The Syndicate

‘When infamous mobster Bugsy Siegel is murdered, LAPD cop Jonathan Craine is summoned by the Las Vegas mafia to find out who’s responsible. If he fails, he dies. Taut and atmospheric, this is an excellent classic detective novel.’

‘Bolton’s excellent novels are skillful evocations of the era but have a genuine darkness at their heart…[Bolton] manages to convey something of the redemptive magic of the movie business.’

'Brilliantly taut and atmospheric.'

‘If you enjoy hard-boiled American crime thrillers then this book is perfect for you. Highly recommended.’

‘Bolton perfectly captures the era, with cameos by debauched Hollywood stars, rampant chauvinism and racism, and hearings by the House Un-American Activities Committee. Craine’s fear, exhaustion, and desperation are palpable as one lead after another turns to a dead end. This top-notch thriller doesn’t pause from beginning to end.’

‘This is a razor-sharp evocation of the links between the movies and the mob and cements Bolton’s promise as a master of vintage Hollywood noir.’

‘The Pictures was an incisive noir thriller…and The Syndicate is just as good… The unravelling of a connection between Hollywood and the criminal world is adroitly done, and the period language never sounds a false note.’

'Former Los Angeles cop Jonathan Craine accepts an offer he can't refuse by mobster Meyer Lansky, plunging him back into the world of violence and corruption that lurks under the glitzy Hollywood facade. Real figures from the late 1940s mingle with the fictional in this terrific follow-up to last year's The Pictures. The powerful writing and masterful plotting carry a reminder of Chandler.'

‘Bolton is a fine writer. This is a gripping, gloves-off period tale, sharply told with no holds barred.’

'From the shocking start to the dramatic conclusion this is a great and compelling read.'

‘Both gritty and glitzy, this evocative noir set in Hollywood’s heyday feels like a lost reel from a Bogart classic.’

‘Sharp, skilful and savagely stylish, Guy Bolton blends grit and glamour to stunning effect.’

‘A violent, engrossing work set in Hollywood and Las Vegas… Fast moving and written with a deceptively light touch The Syndicate can only enhance Bolton’s growing reputation.’

‘The movie business rules throughout…in this brilliantly portrayed crime novel… Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland, and Cary Grant all have walk on parts in this exhilarating sequel… HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.’

‘Bolton is an assured writer with a style more direct than poetic — a plus for this crime casserole — and he’s got winning characters in Craine and Conroy, among others.’

'Profoundly satisfying.'

‘Whatever other good qualities a book with a historical setting may have, I consider it important for the writer to demonstrate a good sense of the time and place being treated, and I think Bolton meets that test quite well. He gives a good, provocative picture of the post-World War II zeitgeist.’

‘Bolton’s evocation of the period and its many real-life characters is perfect and sharply drawn, and I can only think of James Ellroy or Max Allan Collins, both US authors, who have equalled Bolton’s feel for the atmosphere and mood of crooked Hollywood, and Craine sports all the colours of a classic troubled hardboiled character... A total success.'

'This is an entertaining and well-written novel that is set firmly in the milieu of post-war Hollywood... The plot fairly zips along with all the twists and turns that the reader expects from a noir-ish thriller.'

‘Guy Bolton’s first novel, The Pictures was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Award, and I’m sure another CWA nomination lies in wait for this, its sequel, The Syndicate… The final act plays out like a Western and is all the better for it. The Syndicate is a well-written crime noir thriller and surely only the second in what could be a long-running series.’

'The author has done so many things right here… He not only made Craine's story a compelling read, but he moved it in unexpected directions…anyone can write a murder mystery, but making it as psychologically intense as the author's done here is a job well done.’