Recommended: James Ellroy's new novel, "Perfidia."

[Paladin]

The setting is Los Angeles, the time is December, 1941, the first month of WWII. Characters include LAPD officers---including several from Ellroy's "L.A. Confidential" and the brilliant movie of said book, notably bad-guy cop Dudley Smith, whose background reveals him to be a bigger monster than how he's depicted in "L.A.C." Other characters include members of the L.A. Japanese community, facing prejudice, gruesome crimes and looming internment camps; as well as notable real-life characters: Bette Davis, Harry Cohn, Jack Webb, Ben "Bugsy" Siegel, and newly-minted Navy Ensign Jack Kennedy (seeing how many Hollywood starlets he can bed before being shipped off for service in the Pacific).

Like all of Ellroy's LAPD novels, I'm having a lot of fun with this one. But like Ellroy's other work, it's not for the easily-offended.

[pscot]

1. I've never read him

Thanks for the heads up.

[Susannah Elf]

2. Not so much

I began Perfidia with interest as I'd heard that it was good. I got caught up in the plot very quickly, but I had to jump ship around page 150. I just could not stand the relentless use by 90% of the characters of every racial, homophobic and misogynist term ever invented. I realize that it's meant to provide atmosphere or whatever, but page after page of it was too much. It could have been avoided by the point of view being outside the characters' minds so that every vile thought isn't shared with the reader. I had to quit because it felt like my mind was being beaten up.

[Paladin]

3. I can respect your decision.

Like I mentioned in the OP, Ellroy's books aren't easy on the reader.

[Tom Ripley]

4. I grabbed a copy just today

and have really been looking forward to it.
I'm a longtime Ellroy fan from the beginning with Brown's Requiem.
I had a look at his papers in the USC Collections Library last year, and I am going back this summer.