Fiction

City on Fire

City on Fire

  • Downloads：6577
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-04-03 00:51:51
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Don Winslow
  • ISBN：0008507775
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

From the #1 internationally bestselling author of the Cartel Trilogy （The Power of the Dog， The Cartel， and The Border）， The Force， and Broken comes the first novel in an epic crime saga about the Irish and Italian crime syndicates in America during the 1980s and 1990s。

“One of America’s greatest storytellers。” – Stephen King

Providence， RI， 1986。 Twenty-nine-year-old Danny Ryan is a hard-working longshoreman， loving husband， loyal friend， and occasional “muscle” for the Irish crime syndicate that oversees much of the city。 He yearns for something more and dreams of starting over fresh， someplace far away。 But when a modern-day Helen of Troy triggers a war between rival mob factions， Danny is embroiled in a conflict he can’t escape。 Now it is up to him to step into the breach to protect his family， the friends who are closer to him than brothers， and the only home he’s ever known。

Exploring classic themes of loyalty， betrayal， honor， and corruption on both sides of the law， City on Fire is a contemporary Iliad from Don Winslow， “America’s greatest living crime writer” （Jon Land， Providence Journal）。

Download

Reviews

Nickie ，

This is a title that intrigued me。 It is not my preferred genre but I was really looking forward to reading this。 It was a slow burner for me and took me a few chapters to get into it。 However， once I did it was an immersive read and more than the story of mob families fighting。 It is character driven and the characters all balance each other brilliantly in terms of story arc。 It pulls on the family vs self argument throughout in brilliant ways。 It makes you think how small actions can have huge This is a title that intrigued me。 It is not my preferred genre but I was really looking forward to reading this。 It was a slow burner for me and took me a few chapters to get into it。 However， once I did it was an immersive read and more than the story of mob families fighting。 It is character driven and the characters all balance each other brilliantly in terms of story arc。 It pulls on the family vs self argument throughout in brilliant ways。 It makes you think how small actions can have huge consequences not just for yourself but for those that surround you and that you share your world with。 This is the first Don Winslow I had read but I'm sure it won't be my last。 Thoroughly enjoyed it。Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an impartial review。 。。。more

Carolyn ，

1986， Providence， Rhode Island and the Irish Murphy and Italian Moretti crime syndicates have an arrangement to share the organised crime spoils of the city。 The Italians have gambling， drugs and protection rackets while Irish have the docks， the unions and the loan sharks。 Some of the alcohol and cigarettes the Murphys liberate from the docks even ends up in the Moretti protected clubs so that everyone gets a cut。 The arrangement was brokered by the heads of the families， Jacky Moretti and John 1986， Providence， Rhode Island and the Irish Murphy and Italian Moretti crime syndicates have an arrangement to share the organised crime spoils of the city。 The Italians have gambling， drugs and protection rackets while Irish have the docks， the unions and the loan sharks。 Some of the alcohol and cigarettes the Murphys liberate from the docks even ends up in the Moretti protected clubs so that everyone gets a cut。 The arrangement was brokered by the heads of the families， Jacky Moretti and John Murphy but now the next generation， sons Pat and Liam Murphy and Peter and Paul Moretti， are flexing their muscles and wanting more。 All it takes is one spark to start a gang war that will shatter the peace and burn everything in its path。 The spark that ignites the war is a beautiful woman， who Winslow compares to that of Helen of Troy and her role in the Trojan war。 The minute he saw her Danny Ryan， a member of the Murphy clan， knows she’s going to be trouble。 She arrives at the annual clambake attended by both gangs， in the company of Paul Moretti and immediately Liam Murphy sets his sights on her。 Somehow， he steals her away and the payback and bloodshed that results from this threatens to destroy both families。 Danny Ryan， married to Pat and Liam’s sister finds himself elevated from a minor member of the Murphy clan to being very much in the centre devising strategies for a fight he feels they are going to lose。 He loathes all the fighting and killing and dreams of being able to walk away and take his seriously ill wife and baby somewhere safe。 Winslow is a master story teller and spins a superb tale with a gripping pace and a large cast of interesting characters。 The focus is mostly on the men， with the women staying very much in the background， even as their sons and husbands are being killed。 As this is the first novel of a trilogy， it may be that some of the stronger female characters will step up in the future。 Recommended for those who enjoy a riveting tale。With thanks to Harper Collins via Netgalley for a copy to read。 。。。more

