After having published nearly thirty successful novels, including several international bestsellersx (The border, Cartel, Corruption, etc.), Don Winslow is retiring — until further notice, at least… — with The city under the ashess, the third and final chapter in the Danny Ryan series.
We find the former big-hearted con man in Las Vegas, at the head of Tara, a large hotel conglomerate. After leaving New England in a hurry (The city in flames), gave the FBI a “helping hand” in a convoluted case and then succumbed to the charms of a movie star (The city of dreams), Danny Ryan has slowed down and changed direction. He now seeks to “live honestly in a dishonest world.” Ryan has built a new reputation for himself, one hotel and casino at a time, leaving his roots behind… until his past catches up with him.
To ensure that all readers grasp the magnitude of the drama that is about to befall Danny Ryan, as he covets the last piece of land on the Strip to build a dream hotel, Winslow uses an old trick. He cleverly recalls the events that led to Ryan’s departure from Rhode Island by staging the trial of a local mobster who was found after years on the run and who had, at the time, murdered the local godfather. The novel thus splits into two stories that feed off each other while drawing the framework of Ryan’s life.
Ten years, then, after his sneaky arrival in the middle of the desert, we meet an endearing Danny Ryan who defines himself first by his presence to others and, yes, by his astonishing creativity. His way of weaving alliances and advocating dreams above immediate profit is a rare commodity in an environment where regular income is expected without asking too many questions. This surge of creative energy stimulates everyone a little and even allows Ryan to find new honest partners who will help him realize his wildest dreams. But, of course, it will also stir up the desire for revenge of those who still want to take their revenge on the old Danny Ryan and on the entire “Irish network” of Providence, Rhode Island. And when the confrontation occurs, it will be brutal. Very.
Still, despite the orgy of violence that will lead to a very gentle finale on a New England beach, the entire Danny Ryan series, and even more so this latest novel, is a story of redemption. As if, as a testament, Don Winslow had first wanted to emphasize, in his proverbially effective writing, that nothing is ever defined in advance, whatever the context in which we see the day. And that everything is possible when we work sincerely at it. This is obviously a very laudable intention… but here, it’s still a bit strong, as they say on the radio.