White Jazz

This was my first Ellroy novel and will not be my last. His style is truly unique. I didn't quite get it at first and didn't think i liked it but as I continued to listen I got and actually enjoyed it. I caught my self talking and thinking in short bursts like his writing. The story is more like a gangster tale except the main criminals are cops. Scott Brick made this book work for me. He could read the phonebook and I would listen. He made the characters appear in my head and added subtleties that made the character more vivid in my imagination. I say download and listen, it is very good!

It's an okay book but it's not good for a casual listen, you really have to pay attention to keep track of all the characters. Like many Ellroy books (post Black Dahlia) there are so many characters and so much stuff is going on with so many twists and turns that I start to lose track of all the characters in the book, sometimes I even have to start the book over and listen to the first two chapters just to remind myself who some of the characters are. I prefer his older books like Browns Requiem, Clandestine, The Loyd Hopkins Trilogy and The Black Dahlia. I'm pretty sure The Big Nowhere was his first book I read that I found hard to follow just because of the long list of characters, same with L.A. Confidential. I would say that White Jazz is my 2nd favorite book in the L.A. Quartet after The Black Dahlia and I would only recommend it to people who are already familiar with James Ellroy's Novels.

DIG IT HEPCATS!!! It's 1958. It's the end of James Ellroy's LA Quartet! The city of Lost Angels is becoming ever-so sin-talating! This time the Demon Dog takes uson the journey of the not-squeaky clean Davey Klien a cop, bagman, killer for hire, slumlord and everything in between. Along with having a wicked itch for his younger sister! Getting the picture now daddy-o?! The feds investigate corruption, Ed Exley is now a cold and callous higher-up, Dud Smith is still one baaaaad man, a bright young cop by the name of Junior Stemmons is slowly going mad and wants LA's underworld for himself. He meets a young actress who has upset Mister Howard Hughes. He falls for her. the Dodgers are trying to build a stadium. Davey wants in on the soon-to-be displaced Angelenos, his underworld benefactors want him to Kill! Kill! Kill! Exley wants him to work! work! work! on a verrrry big case Dud Smith is offering a prime job for another big case. the Feds are out for Davey's blood, they want to crucify him for all his naughty deeds. American Underworld's Pete Bondurant makes an appearance almost 3 years before we see his own adventures! Thrills, twists and chills ensue and Dave Klien is running scared and his story ends in a somber conclusion.