Paromjit ，

This is the first of a trilogy by Don Winslow， an explicit contemporary literary take on The Illiad， Helen of Troy and the Trojan War， exploring the timeless themes of family， love， honour， loyalty and betrayal amongst the Irish and Italian mobsters who have until now co-existed peacefully in Providence， Rhode Island。 Focusing on Danny Ryan， it is set in the late 1980s， it begins at Pasco Ferri's clambake， where Danny observes an extraordinarily beautiful woman， Pam， emerging from the sea， think This is the first of a trilogy by Don Winslow， an explicit contemporary literary take on The Illiad， Helen of Troy and the Trojan War， exploring the timeless themes of family， love， honour， loyalty and betrayal amongst the Irish and Italian mobsters who have until now co-existed peacefully in Providence， Rhode Island。 Focusing on Danny Ryan， it is set in the late 1980s， it begins at Pasco Ferri's clambake， where Danny observes an extraordinarily beautiful woman， Pam， emerging from the sea， thinking that a woman this beautiful is going to be trouble， he is not wrong， he just has no idea just how much death， trouble and strife will follow。 Danny is the son of the previous of Irish boss， Martin， whose bitter descent into drink led to John Murphy taking over。 Danny's best friend is Pat， John's son， and he is married to Terrie， the daughter。 It is Pat's brother， Liam's fateful breaking of the rules over Pam， the girlfriend of the Italian made man， Paulie， at the clambake that will trigger a vicious war that will bring the Italian side under Peter Moretti and the Irish， led by Pat， to their knees。 Whilst Danny serves as a enforcer and debt collector， he is not part of Murphy's inner circle but this is all set to change as he finds himself having to take charge amidst the rising tide of the dead， including sniper killings and car bombs。 He crafts strategies， having to be ruthless as a leader， in a fight where if he makes the wrong decision， death is certain。 He knows they are outnumbered and outgunned， and not left untouched himself as he fights to live， and on a hard road to recovery funded by the unwanted return of his mother， Madeleine， who abandoned him to a difficult childhood with his father。 The pressures on him increase as he tries to take care of a pregnant Terrie who finds herself facing life threatening health issues， and a metaphorical Trojan Horse looks destined to wipe out the Irish for good。 Winslow writes an utterly riveting and compulsive novel related from the various wide ranging perspectives of the characters that inhabit the book。 The storytelling is gripping from start to finish， the blood soaked war between the Irish and Italian mafia depicted with intricate details， capturing the grief and sorrow at the harrowing deaths， with insights into the emotional impact and heartbreak experienced by families and friends。 For Danny， he has to handle the horrors of what life can naturally throw at a person with Terrie's health issues， as he dreams of leaving， getting away from it all with his family， which is to seem little more than a pipe dream。 This is a superb read that has me really anticipating the next book in the trilogy。 Highly recommended。 Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more

Adrian Dooley ，

Three and a half star rounded up to four。 My first Don Winslow read and an enjoyable one overall。The story of the battle between two crime gangs in Rhode Island， the Irish and the Italians， and how one woman sparked off a war between both factions who had， up until then， a truce and divided the city up amongst themselves。This one is fast paced with a huge cast of characters， so big in fact it was hard to keep track of them all。 I did think the characters and their development suffered somewhat b Three and a half star rounded up to four。 My first Don Winslow read and an enjoyable one overall。The story of the battle between two crime gangs in Rhode Island， the Irish and the Italians， and how one woman sparked off a war between both factions who had， up until then， a truce and divided the city up amongst themselves。This one is fast paced with a huge cast of characters， so big in fact it was hard to keep track of them all。 I did think the characters and their development suffered somewhat by the relentless pace of the story。 A lot of it did feel overly familiar， mostly from gangster films of the past but there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing。The first part of a trilogy apparently， I would like to see more character development in the upcoming books as I felt that this was a major weak point in City On Fire。Having said that I enjoyed this one overall and will keep an eye out for thee sequels in the future。Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley。 。。。more

