As Mario says, it's a real challenge for anyone who writes a
novel set in a
historical period. Certainly Max Collins has done an
excellent job of it,
but has kept to a single historical period. I particularly
like Loren
Estleman's five "Detroit" novels. Each moves into a new
historical period
and it must have been a real challenge for Loren to get it
right, beginning
with WHISKEY RIVER set during Prohibition days. Of course,
Loren also
writes westerns and so is comfortable with the research
required where there
are a lot of things to be concerned about.
I'm sorry that Anthony was put off by the covers of Robert
Skinner's books.
I recently read BLOOD RED, SKIN DEEP and enjoyed it very
much. There is New
Orleans police graft and corruption and an unusual
relationship between a
police officer and a young man on the low end of the criminal
scale, owner
of bars and cardrooms and a whore house. I recommend it
highly.
I haven't read Ellroy's L.A. Quartet; only THE BLACK DAHLIA
and that was so
long ago that I can't vouch for the authenticity of its
historical time. I
don't recall anything jarring and suspect that Ellroy is a
careful writer
who would pay attention to such. I'll say more about Ellroy
when I give you
my take on HOLLYWOOD NOCTURNES.
Cheers, Frank D.
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