L.A. ConfidentialL.A. Confidential
Score Modern
What it's about
James Ellroy's crime novel opens at Christmas 1951 in Los Angeles, a city where the police are as corrupt as the criminals they chase.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It's a landmark of hard-boiled American crime fiction.
You'll love it if you liked
The Big Nowhere
The Long Goodbye
The Big SleepGood to know
It's a dark picture of corruption in 1950s Los Angeles.
By the numbers
- Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller15 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #160 of the 623 mysteries and thrillers we rank
- #610 of the 1,648 modern books we rank
- #1180 of the 3,057 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Gripping, Moving
More by James Ellroy
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The Moonstone
The Daughter of Time
Shirley
The Book Thief
Americanah
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Quick answers
Is L.A. Confidential worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of 1,000 novels everyone must read. It ranks #1,180 of the 3,057 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is L.A. Confidential about?
James Ellroy's crime novel opens at Christmas 1951 in Los Angeles, a city where the police are as corrupt as the criminals they chase.
How long does it take to read L.A. Confidential?
About 11 hours (439 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after L.A. Confidential?
If you liked it, try The Big Nowhere by James Ellroy, The Long Goodbye by Raymond Chandler or The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.