L.A. Noir

Nobody can beat Ellroy at this. His City of the Angels is a great brooding jungle at night, full of hungry predators

These are some clumsy stories that are interesting and fun to read. He definitely wrote better later in his career. He has said that he followed Thomas Harris because of Red Dragon, and I think you can say that Michael Connelly has followed Ellroy. Read this book before L.A. Quartet. If you already read L.A.Q. then skip this one.

great book.But Ellroy's the BEST

I am a huge James Ellroy fan - having read almost all of his work - and while this trilogy is good, it is far from his best work. For example American Tabloid, LA Confidential and Black Dahlia are all much better. If you are not familiar with James Ellroy it is worth noting that his prose style does not find universal favour. He writes in very short, punchy sentences - personally I find it an effective and entertaining style but it does irritate others. It is interesting to note that in his introduction Ellroy claims that he wrote the second and third parts of the trilogy because after completing the first part he read Red Dragon by Thomas Harris which he acknowledges as a far superior book and felt he need to do better. On one level he is correct, Red Dragon is a superior book and Will Graham is a superior and more interesting 'hero'. However, he is harsh on himself - these are still very good books. As is usual in Ellroy novels he concentrates on the psychological motivation of the main characters (sometimes, slightly simplistically, tying the whole personality back to a defining moment from childhood). Ellroy has the skill to carry this off and it works well (although he does flirt with caricature). Overall, very good and certainly well worth reading although, in my opinion, not the place to start if you are new to Ellroy

Great book Ellroy is the best dialog plot characters all number one

Anyone who knows the slightest thing about James Ellroy should realise that this early trilogy was a process of evolution for the stunning writer of truly wonderful fiction like American Tabloid. OK it's not as densely plotted but therein lies the magnificence of this trilogy. It's still expertly crafted and immensely readable. I read Blood on the Moon in one whirlwind of a day. Enjoy the ride Ellroy takes you on and don't concern yourself with meaningless comparisons with his later work. Love Lloyd Hopkins as you surely should. It's still in a league of it's own as far as your average crime writing goes.

Expecting the brillinace of 'The Black Dahlia', 'L.A. Confidential' or 'American Tabloid'? Well tough, buddy, you're not gonna get it! But you should read it anyways. Why? Cause the promising newcomer that wrote 'Brown's Requiem' had to evolve into the Big Boogaloo that wrote 'Dahlia' somehow, and these three novels show you pretty much the path he took. The first one is pure macho hero-worship with Ellroy writing about a brilliant, 'sex-obsessed' cop tracking a monster. Second, same, but the monster there rocks. Then the third, and Ellroy's hero is less brilliant, and he shows his new discovery: 'Macho' = 'Fear' = 'B.S.'. Book one is by the guy that wrote 'Requiem', book three is by the guy that wrote 'Dahlia'. If you're a fan, its like the proud moment when a baby learns its first swear word.

First: Ellroy is the greatest living American writer. Second: I'm sorry to report that this collection of early novels was a big disappointment. If you haven't read him, I wouldn't recommend starting here. As the man himself might put it, "it didn't jazz me." In fact, I put it down after reading the whole of *Blood on the Moon* (the first of these three), and trudging half-way through *Because the Night* (number two). The biggest problem is that it's not really "noir." The prose is weak, predictable, numbingly repetetive and overwrought. It reads much more like the kind of massmarket, serial-killer fiction that clutter the tables of New York City street salesmen (think *Hannibal*) than Ellroy's great masterpieces (every novel after and including *The Black Dahlia*). Much of the prose is downright annoying (how many ways can he use the word "picayune"?). Although there are glimpses of the darkness and passion that Ellroy would perfect in his later novels, I can't recommend shelling out for the hardcover. If you must, you must. Hey, I know what it's like: I'm an Ellroy addict, and I know how it is to "jones" for his pitiless, high octane vision. This isn't it. Alas.

Good stuff!

Violent, surprising, shocking but informative and revealing of the dark side and underbelly of LA and the humanity of policing/thin line/morality.

I’ve read the Lloyd Hopkins trilogy before,so owning an e-reader copy means I don’t have to worry about losing the paperback copy I own.

Crazy Lloyd Hopkins is a brilliant detective with a troubled home life - and then no home life at all after his wife takes off to San Francisco with their kids, leaving Hopkins in Los Angeles. These three novels cover complex, bloody tales with knotty noir plots ranging from serial killers to vengeful, corrupt cops. The trilogy was written before the LA Quartet which cemented Ellroy’s name as a top crime writer (leading to the 1997 movie LA Confidential). The first Quartet novel (The Black Dahlia) was published in 1987, a year after the final novel in the Hopkins trilogy. The Quartet is superior to LA Noir - but in the Hopkins titles we can see the evolution of Ellroy’s style. These are full-on novels in fifth gear all the way, firmly establishing Hopkins as close to burnout but never less than a brilliant investigator in the seedy milieu of a rain-lashed, depraved city which is driving him to the edge of his sanity. They’re great thrillers - and I’m almost sad to leave Hopkins behind. Ellroy enthusiasts should give these novels a try, even if they’re likely to fall short of expectations for those who’ve already read the Quartet and the Underworld USA novels, particularly the excellent American Tabloid.

One of the best books I’ve read.