L. A. Noir (original 1997; edition 1998)

Early James Ellroy..and my favorite...also try Brown's Requiem and Clandestine. ( )

This book includes all three volumes of Ellroy's Lloyd Hopkins trilogy (Blood on the Moon, Because the Night and Suicide Hill). As in many of the Ellroy books I've read, the cops are as dark and twisted and the criminals they pursue. They all are driven by their own demons and are not often likable characters. Lloyd Hopkins is no exception. He is a brilliant (genius IQ) and brutal cop - a combination of Monk/Columbo and Dirty Harry. His past molded him into the man he has become - a brilliant crimefighter who often resorts to unacceptable tactics in pursuit of his prey. His home life is beginning to come apart at the seams and his adulterous behavior taints his marriage and his career.

In Blood on the Moon, Hopkins realizes that a vicious murder is actually connected to a string of murders that have occurred annually for almost 20 years. No one has put the pieces together until Hopkins gets involved. His pursuit of the Hollywood Slaughterer eventually leads him into a life-threatening situation from which he emerges a haunted man.

In Because the Night, Hopkins again finds himself on the trial of a killer. This time he is sent to investigate the disappearance of Jacob Herzog, a hero cop who has disappeared. His investigation leads Hopkins to a psychiatrist and a mysterious figure called the Night Tripper. Hopkins find himself pitting his wits with a criminal mind whose goal is to probe his soul.

Suicide Hill find Hopkins trying to redeem himself by solving a case of bank robberies that explodes into violence. This tale finds him digging into his soul as well as the crime.

Overall these three novels drew me into the tales and wouldn't let me stop until I finished them. None of the characters are especially likable and they aren't the type you actually root for but at the same time they are human and on some level, you understand them. The wrap-up of the final novel had a twist that surprised me and paints one of the "good" characters with a darker tint.

If you like film noir and noir genre novels, then these books will be right up your alley. ( )