D。K。 Hundt ，

CITY ON FIRE is the first book that I have read by Don Winslow; though I have my eye on THE POWER OF THE DOG， THE BORDER， and THE CARTEL for quite some time， I was thrilled to receive and review an advance paperback copy of CITY ON FIRE—an excellent introduction into the Winslow Crime Fiction Catalogue。‘Two criminal empires together control all of New England。’The story takes place in Rhode Island， set in the late 80s; we follow the main character， Danny Ryan， and his family and friends。 Soon th CITY ON FIRE is the first book that I have read by Don Winslow; though I have my eye on THE POWER OF THE DOG， THE BORDER， and THE CARTEL for quite some time， I was thrilled to receive and review an advance paperback copy of CITY ON FIRE—an excellent introduction into the Winslow Crime Fiction Catalogue。‘Two criminal empires together control all of New England。’The story takes place in Rhode Island， set in the late 80s; we follow the main character， Danny Ryan， and his family and friends。 Soon the line between friend and foe blurs when a beautiful woman， the likes of Helen of Troy， enters the fold turning the Italians and Irish against one another。 As the body count builds， Danny must rise as a leader whilst struggling to take care of and protect his immediate and extended family from the mayhem and bloodshed that turns brother against brother。 As you delve into a book， as the reader， it’s essential （in my opinion） to reflect on or become familiar with， though possibly disturbing， the ideology of the period a book is set in—in this case， the late 80s。Thank you， Willam Morrow （HarperCollinsPublishers）， for providing me with an ARC of CITY ON FIRE at the request of an honest review。CITY ON FIRE—Highly RecommendScheduled To Release – April 26， 2022 。。。more

Aravind ，

My original review on NetGalley is here。。。 https://www。netgalley。com/book/226856。。。Providence， Rhode Island， 1986: The Irish and Italian mobs have been coexisting in peace， with territories and businesses split up， without letting the outsiders from bigger cities interfere， for quite some time。 Naturally， there are issues that lie beneath the surface， but the general amiability holds， to a large extent due to the influence of Pasco Ferri， the soon-to-be-retired mob boss who commands respect from My original review on NetGalley is here。。。 https://www。netgalley。com/book/226856。。。Providence， Rhode Island， 1986: The Irish and Italian mobs have been coexisting in peace， with territories and businesses split up， without letting the outsiders from bigger cities interfere， for quite some time。 Naturally， there are issues that lie beneath the surface， but the general amiability holds， to a large extent due to the influence of Pasco Ferri， the soon-to-be-retired mob boss who commands respect from both parties。 But the veneer of peace cracks one August evening in a family gathering at Ferri’s place attended by both the mobs—the Morettis and the Murphys—when the playboy-ish Liam Murphy misbehaves with the new superhot girlfriend of Paul Moretti。 Danny Ryan， son of the Irish top dog of yesteryears and a lieutenant of the Murphys， witnesses the crack fast developing into an all-out war， and must fight it out in order to ensure his own survival， and that of the people whom he cares about。 In addition to the mayhem and misfortune brought about by the gang war， fate deals Ryan multiple misfortunes that put his strength—physical and mental—to test。City on Fire， the first in the new crime thriller trilogy by Don Winslow is another absorbing mob thriller by the master of the sub-genre。 His characters are interesting， layered and lifelike， with all the strengths and vulnerabilities that make them human。 The way he narrates it， the manner in which the violence escalates rapidly from a petty， nothing incident to a war that consumes numerous lives feels entirely believable。 The sharp dialogues， the crisp descriptions and the brisk plot will keep the reader glued to the pages until the end which， being the first in a trilogy， leaves the field wide open。 There are a few characters that， though having little to do in this book， I hope will play bigger， more important roles in the coming volumes。I enjoyed City on Fire a lot and would like to devour its sequels as soon as possible！ My heartfelt thanks to Don Winslow and HarperCollins Publishers for the e-ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Tom Mooney ，

