Blood's A Rover

James Elroy. One of the most respected American crime novelists of our time. I read his book "Blood's A Rover". It came out in 2008. It is book about United States and what happened there in 60's and early 70's. Should it be read as a social commentary. Maybe. Is it one? Probably not.

You won't like the characters in the book. You will hate them and despise them. They aren't nice people. Some of them try to do the right thing at the end but it does not save them. They just have gone too far.

Like in Elroy's  previous books the story has many different branches and the fate of characters is intertwined around one key event. This time everyone is after emeralds that were lost during a robbery of an armoured van. There are people searching for the diamonds from left and right.

Even though the violence, drug abuse and the evil things that happen in the book will make you nauseous and dislike the characters there is something captivating in the story and Elroy's story telling. Big reason for that is the style how Elroy mixes real life events and stories from his imagination is something very unique. I almost started to believe that these things really did happen.

Blood's a Rover gives you an opportunity to take trip in to the world of rogue FBI agents, mobsters and leftwingers. Take it if you are ready to watch the evil that lives inside us humans straight in the eye.