Flame Tree Press Blog Tour

 

TITLE: City of Angels

AUTHOR: Kenneth Bromberg

PUBLISHER: Flame Tree Press

PUBLISHING DATE: November 2020

FROM GOODREADS: 

The year is 1924. Sam Lacy, a tough-as-nails homicide detective, follows his own code of conduct within the racist and corrupt Los Angeles Police Department. Sam's beautiful ex-girlfriend has been murdered and a sadistic predator is assaulting young Chinese women. Are the crimes connected and can Sam stop the killers before powerful forces stop him? Sometimes, a good detective can't let the law get in his way. 

Sam navigates L.A.'s seedy underbelly with help from an unlikely trio: Sam's partner, Lonnie, a handsome detective whose cavalier attitude conceals a troubled past outside of the law; Sam's friend, Edward Bixby, a brilliant man whose crucial forensic work is performed off the books since the LAPD would never hire a Black man for a murder investigation; and Susan, Sam's sister and moral compass, a war widow and mother who pursues leads of her own. The story takes place in the movie capital of the world, a city that attracts wide-eyed innocents and cold-hearted killers; a City of Angels.

MY THOUGHTS: This book is a very atmospheric read and I really enjoyed being transported back to the 1920's.  As mentioned in the synopsis, Sam Lacy is investigating the death of his ex-girlfriend, along with assistance from a very unique group of characters.  Bixby is Sam's friend and a very intelligent Black man who does excellent forensic work.  Then you have Lonnie, Sam's partner, who has a colorful past of his own.  Finally, there is Susan, Sam's sister, who also works for the department. All of these characters play important roles and the author definitely has a talent for character development.  Although the plot jumps around a bit and I had to really focus in a couple of areas to make sure I was connecting everything, I still very much enjoyed the tale.

I also have to address the seedy side of Los Angeles which Bromberg shares.  He is not afraid to address issues of racist behavior, human injustice and corruption, not only within law enforcement, but with the movie industry as well.  Susan is in herself a refreshing character because while the book delves in abuse of women by men in power and human trafficking and money laundering, she is a strong character who doesn't want to be defined just by the fact that she is female. And it was painful to see the lengths Bixby's wife Velma goes to in order to keep her husband safe.

City of Angels was a great read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes noir mysteries.  Just be prepared for some hard-hitting topics which are made all the more sad because many of them still exist of 100 years later.  Bromberg is an author to watch and I'm amazed at the talent Flame Tree Press has managed to secure.

RATING: 4 PAWS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kenneth Bromberg grew up in the beach cities of Southern California with a passion for tennis, American history,and literature. His first novel, American Dreams, is based upon stories told by his grandmother, who emigrated from a small Jewish village near Kiev in the first years of the 20th century