L.A. Confidential

Tough to get into at first the prose is straight up and quite emotionless, but the further you get in, the more you get drawn in to the web of L.A underworld and crooked detectives. All of the main characters hold their own with the protagonist now really being revealed until towards the end, great read.

Sensitivity warnings for anyone interested. The racism and homophobia were probably suitable for the LA 50's underworld but it was pretty intense for a 2023 reading.

The conclusion was, perhaps, not as tightly satisfying as the film. But the depth and complexity of the intrigue in the novel were so much more satisfying.

The writing style took a second to get into but then it flowed at a clipped, deliberate pace that made a thrilling page-turner. I will say I prefer Ellroy's previous and less machine-gun style prose.