City On Fire

City on Fire: Don Winslow       Feuds between families can happen at any time. Lives can be lost and at stake depending on the cause of the dispute. The Ryan’s and Murphey’s are joined together in marriage and business but when one member of a family creates a problem that could or might have been settled with a talk or discussion the result is a war between families and lives are lost. Danny Ryan is married to Terri Murphy and that’s where the allegiance to her family ends. Within this novel there are many who will die at the hand of those that fear them, resent what they are in control of and just because each family wants what the others have. Danny worked on the docks and dealt with members of many families but one transgression by someone in the Murphy family that did something to the girlfriend of Pasco Ferro would start a change of events that would take down many. Liam Murphy  decides to touch the girlfriend of Paulie Moretti inappropriately leading to murders, that the Providence press reports and enjoys creating furor and animosity among the Moretti’s, Murphy’s and Ryan’s and more. . The media makes it worse as the mob’s highjack trucks and sell heroin. Danny just wants a normal life but that is not going to happen as the wars start, lies are lost and each family if fighting for the top. Danny’s father was once in control of the Irish syndicate and at times did jobs for the Moretti brother, Peter and Pauli but when Liam decided to take aim at Paulie’s new girlfriend the fabric of society turns violent. Pat Murphy I touch and each one wants debts paid and when Lian does his act of he pays dearly with they take aim at him and he’s; seriously injured but will he survive? Pasquale Ferri is a dangerous man that no one wants to cross. Mary and John  are Italians and there are many who owe it to him and would not dare go against whatever he wants and speaks. From this point on after they beat Liam and take aim at more the story turns violent and the families are now at war.Infuriating Pasco is the wrong way to go, and war was within their purview When Liam is critically hurt things get more dangerous for everyone the woman is Pam and she decides to stick with Liam even though Paulie is her man and from this point on it gets more dangerous the violence is nonstop and the author takes readers inside the minds and workings of the mob as each family wants what the others have. There are so many that are killed, and we meet Sal Antonucci  and Chris Palumbo and there are many other players involved. A sit down across the table at Fiori’s, Chris and Frankie V on one side and Sal and Tony on the other but will anything be handled without someone getting killed. When the violence gets words, we learn more about the racism and hate crimes that go with some who hate whites and other blacks. Peter Moretti things that the  alliance between Marvin and  Dogtown won’t  work.

Danny seems to be in the middle of everything that is happening to all the families involved. Even trying to get away from the violence he falls right in the thick of it and murder at times comes easy to all but when Danny faces it what will his outcome be? Desperate to be involved in these battles but having to protect his wife, son and family, he faces many inner conflicts and then someone close to him is taken and the gloves are off. John Murphy is at top and the most powerful of those in the empire but not anymore. Danny learns the hard facts and when dealing with the Moretti he and others are snared, trapped and ties within the violence and the crimes and the city becomes an inferno, car bombs, fires and murders and nonstop betrayals on all sides. When Danny is shot in a drive by and his mother shows up the scenes are interesting, the friction between them stemming from the past and yet Madeline, rich, powerful and dangerous makes sure that he has the best in medical care. Others in the mobs dealing with her will soon learn that she is more than just a force to not be reckoned with. She is dangerous.

Each one wants to be at the top and certain starling revelations change the perceptions of others. Meetings that were hidden for others, when someone wants to hear that Frankie wants to set up a peace negotiation, but will it happen? Everyone and everything come at price and the Port of Providence, and the pickup and distribution are at stake. Then Danny must face a tragedy when Terri is diagnosed with a terminal illness will he walk away from her, or will he do all in his power to protect himself and his son without losing what he has with her before it’s too late? The violence does not stop, the ending lets you know that there are many lives lost, power plays still in place and the final scenes will let readers know that warrants were written out and going to be carried out but one detective on the take will have the shock of his life as the ending lets you know that this war is not over and Danny has a hard boiled decision to make for himself and his son. City of Fire/ City on Fire does anyone really win? Characters that are tough, true to life and what many read about the mob and their families, and one man named Danny Ryan that has won and lost battles but where will he wind up next and what battles will be fought? Brother against brother, families against families: What is next?
Fran Lewis: Just reviews