ultimate crime writter - James Ellroy
His four books under the collective name LA Quartet. Proper hard hitting grim American crime novels. They span a few decades and are centered around the LA police department. Nail hitting stuff! The characters and plots are woven throughout the four books however each book also stands alone with its own storyline. Got to be some of the best crime books around.
( sutit only the crumbliest, flakiest posts, Wed 11 Jan 2012, 1:39, 8 replies)

Scarpe can't read Ellroy. Scarpe used to read Ellroy.
Scarpe once loved Ellroy. But Scarpe stopped reading Ellroy. Scarpe couldn't cope. Scarpe couldn't cope with the writing style. Ellroy's writing style. Since 'The Cold 6,000'.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Wed 11 Jan 2012, 10:17, closed)

Scarpe said that. But Scarpe missed something.
Scarpe does agree. Scarpe does agree a lot. That the LA Quartet were good. The LA Quartet were great. Keep it Hush Hush. On the down low.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Wed 11 Jan 2012, 10:19, closed)

This isn't The Write Stuff,
y'know.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Wed 11 Jan 2012, 16:05, closed)

Can't remember the name,
but there's a short story involveing a payola scam, mexicans, and a drugged-up Sinatra who thinks he's Jesus, which I rather enjoyed.

I'm ashamed to admit,however, that I've abandoned American Tabloid, as I'm too tired to enjoy it properly.
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Wed 11 Jan 2012, 16:03, closed)

Scarpe likes that book,
Scarpe says that book is OK. Scarpe says it was his last good one. Scarpe says don't read beyond that.
( scarpe We Stole Bikes, Wed 11 Jan 2012, 16:47, closed)

shamefully THIS
Which is a real fucker if you ask me...
( sutit only the crumbliest, flakiest posts, Thu 12 Jan 2012, 1:54, closed)

Funny, I just started reading LA Confidential last night
I was skeptical - hard boiled crime fiction isn't really my thing, but Christ, what a cracking first chapter! Immediately hooked.
( Zoroastermouse thinks therefore he am, Wed 11 Jan 2012, 23:51, closed)

if you can
Stop reading that one and start with The Black Dahlia. There are plots that run across the four books and it all starts with Dahlia, plus they are chronological and he never let's up with the pace or style. That said you won't be disappointed if you read them out of sequence. I can't recommend him enough. But take note of Scrape and don't waste your time on his latest stuff...and keep it on the QT.
( sutit only the crumbliest, flakiest posts, Thu 12 Jan 2012, 1:52, closed)