L.A. Confidential

Elroy wrote many other books before he took on this epic noir crime novel (one in a quartet). He made his bones in writing, and it's evident in his skill level, story, and prose. Elroy excels in this novel (and the other three) in voice. And voice is the Big Kahuna in writing, it’s the everything in writing and Elroy has it in spades.

Another great addition to the above is the length (because you don’t want this book to ever end) and that it’s a historical novel that absolutely captures the time period and adds the historical nuance to… show more.

Part of Ellroy’s L.A. Quartet series, presenting postwar Los Angeles in all its seedy sunlit glory. This is Ellroy’s best series, and LA Confidential is the best of those four books.

Indelible and involving characters are interwoven with a carefully constructed plot. The fiction is tied in so well with the history, it all sounds true. Ellroy has a unique hard-driving style which suggests Chandler and Cain but does them one better.

Again, this should cover the whole LA Quartet. Crime novels that ooze the sleaziness, despair, and hypocrisy of the city of dreams that Hollywood built. Perfectly formed sentences, amazing characters, a story that twists and turns more than a rollercoaster and Ellroy’s savage wit. What more could anybody want? Except more Ellroy books….

A classic, L.A. Confidential is set in 1951 where the police are as corrupt as the criminals. There are a huge amount of characters and subplots, but in the end, it all connects. The film with Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kim Basinger in her Oscar-winning performance, is pure noir bliss. It captures the vibe of post-war LA where Los Angeles is just as much as of a character in the book. Do yourself a favor and crack open the book and watch the film.