Slow start to the book but it really amps up and keeps you glued to the story. Mob story set in Providence, Rhode Island in the late 80s. Italian mob vs. Irish mob. Lots of killing and double-crossing and more killing. But that is just an overview, lots of different characters that have good development, a few that don’t but overall good.

I would recommend and I look forward to the next book in the series if there will be a follow on.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy to read.

Danny Ryan wants out of the family business. That business happens to be a New Jersey criminal enterprise. Leaving is no easy task. Then a beautiful woman enters the lives of two mob families whose ties are strained at best and outright confrontational and deadly at worst. It has been a generational conflict and in CITY OF FIRE that conflict rages white hot and pits family against family, brother against brother, and no one is safe. A great story with excellent characters. Highly recommended.

DP Lyle, award-winning author of the Jake Longly and Cain/Harper thriller series

Don Winslow is a writer that does crime well. His background gives him insight that other writers have to research to get a feel for, whereas Don has been there and can write from his point of view of the experience.

So to get any new book from Don you know that you can expect a well written, not only believable but realistic characters and situations. There’s always a hint of truth in his stories, and you have to believe that some of what you’re reading, while it is fiction, was drawn from some actual event, conversations, or people in this real world.

I enjoy how he can make the events in these books and stories so much larger than life, and bring down these events to something that is a result of such a minute piece of the story. One overlooked detail by a character that doesn’t bite them in the ass, but chews at it until it’s just a grated mess. He’s really good at giving the bad guy(s) the ultimate ending of their deserved punishments.

Seeing as this is book one of a planned trilogy, there is already the character conflict internally. Two more books, that conflict is sure to head to a place that you don’t want to see grow, but I suspect it will. The settings of this story and books to come feel oddly familiar, for probably anyone who has a sense of what it feels like to be home.

While it’s been a comfort for me as a reader to root for the anti-hero, I enjoy the books where the anti-hero struggles within himself to do what’s right for him and others, no matter the cost. There’s thought and reason behind decisions that may not be apparent until the time comes it’s revealed.

City on Fire is a great book, and I only hope the second book follows later this year as was originally planned and not set back to 2023 because it will be nice for readers to get to follow up not to long after this book is released.

Don Winslow is one of my favorite authors, his characters are flawed and have their own internal struggles with right and wrong, but the stories propel them along in dealing with their situations as it comes. There isn’t always the happiest of endings. And there has to be some loss for everyone, and you have to feel that loss along with the characters.

I don't often read books about mooks and wiseguys, but when I do, chances are it's been written by Don Winslow. This new title is excellent. Nothing flashy or twisty, no dual timelines, feints or cheats. Just a solid work of realistic fiction, with believable characters, a could-be-ripped-from-the-headlines plot and a satisfying ending. We miss Goodfellas and the Sopranos. Thank goodness for Don Winslow!

Don Winslow has been at the top of his game since the social-realist crime masterpiece that was 2015's THE CARTEL, with the two novels that followed it living up to -- and, in the case of THE BORDER, even exceeding -- those high standards.

CITY ON FIRE is not quite on the level of CARTEL, BORDER or THE FORCE, and that's hardly a problem: Its ambitions, at least in this first installment (two further volumes are supposedly to follow), are not as high as those books, all of which are angry indictments of the war on drugs. CITY ON FIRE is more of a traditional mob war story, content to mostly concern itself with a plot that's hardly novel and takes place in the bars, restaurants, family gatherings, abandoned parking lots and other familiar settings where these kinds of stories unfold. But the execution is at the high level you expect from a pro like Winslow, so you're never bored.

What's most fresh about this story is the setting. Providence, Rhode Island is a city that has been practically besieged by organized crime and government corruption for decades (not so much in the early 2020s, but the wiseguys are still around if you go looking). Yet rarely is this covered in fiction, save for the criminally underseen and underrated Showtime series BROTHERHOOD. The mob stuff and the Irish/Italian conflicts are not themselves original; the culture of Providence very much is. The clambakes, the Italian-Portuguese fusion cuisine, the provincial distrust of everything outside the city that's far more.intense then anything in Boston or New York -- all of that is perfectly depicted. And it does bill itself properly as an ILIAD for late 1980s Providence.

My ultimate rating is probably closer to 4.5 than 5, as some characters seem more like stock mobsters than Winslow usually creates. Also atypical for Winslow is that there isn't much room for women here beyond typical roles (aside from Cassie and Madeleine, who have very little time on the page but may show up in future installments). Those minor quibbles, aside, it's clearly the work of a crime fiction master.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Don Winslow, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/city-on-fire/

“How they had fought each other, these two immigrant tribes, for a place to put their feet. The Irish in Dogtown, the Italians on Federal Hill, toeholds carved out of grudging New England Granite. The Old Yankees hated the slick micks and greasy guineas, the bogtrotters and dagos who came to ruin their Protestant city with their Catholic saints and their candles, bleeding effigies and incense-swinging priests” –City on Fire, Don Winslow

City on Fire is spectacular. A crime fiction of massive proportions along the lines of the classic movie, Goodfellas. I can almost hear Ray Liotta’s voice narrating as I read about Dogtown and the Irish war with the Italians. There is suspense, interesting well-developed characters and a lot of emotion. It is both breath-taking and cinematic. Even with the opener with all the Irish on a beach vacation, you can feel the atmosphere of the small beach town, the friendship and love between the families, and the camaraderie between everyone. Even as you are thrown into a gang war between the Irish and Italian in Providence, RI circa 1985.