Any new novel from Don Winslow - to my mind the greatest living crime writer - is always a major event。 City on Fire， the first in a new trilogy， is right up there with his best。 A drunken grope at a beach party sparks off a bloody war between the Irish and Italian mobs in 1980s Providence， Rhode Island。 We follow several characters， but largely Danny Ryan， a longshoreman and Irish mob debt collector whose father used to head up the business until the booze got hold of him。 As the bodies start t Any new novel from Don Winslow - to my mind the greatest living crime writer - is always a major event。 City on Fire， the first in a new trilogy， is right up there with his best。 A drunken grope at a beach party sparks off a bloody war between the Irish and Italian mobs in 1980s Providence， Rhode Island。 We follow several characters， but largely Danny Ryan， a longshoreman and Irish mob debt collector whose father used to head up the business until the booze got hold of him。 As the bodies start to pile up， Danny starts to rise in the organisation and has to dig deep into the darker parts of his soul to survive。Winslow manages with this novel to both show us what makes him so great - his staccato style， his dialogue， his action - but also widens his repertoire with this move into writing about gang warfare。 It's a seamless transition from his seminal Cartel trilogy and his earlier PI and beach noir novels。Bloody， brutal， brilliant。 This is the crime novel of the year。 It would be the crime novel of any damn year。 It's so， so good and I can't wait for part two。 。。。more

Sarah ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Oh Danny Ryan。 What have you done？I don’t think I have ever given Don below a 5 star rating。 This man is so damn talented。 He knows exactly how I like my crime novels。 Phenomenal。 If I had the time I would have finished this book in one sitting。 You will not want to put this book down。 I can’t believe this is going to be part of a trilogy。 What the hell could happen next？ I felt like I was watching a movie。 A classic。 Italian/Irish mob conflict。 One woman sets this whole place ablaze。 Amazing。Th Oh Danny Ryan。 What have you done？I don’t think I have ever given Don below a 5 star rating。 This man is so damn talented。 He knows exactly how I like my crime novels。 Phenomenal。 If I had the time I would have finished this book in one sitting。 You will not want to put this book down。 I can’t believe this is going to be part of a trilogy。 What the hell could happen next？ I felt like I was watching a movie。 A classic。 Italian/Irish mob conflict。 One woman sets this whole place ablaze。 Amazing。There were so many twists and turns。 You think you know what’s going to happen and then BAM Don Winslow hits you with a BETCHA DIDN’T SEE THAT COMIN。 Amazing。 I really thought Terri would set Danny up because of her family connection but I was gladly wrong。 I cried my eyes out when she got cancer and died。 The way Don describes her （the summer warmth of the sun on her face as she smiles） at the beach when they were younger while she is dying in bed。 The happy times that flash before him in the midst of death。 I know exactly how this feels。 I love Danny’s little brigade he put together towards the end。 The brothers being sniper lookouts。 Loyalty。 Lord I hope they stay loyal。 The way he described Marvin being aware of Sal hunting him down I actually thought he would backfire and survive however I was wrong。 I got too invested thinking it was going to work out。 Liam got on my nerves the whole book。 He got what he deserved in the end。 Jail。 He needs some rehabilitation。 I wonder what will happen in the next book - will he get out for making a deal？ Stay in there for a while？ Be an addict forever？ Wow Pam。 Nice pick。 Jardine。 He’ll make a deal with anyone huh？ The devil doesn’t stand a chance。Madeleine。 A boss。 One thing she did is use the power between her legs。 I loved the way she stayed loyal to Manny to the point where he rewarded her in the end with everything。 She made him experience true happiness。 She could’ve just let Danny go forever but she kept tabs on him and used her resources to help look out for her son。 I hope to hear more from her in the next book。Pat’s death and the funeral。 Tear jerker。 Cassie I hope she stays clean。Just one question。 Why do people always want to up and leave to Florida？ 。。。more

