The novels of James Ellroy are rich feasts of pulp fiction and his latest work, Perfidia, is no exception. Set on the brink of America's entry into World War II, this densely-plotted thriller is the first in a brand new series of prequels to the author's popular "L.A. Quartet" and "American Underworld" novels. This "Second L.A. Quartet" follows the early years of many of the characters from those wroks and the result is a richly entertaining read that will satisfy fans of hard-boiled crime fiction and vintage film-noir.
Perfidia begins with the horrific murder of a Japanese family on the eve of the Pearl Harbor attacks, an incident that sets into motion a chain of events that lead up to an elaborate conspiracy involving racial warfare, eugenics, Communist activists, shady real estate dealings, and sinister plastic surgery procedures. That description barely scrapes the surface of Ellroy's labyrinthine plotting, and those who aren't paying close attention may find the novel to be a bit confusing and convoluted. Ellroy is an artist who works on a large canvas and the book's multitudes of storylines and characters can be a little overwhelming at times. Those who stick with it will be richly rewarded, however. Fans of the original novels in particular will be delighted to see some failiar characters making a return, such as Kay Lake, the femme fatale of The Black Dahlia who appears here on an assignment to infiltrate a radical subversive group and the corrupt Dudley Smith, an ex-IRA enforcer eager to pin the massacre on a convenient suspect and cover up his own crooked agenda. The most interesting character in the novel is the conflicted Dr. Hideo Ashida, a Japanese-American chemist for the LAPD with his own secrets to hide who quickly becomes an outcast when racial tensions begin to mount. Ellroy has fun introducing real-life historical figures into the mix as well, including Bette Davis, Eleanor Roosevelt, and a young naval officer named John F. Kennedy.
Because Perfidia is a prequel, it does curb the story's suspense quite a bit. Knowing that many of the characters will appear in the other books and aren't in any serious threat of being killed prevents it from reaching the most nail-biting moments of the other works. Ellroy's blunt language and uncompromising depictions of graphic violence and sexuality may also turn off more sensitive readers. These are minor flaws, however, in an otherwise engaging and satisfying crime epic that will leave fans of the genre hungry for more.
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