Don Winslow attributes this book to Ancient Greek satire with the anti-hero, Danny Ryan. Not a flawless individual, but someone the reader wants to root for, nonetheless. They decide for everyone around them rather than just for themselves. These decisions play out importantly at the tail end of this novel. Danny Ryan, whose father used to control the Irish syndicate in the upper south side, known as Dogtown, has married into the Murphy family, thinking that he would move up in the notorious crime family he is now a part of. He chronicles his journey through his start at the bottom to eventually being one of the top men. When his brother-in-law fondles the girlfriend of a made Italian man, it triggers a war that will eventually destroy two families. Relations between the Irish and Italian have been quiet for decades until this one disrespectful moment disrupts the harmony in an instant. Pamela, a bombshell from Connecticut, is the instigator for this war. The way the author introduces her in the first sentence of this book is brilliant.

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.

City on Fire is impressive. Don Winslow can write a story that will completely immerse you in a world of mobsters, wise guys, and the good guys, who despite their best intentions, never remain so. This book is told from multiple points of view and the dialogue is authentic, if not perfect, from our narrator; an Irish working class man from Rhode Island. As with most “Godfather” type fiction, the common themes are honor, cowardice, loyalty and betrayal, but with writing that makes this book not to be missed.

The subject of the mafia is quintessential in American Culture. We think of The Godfather saga and The Sopranos television series, but City on Fire definitely hits the mark. This will be a trilogy of books, with City on Fire to debut in April of next year. This book must not be missed.

What a great read. It's the Italian mob versus the Irish mob in Providence Rhode Island. Danny Ryan has maried the boss's daughter and is best friends with the son. When a full out war comes over a woman, Danny tries to walk the line and protect his family.

Thanks to NetGalley, CITY ON FIRE proves again the Don Winslow is one of best, crime fiction authors alive. This book captured from the start and can't wait for the next in the new series.

I give this book 3.5 stars. There was a lot of potential, there were some areas I found lacking for me. I was able to read this as an ARC, so thank you to Netgalley. I am a fan of crime novels or thrillers with flawed protagonists, so I got what I wanted in with Danny Ryan. He is definitely a flawed man, working for Irish mob in Providence in the 1980’s. I enjoyed the setting in RI as well. I liked the back and forth between the Italian and Irish mobs and also the (short) period of time that we met the Black gangs in Providence. Having seen in other reviews that this is meant to be a trilogy, there is a lot of potential for future books, and I would read book 2. The areas where the book fell flat for me is the relationship with the mother and the relationship with his wife. I also felt like some plot elements happened today quickly given the slow boil of the first 80% of the story.
Overall, a solid read but sadly not a must read for me.

Don Winslow is one of my favorite authors and City of Fire is another example of why. Masterly told tale and one that is dear to his heart which made it even more enjoyable. His ability to weave a story is a true gift.

Don Winslow is himself a brand. When you see his name on the cover of a book you know just what you are going to get. It's this consistency that keeps him at the top of the game. City on Fire continues this hot streak. Winslow ratchets up the tension just a little more with every turn of the page until it almost becomes unbearable. Do yourself a favor and enjoy this ride!

Providence, Rhode Island in the late 80s. Italian mob vs. Irish mob. Lots of killing and double-crossing and more killing.

I don’t tend to like mafia/organized crime stories in general - just a bunch of psychotic men doing stupid, violent things to each other and talking about family and loyalty and snore. But I’m glad I gave this one a shot because it was fast-paced and intense, and I ended up kind of caring about what happened to some of the psychotic, violent men in the end.

It took me a little while to get into the story, and I had to flip back frequently and remind myself who was who. A family tree/org chart would have been helpful (which I know sounds ridiculous, but whatever.)

Also, the women characters were pretty flat overall - the slutty woman who ruined everything, the other slutty woman who got rich but abandoned her family, the suffering wife, the sister.

This is the first book in a trilogy, and I’m curious to see what happens next (and maybe the women will do something interesting)?

Recommended for existing Don Winslow fans and anyone who likes a bloodbath.

Loved it, read it in two days. As a fan of the author's work, it lives a little bit in the shadow of his previous trilogy, and even his most recent stand-alone novel; but still, it's remarkably intricate, exciting, funny. If it's missing one of Winslow's narrative trademarks, it's the huge amount of social/political insight of her recent work.

That aside, CITY ON FIRE is a brilliant introduction to a promising trilogy.

Wow!!! City on Fire is sublime!!!

Folks, Don Winslow has done it again! Die-hard Winslow fans you’re in for a real treat, and for the newcomers, there’s no turning back.

