Don Winslow has a reputation for writing gritty and realistic crime novels. His latest release, CITY OF DREAMS, is the second in his trilogy featuring Rhode Island gangster Danny Ryan.

When the dust settled on the first entry in the series, CITY ON FIRE, Danny and his cohorts had taken some serious losses. Going head-to-head with the local Italian-run Mafia was not a wise idea for his Irish gang. He ended up losing a best friend, as well as a brother-in-law, in the many skirmishes that ensued.

"Don Winslow has such a way with words, which makes the chapters simply fly by.... He is one of the best in the business when it comes to crime fiction, and CITY OF DREAMS is no exception."

These incidents have forced Danny to go on the run as the Mafia, the FBI and the cops are all after him. He gathers up the few members of his crew who remain --- along with his young son and elderly father --- and decides to make a cross-country trek to California. It is a very risky venture as the various groups in pursuit of him have contacts coast-to-coast, all of whom are on the lookout for Danny and his gang to show themselves.

It isn’t long before the Feds locate Danny. Being such a smooth talker and slippery customer, he is able to strike a bargain with them that might save his skin for the moment. He agrees to assist the government in taking down a major Mexican cartel leader that will involve him in some new business once he is settled in California.

When Danny learns that there is a film being made about his former life as an active mobster, he cannot stay away. He sees an opportunity to possibly rebuild that life on the sunny West Coast. Along the way, he falls for a Hollywood starlet with her own checkered past, and the fireworks that go off are not just because of their steamy relationship. Danny always seems to be drawn close to the fire, and he never shies away from it. As a result, he puts himself in hot water with some established baddies from his adopted new state, as well as the federal government, which is holding him to the deal they made.

Like CITY ON FIRE, things are going to burn up quickly, and Danny is directly at the center of this conflagration. Don Winslow has such a way with words, which makes the chapters simply fly by. As an educator, I was instantly taken by the dedication he made at the start of the book: “To teachers: Without you, these books would never be written. Or read.” It is obvious that Winslow had some first-rate instructors. He is one of the best in the business when it comes to crime fiction, and CITY OF DREAMS is no exception.