Ruth ，

It’s typically not a book I would read。 I received this book as a ARC and I give my unbiased opinion。 Basically it’s the Irish mob versus the Italian mob and how they interact。 A growing feud that expands with every chapter。 It’s a case rather several instances of people offending others and the results and consequences。 Many examples of people losing their tempers and basing their decisions on highly charged emotions。 I did get the feel of that type of lifestyle。 Many characters spend time in t It’s typically not a book I would read。 I received this book as a ARC and I give my unbiased opinion。 Basically it’s the Irish mob versus the Italian mob and how they interact。 A growing feud that expands with every chapter。 It’s a case rather several instances of people offending others and the results and consequences。 Many examples of people losing their tempers and basing their decisions on highly charged emotions。 I did get the feel of that type of lifestyle。 Many characters spend time in the hospital。 It’s unpleasant and unnecessary。 There is one sparkling character who is a savior of sorts who comes to save the day at the eleventh hour。 I was not expecting that。 This glittering character brings beauty， grace and a redemption of sorts。 Danny is the main flawed emotional， reactive character。 I could identify with him as far as remaining loyal to his family and fighting tooth and nail to protect them。 He does develop and grow throughout the story。 It’s somewhat graphic and has some language but it fits with the rough characters。 。。。more

S C ，

Derivative as all hell。 But it's still lightly entertaining。 Clearly Winslow has no shame in lifting from every mob related movie and TV show in history。 And， stylistically， it owes a lot to George V。 Higgins。 Derivative as all hell。 But it's still lightly entertaining。 Clearly Winslow has no shame in lifting from every mob related movie and TV show in history。 And， stylistically， it owes a lot to George V。 Higgins。 。。。more

Aem503 ，

I really enjoyed this book。 City on Fire has a compelling crime family story with clear ties to classic literature。 The characters pulled me in， and I found myself surprised at some of the twists and turns。

Dan ，

Excellent read！ This was my first Winslow novel and I am immediately a fan。 Very excited to see where this saga goes。 Thanks to Goodreads and HarperCollins for the advanced copy！

Kim F ，

Awesome read！

Michael Burke ，

It's time to go to the mattresses。"City of Fire" stays true to its crime family roots and delivers what it advertises。 With a nod to the Illiad's Helen of Troy， a gang war is sparked when a beautiful "goddess" walks out of the sea and all hell breaks loose between the Irish and Italians controlling Providence， Rhode Island… Dogtown。 Danny Ryan first appears as a forgotten member of the Irish mob， an afterthought pretty much in place because his old man used to run things。 As things get hotter an It's time to go to the mattresses。"City of Fire" stays true to its crime family roots and delivers what it advertises。 With a nod to the Illiad's Helen of Troy， a gang war is sparked when a beautiful "goddess" walks out of the sea and all hell breaks loose between the Irish and Italians controlling Providence， Rhode Island… Dogtown。 Danny Ryan first appears as a forgotten member of the Irish mob， an afterthought pretty much in place because his old man used to run things。 As things get hotter and the casualties mount， he reluctantly finds himself asserting more control and leadership。 While the outline seems like pretty standard gangster fare， the story never stops taking interesting twists and turns。 Just when you think one side has quashed the other， everything flips。 Don Winslow is a master and knows how to keep the action going。While an exciting ride， this is not for everyone。 There is some racist and homophobic content-- this is the criminal underworld， after all。 Also， once Pam walks out of the sea there is not much more any female really contributes， other than playing spouses or victims。 "City of Fire '' is apparently the first part of a trilogy and hopefully we will see the women play more integral roles。 Overall， this is great storytelling and I will be looking forward to where things go from here。 I mean， you had to see Godfather II as well， right？ Thank you to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for an offer I could not refuse; providing the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Alex Jones ，

5/5 - Quite simply Outstanding A huge fan of The Cartel Trilogy and many other Don Winslow stand-alone books， I was extremely excited to get early hands on this new read and first In a trilogy featuring the Irish and Italian mobs。Set on the 80s in Providence， a quiet area， away from the real made men of New York and Tough ， unforgiving Irish Mob in Boston ， a quiet war brews between factions at an acceptable truce，But as old moves to new， things change and tempers flare in this stunning gangster 5/5 - Quite simply Outstanding A huge fan of The Cartel Trilogy and many other Don Winslow stand-alone books， I was extremely excited to get early hands on this new read and first In a trilogy featuring the Irish and Italian mobs。Set on the 80s in Providence， a quiet area， away from the real made men of New York and Tough ， unforgiving Irish Mob in Boston ， a quiet war brews between factions at an acceptable truce，But as old moves to new， things change and tempers flare in this stunning gangster take from the king of this genre，Violent， emotional， angry and just super Storytelling， this is an epic story that spans a generation in transition。 I can wax lyrical。 But I won’t， all i can say is this is the best read of the year， and it won’t be bettered。Truly brilliant 。。。more

