In the 1950’s several Los Angeles Police Department officers become embroiled in sex, corruption and murder following a massacre at the Nite Owl coffee shop.
The story eventually encompasses organized crime, political corruption, heroin trafficking, pornography, prostitution and Hollywood. The title refers to the scandal magazine Confidential, which is fictionalized as Hush-Hush. It also deals with the real "Bloody Christmas" scandal.
The three protagonists are LAPD officers. Edmund Exley, the son of prestigious detective Preston Exley, is a "straight arrow" who informs on other officers in a police brutality scandal. He is first and foremost a politician and a ladder climber. This earns the enmity of Wendell "Bud" White, an intimidating enforcer with a fixation on men who abuse women. Between the two of them is Jack Vincennes, who acts as more of a celebrity than a cop, who is a technical advisor on a police television show called Badge of Honor (similar to the real-life show Dragnet) and provides tips to a scandal magazine. The three of them must set their differences aside to unravel the conspiracy linking the novel’s events.
Interesting it was adapted for 2 non-picked up TV series in 2003 and 2018 with Melissa George and Sarah Jones portraying the Lynn Bracken character.
"L.A. Confidential," the novel, is a neo-noir crime fiction book written by James Ellroy and published in 1990. It is the third book in Ellroy’s "L.A. Quartet," preceded by "The Black Dahlia" (1987) and "The Big Nowhere" (1988), and followed by "White Jazz" (1992). The series paints a complex, gritty, and often grim portrait of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 1950s, delving into corruption, crime, and scandal within the LAPD and the city at large.
"L.A. Confidential" focuses on the lives and careers of three LAPD officers: Ed Exley, the ambitious son of a legendary detective who is determined to rise in the ranks by any means necessary; Bud White, a violent but principled officer with a personal vendetta against women abusers; and Jack Vincennes, a celebrity detective who feeds tips to a scandal magazine for extra cash. Their paths cross and entangle in the investigation of a series of related crimes, including a bloody massacre at the Nite Owl coffee shop, which leads to a complex web of murder, conspiracy, and corruption reaching the highest levels of the police department and the city’s elite.
Ellroy’s writing style in "L.A. Confidential" is characterized by its terse prose, rapid-fire dialogue, and a dark, cynical view of Los Angeles. The novel’s intricate plot involves multiple storylines and a large cast of characters, making it a challenging but rewarding read for those who appreciate complex narratives and deep explorations of moral ambiguity.
The book received critical acclaim for its ambitious scope, depth of characterization, and its unflinching portrayal of the underbelly of mid-century Los Angeles. While "L.A. Confidential" is a work of fiction, Ellroy’s detailed and atmospheric depiction of the city’s historical context lends it a sense of authenticity that has captivated readers and contributed to its standing as a landmark work in crime fiction.
The 1997 film adaptation, while making some changes and condensations to fit the narrative into a film format, managed to capture the essence of Ellroy’s novel, bringing its characters and setting to life and introducing a wider audience to the author’s dark vision of Los Angeles.
