything in its path.

The spark that ignites the war is a beautiful woman, who Winslow compares to that of Helen of Troy and her role in the Trojan war. The minute he saw her Danny Ryan, a member of the Murphy clan, knows she’s going to be trouble. She arrives at the annual clambake attended by both gangs, in the company of Paul Moretti and immediately Liam Murphy sets his sights on her. Somehow, he steals her away and the payback and bloodshed that results from this threatens to destroy both families.

Danny Ryan, married to Pat and Liam’s sister finds himself elevated from a minor member of the Murphy clan to being very much in the centre devising strategies for a fight he feels they are going to lose. He loathes all the fighting and killing and dreams of being able to walk away and take his seriously ill wife and baby somewhere safe.

Winslow is a master story teller and spins a superb tale with a gripping pace and a large cast of interesting characters. The focus is mostly on the men, with the women staying very much in the background, even as their sons and husbands are being killed. As this is the first novel of a trilogy, it may be that some of the stronger female characters will step up in the future. Recommended for those who enjoy a riveting tale.

This is a title that intrigued me. It is not my preferred genre but I was really looking forward to reading this.

It was a slow burner for me and took me a few chapters to get into it. However, once I did it was an immersive read and more than the story of mob families fighting. It is character driven and the characters all balance each other brilliantly in terms of story arc. It pulls on the family vs self argument throughout in brilliant ways. It makes you think how small actions can have huge consequences not just for yourself but for those that surround you and that you share your world with.

This is the first Don Winslow I had read but I'm sure it won't be my last. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Absolutely loved this. I'm a big fan already, so the anticipation levels had been building, and it didn't disappoint. Such a vivid setting for the cast of characters to be dropped into - I could picture it playing out fantastically well on a screen.

Magnificent gangster thriller full of brooding threat between two families one Irish and the other Italian. Starting at a peaceful time with both parties in one another’s company at a Summer beach party the appearance of a beautiful woman is the start of a war. The older wiser heads control it at first but when the Italian head retires to Florida things explode. The main character Danny Ryan is married into the Irish family but has never been appreciated but with the violent death of the elder son he becomes essentially the leader. Full of devious plotting and backhanded deals this atmospheric tale never lets up. The best gangster thriller I’ve read since the Godfather. Superb.