Kim McGee ，

A gangster version of Homer's classic war of two powerful families over a woman。 It is the Irish vs。 the Italians in Providence Rhode Island where a marriage crosses a big line and ignites a fire。 Don Winslow's writing is short and concise and the perfect entry for readers who don't usually read crime fiction。 Don't get me wrong though it is still a riveting story of gang violence， families torn apart and innocent victims dragged into situations where they have little control。 Every crime family A gangster version of Homer's classic war of two powerful families over a woman。 It is the Irish vs。 the Italians in Providence Rhode Island where a marriage crosses a big line and ignites a fire。 Don Winslow's writing is short and concise and the perfect entry for readers who don't usually read crime fiction。 Don't get me wrong though it is still a riveting story of gang violence， families torn apart and innocent victims dragged into situations where they have little control。 Every crime family started out as a family and these families are no different。 It is the Jets vs。 the sharks of Westside Story， THE GODFATHER in Las Vegas， the Capulets vs。 the Montagues of ROMEO AND JULIET and it is pure Don Winslow magic。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more

Carlton Phelps ，

The book is well written。 The characters are believable and have some human qualities。I say this because the book centers on two mafia families who are both trying to control as much of Providence， RI。 And the sounding area。They are into everything。 Graft， protection money， truck hijackings， and hits。 Mainly on each other。The one Family is Italian and the revel Family is Irish。There are power struggles going on in each family， with the younger members wanting to expand and the older Dons wanting The book is well written。 The characters are believable and have some human qualities。I say this because the book centers on two mafia families who are both trying to control as much of Providence， RI。 And the sounding area。They are into everything。 Graft， protection money， truck hijackings， and hits。 Mainly on each other。The one Family is Italian and the revel Family is Irish。There are power struggles going on in each family， with the younger members wanting to expand and the older Dons wanting to stay as they are。The Italians outnumber the Irish but a truce has been in place for years。 Each Family takes their fair share of the take。As time goes on side kills a Family member， then the aggrieved Family kills one of their Family members。Then chaos breaks out and the Irish bring the black drug dealers to boost their numbers to fight back。But as the honor among thieves goes they turn on each other for a bigger percent of the take。As I started out saying the book is well written， which it is， one character decides to get out of the Family business his life starts changing。 And I felt as though I was supposed to feel sorry for him。Which I felt was the wrong ending for the book。 He's a killer that wants to now go straight as if he is an upstanding citizen。The book is still a good read。Thanks to Mr。 Winslow for writing the book and sharing it with us， and to Goodreads for making the book available。 。。。more

Meg ，

This is the first book I have read from Don Winslow。 I usually don’t read this genre， but I didn’t want to put it down。 I liked the way the characters were developed。 I felt the karma in some situations。 I am definitely interested in reading more of Don Winslow！

Sydnye ，

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review。 I would actually like to give City on Fire 3。5 stars。 The plot was interesting enough to move the story forward but I felt the characters， and most especially the women， were one dimensional。 It wasn’t about the good guys and the bad guys， everyone is pretty much a bad guy。 What was interesting was the history and the allegiances between the Irish， the Italian and the Blacks。Given that the book is set in the 80’s in a less politicall Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review。 I would actually like to give City on Fire 3。5 stars。 The plot was interesting enough to move the story forward but I felt the characters， and most especially the women， were one dimensional。 It wasn’t about the good guys and the bad guys， everyone is pretty much a bad guy。 What was interesting was the history and the allegiances between the Irish， the Italian and the Blacks。Given that the book is set in the 80’s in a less politically correct time， perhaps the author was trying to show us how women were treated then。 Cassie had a tiny back story but if only there had been more of her。 Pam was not believable。 Terri seemed half formed。 Even Terri’s mom and Danny’s mom were not complete people and only tangentially related to the story， which could have been more had they all been included。This is my first read of a Winslow book。 I would be happy to read more of him if I can confirm well developed characters。 。。。more

