Customer Reviews

Dark City

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The Dark City by Max Allan Collins takes place in the Cleveland of 1935-36. It features real life G-man Eliot Ness who, having left Chicago behind, now serves as Director of Public Safety in the city of Cleveland.

Appointed to the position by a reform minded mayor, Ness is charged with cleaning up Cleveland's hopelessly corrupt police department. The narrative unfolds in a straightforward manner with fact and fiction comingled to make for very interesting reading. As Ness methodically goes about the task of ferreting out the "bent" cops in his midst, a subplot concerning his personal life is skillfully added in.

The Dark City succeeds in telling an interesting tale. It's a work of fiction but owes much to actual events known to have occured in and around Depression era Cleveland. A solid 4 star effort, well researched and clearly told.

Max Allan Collins proves why he is the best Mystery writer writing today. All his Eliot Ness novels, "Murder by the Numbers," "Butcher's Dozen," and "Bullet Proof" are great reads.

If you ever get a copy of this book, I believe that it is a must read. For ones who are narrow in your thinking, it will make you broader. For those who are prideful, it causes a humbling effect. It makes you take a different look at race relations and regional stereotypes.

The ending paralyzed me in my chair.