I'm not usually a crime person, but I did enjoy this trilogy. Flawed characters and high stakes all combine to make this a bittersweet ending to a good trilogy.

I am so sad it is over. A wonderful series by an outstanding author. I loved every minute of Danny Ryan's story and hope it is brought to the screen at some point.

Earlier this year, I read and reviewed Don Winslow’s City of Dreams. At that time, I said my perception of the books written by Don Winslow had been that they were the kind of books my husband loves: full of action, violence, drugs, sex, and maybe even some rock ‘n roll, but I hadn’t read any of them (although I had started but DNF both The Cartel and The Power of the Dog). When William Morrow and Netgalley offered the opportunity to read City of Dreams, in exchange for an honest review, I was READY! Then I realized it was the SECOND in a projected trilogy that began with City On Fire, and I decided I should start with THAT book, so I bought it and settled in. And holy crap, I nearly gave up. I read about 10% but felt I was lost and overwhelmed – there were SO MANY characters, I kept getting confused. I DID read both City books. And I liked City of Dreams MUCH more than City On Fire. Frankly, I think I would have liked Dreams just as much if I’d read it as a standalone. In that second book, Winslow does a GREAT job bringing the reader up to speed, summarizing the Providence, RI-based war between the two organized crime factions (Irish and Italians), briefly telling us who all died in the frenzy, and introducing the primary characters who are the focus of book #2.

Kind-of-a-spoiler coming: the war that broke out in Providence ended (or did it?) with the Irish on the losing side, and Danny Ryan going on the run to escape the wrath of the Italians. He was being chased by the cops and the FBI in addition to The Mafia, and If that wasn’t bad enough, Danny’s wife lost her battle with breast cancer, he had a toddler-age son, his elderly father was showing signs of dementia, and he wasn’t sure who (if anyone) he could trust. He landed in California and, after a transition period in San Diego, made his way to Hollywood, where a major studio was making a “gangster film” based on the war in Providence. Danny visited the set and fell in love with a beautiful, troubled movie star. What could possibly go wrong? It was a gangster story, a family saga, and a thriller all in one. I liked it a lot. In my review I said I was hoping book #3 in the trilogy would turn out to be more like City Of Dreams than City On Fire. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley, I received a copy of the third book in this series in exchange for another honest review.

In this final piece of the City Trilogy, Danny Ryan is settled in Las Vegas with his wife and son, and is wildly rich — but he wants more. He tries to buy an old hotel and turn it into a dream resort. This sets off a new war, involving a rival casino owner, an FBI agent, and lots of Vegas power brokers. As if that isn’t enough, some of his old enemies come calling, and Danny has to make a choice between the life he has created and the old ways of doing things that got him run out of Rhode Island and involved with Hollywood and Vegas. The setting moves among various locations, and there are once again LOTS of characters in the story, but this book can be enjoyed as a standalone. Five stars.

There’s a lot to be said about City in Ruins. But it’s best to start off by acknowledging it’s not only the bittersweet ending of a beautifully haunting trilogy, but it’s also the final book of a phenomenal author who is closing his writing career on such a high note with this perfect thriller that leaves nothing more to be desired from except all that it is in its sheer excellence. Don Winslow wrote a genuine masterpiece that sets a precedent I’m both afraid and excited to say that only a few books have and will ever embrace.
Danny Ryan has made it in life. He’s rich, he has gone legit, he’s in love, and he’s got his son and mother with him to enjoy the luxury that comes with being a respected businessman – a Las Vegas casino mogul and billionaire silent partner in a group that owns two lavish hotels. However, he wants more. It’s the pursuit of this desire for a bigger and better life that puts him in a shooting war against a competitor who himself is no saint and thus begins the fall of the dream Danny has worked so hard to build. Danny doesn’t want to go back to his old ways, but when your back is against the wall, is there any other choice? Will there be anything left to salvage by the time all the blood has dried?
A memorable epic has an intriguing beginning, a shocking middle, and a devastating culmination of all that has passed. Don Winslow’s trilogy is such an epic. Not only did he set up a fascinating introduction to this world and populate it with believably flawed heroes and despicable villains, but he drove the large narrative to a tipping point where everything comes together in full circle. With so much going on in this overarching story, it could have been easy for things to get shuffled in the mix. But not for the master of crime drama; Winslow gives each character a pivotal role to play and it’s because of such powerful roles that you not only begin to empathize with the plight of the characters but you begin to feel for them as you would for someone you’d know intimately. One moment you’re cheering for Danny to achieve his dream and in the next you’re chilled to your bones as you realize what the consequences of such desire would be. You don’t want to unlock the darkness but the writing’s too good to let you get away from its grasp and you tumble down the rabbit hole of misery and pain all described passionately to evoke your most inhibited expressions for love, joy, and disgust.
Don Winslow has written many a great pieces of crime thriller literature and while it’s a big decision to pick his best, City in Ruins is his tour de force. Danny Ryan serves as a frayed but solid beacon of goodness and hope and his arc will forever be remembered as a story of compassion, danger, and redemption in ways that can only be attributed to life’s little mysteries. Winslow ends his auspicious writing career with a finale that couldn’t have been more perfect. I wish we could have more of his thrillers to look forward to, but it has been a hell of a journey growing and maturing as a reader with his impeccable stories.

full review on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com/kashif-hussain

Don Winslow writes a powerful, engrossing story and City in Ruins is another example of why he is such a good author.

City in Ruins is the end of a trilogy but stands alone quite well.

When Danny has everything going for him he decides he wants to buy a hotel and build his dream resort. He has worked hard to make his life right and no longer deals with the underbelly of politics and Las Vegas.

Unfortunately he is up against some heavy weight folks who will do anything to stop him. Will he be pulled back in to the dark side of his former life?

This book is a wild ride from Las Vegas to Washington DC - and offers a glimpse into redemption and the potential loss of a great life.

The book will capture you from the first page and not let you go until the end. Which comes much to fast.

Wow! What an amazing series and an amazing career for one of the greats, Don Winslow. The Danny Ryan trilogy was a thrill and one of the most satisfying reading experiences of my life and City in Ruins is the cherry on the top. Wonderful characters, poignant, sad, terrifying, and heart-pounding. It was such an honor to spend the last few years exploring this world and living with these characters.

While Don Winslow has always been an auto-buy author for me, his City trilogy cemented him as a top favorite for me. Each book as strong as the last, which can be rare in a trilogy, City in Ruins was the perfect wrap-up to the Danny Ryan saga. I honestly teared up saying goodbye to this amazing cast of characters and this was the perfect retirement series for Winslow, while I will miss his writing immensely, he surely went out on a high note.

Thank you to William Morrow for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Wow! What an absolutely beautiful ending to a brilliant series. Winslow wraps up his trilogy with a truly authentic, yet dramatic finale. He stays true to his characters and keeps the pacing brisk with short, punchy chapters. Extremely enjoyable and highly recommended.