Eric ，

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。

Paul Kennedy ，

Incredible！ Loved it！

Rachel Brewer ，

I’ve never read this author， but I was intrigued by the description of this book。 Unfortunately， I did not like this one。 Phrases like， “tattles like a girl” “I gave you my daughter [and therefore you owe me]” are everywhere。 *eyeroll* And don’t me started on the womanizing， homophobia， and normalization of violence。 This felt like a handbook on toxic masculinity。 I get that it’s a mob book but it was completely over the top。 I wish it came with a family tree/visual layout of all the characters， I’ve never read this author， but I was intrigued by the description of this book。 Unfortunately， I did not like this one。 Phrases like， “tattles like a girl” “I gave you my daughter [and therefore you owe me]” are everywhere。 *eyeroll* And don’t me started on the womanizing， homophobia， and normalization of violence。 This felt like a handbook on toxic masculinity。 I get that it’s a mob book but it was completely over the top。 I wish it came with a family tree/visual layout of all the characters， as it was hard to keep track of everyone and their relationships， and who’s side they are on。 The whole Pam story line just seems wildly unbelievable and even as the “strongest” female character her plot line revolves around men， and she makes all her money off of men。 Two stars for…I dunno。 Plot twists that kept me guessing？ I’ll pass， 。。。more

Tisha ，

I won a copy of this on Goodreads。 Set in the late eighties in Rhode Island a war starts between the Irish and the Italians over a beautiful woman。 This is a very fast paced beginning of a new crime series。 I look forward to the next book。

Kelly ，

Wow！ What a fantastic in depth， epic story of the Irish / Italian mob。 The storyline was constantly flowing and moving quickly from one cluster to the next。 The plot was tight and no words were wasted。 The point of view is shown from various characters as the story unfolds and that gave a strong perspective on the characters themselves。 I loved the conflicting sympathy towards the characters as war they created gets deeper and more complicated。 Crime is not my typical genera that I pick up， but Wow！ What a fantastic in depth， epic story of the Irish / Italian mob。 The storyline was constantly flowing and moving quickly from one cluster to the next。 The plot was tight and no words were wasted。 The point of view is shown from various characters as the story unfolds and that gave a strong perspective on the characters themselves。 I loved the conflicting sympathy towards the characters as war they created gets deeper and more complicated。 Crime is not my typical genera that I pick up， but I will read anything by Don Winslow。 What a ride！ This book will keep you up reading until the final page。 And after finishing this book， I want more。 I received a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaway。 Thank you！ 。。。more

Robert Brock ，

Book of the year candidate！ This could be better than The Power of the Dog trilogy。。。it's that good！ I couldn't put it down！ The Sopranos on steroids！ Don Winslow has outdone himself yet again。 I didn't think he could write a better book than The Force but he did it。 Danny Ryan defines the best and worst of the mob in the '80s and Winslow brings all of it out into the open for the world to see。 Thank you to Don Winslow and Goodreads for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC。。。I waited months Book of the year candidate！ This could be better than The Power of the Dog trilogy。。。it's that good！ I couldn't put it down！ The Sopranos on steroids！ Don Winslow has outdone himself yet again。 I didn't think he could write a better book than The Force but he did it。 Danny Ryan defines the best and worst of the mob in the '80s and Winslow brings all of it out into the open for the world to see。 Thank you to Don Winslow and Goodreads for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC。。。I waited months to read City on Fire and it was well worth the wait！ 。。。more

Rich ，

In the interest of full disclosure I "won" an advanced readers copy of this book from goodreads。 Now on to the review， this is Don Winslow at his best。 No more orange man is bad bullshit like his last several books （hey Don how is dementia turd working out？）。 All of the fantastic writing elements Winslow is known for are present in this book; epic plot， swift and smooth character development， a clash of opposing forces that results in an epic ending。 Set in and around 1986 the story transports u In the interest of full disclosure I "won" an advanced readers copy of this book from goodreads。 Now on to the review， this is Don Winslow at his best。 No more orange man is bad bullshit like his last several books （hey Don how is dementia turd working out？）。 All of the fantastic writing elements Winslow is known for are present in this book; epic plot， swift and smooth character development， a clash of opposing forces that results in an epic ending。 Set in and around 1986 the story transports us to Providence Rhode Island where a somewhat uneasy truce exists between the Italian "mafia" and the Irish "mafia" that run the various criminal enterprises around Rhode Island。 The protagonist， Danny Ryan， finds himself on the outside looking in with the Irish mob and is looking to reclaim a position of power。 Enter a femme fatale that sparks an all out war between the Italian and Irish mobs which leads to an ever increasing body count。 By the time we get to the climax of the plot Ryan realizes he needs an "out。" In my opinion this is Winslow's best book in awhile。 I highly recommend giving it a read。 。。。more