City on Fire is masterful crime fiction of epic proportions with heart-palpitating and page-turning suspense. Winslow returns with his characteristic fearless, unapologetic, gritty, bold, full-of-heart, holds-nothing-back, and authentic writing style. To call it simply atmospheric and cinematic would be robbing it of its glory, so buckle up, you’re about to get thrown into the midst of an all-out gang war between the Irish and Italian mob factions in Providence, Rhode Island, circa the 1980s. And the good news is, this series is about to be shopped for the big screen.

In brief, City on Fire is the start of a three-book saga, of ‘The Godfather’ caliber, that will span generations. At the center is Danny Ryan, whose father used to control the Irish syndicate in the upper southside, known as Dogtown, and chronicles his harrowing journey through the anger, pain, grief, fear, and chaos that ensues when his brother-in-law inadvertently triggers an all-out war after fondling a made guy’s woman (a big no-no). This simple sign of disrespect is enough to irrevocably transform the balance of power and disrupt the harmony that has existed between the Irish and Italian criminal empires for decades. There’s nothing like a drop-dead gorgeous bombshell to get in the way of business and relationships, right? Right.

Winslow weaves together richly layered characters, personal struggles, blunders, vendettas, and individual ambition to make this story relatable to the non-criminally inclined reader. The story is seamlessly told from multiple perspectives, the dialogue is gritty and authentic, the story is jam-packed with gut-wrenching tension and twists, and Winslow’s pacing is, as always, exquisitely timed. For fans of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘭 trilogy, Winslow has again toyed with the narrative of the good guy trying to survive when the odds are stacked up against him, and the consequences of making choices when right and wrong aren’t always black and white. Except, in City on Fire, Winslow weaves 2,000-year-old Greek mythology with contemporary crime fiction and injects the classic themes of honor, courage, cowardice, loyalty, betrayal, and tragedy into a stunning climax. This is not to be missed.

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘶𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰, 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵…”

City on Fire is impressive. It doesn’t get better than this. Winslow’s writing is elevated by an air of intelligence, and he will completely immerse you in a realistic apocalyptic hell of warring mobsters and wise guys; Winslow doesn’t hold anything back and has mastered the art of entertaining and educating like no other. City on Fire offers you a window into these cultures, communities, and the criminal underworld.

This is a novel of substance, and you can burn through it, but you won’t walk away unharmed. This one will leave you with a massive hangover. Are you ready?

I always open a new Don Winslow novel eagerly, but this one, the first in a planned trilogy about two families who rule the criminal underbelly of Providence Rhode Island underwhelmed me . It's not just that New England - particularly this corner of it - doesn't have the same aura of unlimited possibilities as southern California, or even the weather , but the Murphys and Morettis are fuller and less interesting than Winslow's usual cast of characters There's not much of a plot - the two families live in relative peace, having divided the city's rackets between them in a laissez faire manner that approaches friendship, until Liam Murphy makes a move on Paulie Moretti's date and a drunken dispute morphs into a bloody, violent end In the meantime, not much happens, and Winslow's usually masterful plotting, pacing and characterizations are missing in (in)action . Maybe there's enough here to warrant moving ahead a few decades and generations in the remaining two books, but if this first one is an indication, Winslow's many fans will be disappointed

I've read a few of Don Winslow's book, but this is by far my favorite. It is an amazing crime/mob novel that you will absolutely devour. I read it in a couple days and all the times I wasn't reading it, I found myself wishing I WAS reading it.

This dialogue is amazing. So many examples of the mob guys hilarious breaking each other's balls. If you like mob stories, you'll love it.

I received a free e-galley of this book in return for this review.

While it was slow going at the beginning, this mob-novel picked up and was riveting. It follows a few years in the life of Danny Ryan, part of the Irish Murphy Gang which controls parts of Providence, RI, including the docks and its Union. They have an agreeable peace, and are almost friends, with the Italian mobsters who have most all the rest of Providence, that is until they don't. Then it s all out war in true mob style. Definitely for fans of Mario Puzo and similar Godfatheresque tales, including The Sopranos.

Don Winslow writes in the most American voice I've read since Norman Mailer and James Ellroy. And since James Ellroy took the long slide into self-parody, we desperately need an authentic American voice writing contemporary literature.

Winslow used to write about the west coast, then he wrote about the southern border, and finally he moved on to the east coast. Doesn't matter. Don Winslow isn't a regional novelist. He's a national novelist. Every time I start worrying about what is becoming of my country, I go back and read some Winslow, and I feel better. I understand again how it will always survive in our people, the people that Winslow chronicles.

Keep doing what you're doing, Don. We need you more than ever, man.

This was such a pleasure to read, and I’m thrilled to know it’s the start of a new series. The combination of history, and the excitement of gangsters is my recipe to success, and I can’t wait to share about the book as I wait for the next installment.

Ho hum, another stunner by one of our greatest living authors. Happy, inescapable quicksand on Page 1 pulled me right in--or down, I guess. Winslow's mastery of creating and managing a full cast of characters all in service of the story is unparalleled. Already dreading the wait for the next ride with Danny and his crew. (Almost let a minor spoiler slip there.) And angsting over whether or not Hollywood will manage to goof this one up.