Leah ，

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway in August， but just received it recently。 I was kinda "well， whatever" about it because the excitement had faded。 Holy shit。 I now want to read every Winslow book written。 I devoured this。 I couldn't get enough of the story and finding a place to stop was impossible。 It's like I couldn't wait to finish and now I wish it wasn't over。 So yeah， people， read it I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway in August， but just received it recently。 I was kinda "well， whatever" about it because the excitement had faded。 Holy shit。 I now want to read every Winslow book written。 I devoured this。 I couldn't get enough of the story and finding a place to stop was impossible。 It's like I couldn't wait to finish and now I wish it wasn't over。 So yeah， people， read it 。。。more

Greville Waterman ，

If I could give this six stars then I most certainly would。 Don Winslow hits the bullseye yet again with the first of a planned trilogy on the Mafia/Irish gang wars f the 80s and 90s。I won't divulge the plot as many others have intimated what occurs but quite simply Winslow along with Micheal Connelly and Dennis Lehane writes better than pretty much any thriller writer I can think of。He cuts to the quick， his prose is lean yet so descriptive and the characters are brilliantly drawn and depicted。 If I could give this six stars then I most certainly would。 Don Winslow hits the bullseye yet again with the first of a planned trilogy on the Mafia/Irish gang wars f the 80s and 90s。I won't divulge the plot as many others have intimated what occurs but quite simply Winslow along with Micheal Connelly and Dennis Lehane writes better than pretty much any thriller writer I can think of。He cuts to the quick， his prose is lean yet so descriptive and the characters are brilliantly drawn and depicted。 As always our hero is deeply flawed but so credible and likeable as well。The action is non stop and suitably violent and the sense of time and place palpable。Just read it。 it is wonderful。 。。。more

Liz Crowe ，

Ok so I have to preface this with the caveat that Don Winslow books are like Girl Scout cookies to me as a reader。 I have been known to plow through them （often times while mindlessly eating an entire sleeve or two of trefoils because those are The Best Ones） in single （long） sittings， or pulling up one I've listened to before in my audio book library because the way Mr。 Winslow structures his stories is both impressive and addictive。City on Fire gives us the first in what I hope will be another Ok so I have to preface this with the caveat that Don Winslow books are like Girl Scout cookies to me as a reader。 I have been known to plow through them （often times while mindlessly eating an entire sleeve or two of trefoils because those are The Best Ones） in single （long） sittings， or pulling up one I've listened to before in my audio book library because the way Mr。 Winslow structures his stories is both impressive and addictive。City on Fire gives us the first in what I hope will be another juicy storytelling arc similar to his Cartel trilogy （although， in all honesty， my favorite book of his is California Fire and Life）。 It's framed early on as a Homeric epic， complete with stolen wives， pissed off kings， and revenge seeking soldiers， not to mention an Achilles character who may， or may not be who you think he is。 Winslow pulls you directly into the mix of yet another "secret society" （like a drug cartel， or a Big City Police Departments） in a way that feels real， and really stressful， but in an entirely entertaining way。The beauty of this book （again， like his others） is that while you know you're reading a solid Irish/Italian mafia war novel set in （of all places） Provincetown， Rhode Island （who knew？）， you get fully fleshed out characters at every level of the plot， as well as the sort of incredible world-building that make Winslow's books so compelling and unputdownable。Thanks to Don Winslow and his publicist/publisher for a review copy of this book。 。。。more

Amanda Hodde ，

I won this advanced copy in a Goodreads giveaway。 This is not my typical genre， mobsters and turf wars， but regardless， the story was good and I enjoyed the characters。

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=City on Fire

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=City on Fire&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,City on Fire&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0