Here are 56 books that City in Ruins fans have personally recommended if you like City in Ruins. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Circe

Raymond Walker Author Of Under Dark Skies

From Raymond's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Raymond's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Raymond Walker Why Raymond loves this book

The myth of "Circe" haunts the ancient world. This novel was a new beginning to a wonderful tale well told and written. I would recommend it.

By Madeline Miller ,

Why should I read it?

54 authors picked Circe as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The international Number One bestseller from the author of The Song of Achilles, shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction

Woman. Witch. Myth. Mortal. Outcast. Lover. Destroyer. Survivor. CIRCE.

In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. Circe is a strange child - not powerful and terrible, like her father, nor gorgeous and mercenary like her mother. Scorned and rejected, Circe grows up in the shadows, at home in neither the world of gods or mortals. But Circe has a dark power of her own: witchcraft. When her gift threatens…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of The Life We Bury

Dan Largent Author Of Before We Ever Spoke

From Dan's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Dan's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Dan Largent Why Dan loves this book

I was so happy that I gave this book a chance, after passing it over a few times. Joe Talbert is a wonderful protagonist, and as the father of a son with Autism, I felt that Eskens did a wonderful job portraying Talbert's brother, Jeremy.

By Allen Eskens ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Life We Bury as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A USA Today bestseller and book club favorite!

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran--and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home, after spending thirty years in…


Book cover of All the Colors of the Dark

Sherryl Clark Author Of Woman, Missing

From Sherryl's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Crime writer Word soaker Dreamer Curious Stubborn

Sherryl's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Sherryl Clark Why Sherryl loves this book

I love stories in which characters are utterly compelled to follow a path, for myriad reasons, even if it leads to their ultimate destruction. Even better when it leads to redemption. I think redemption stories are very much about the world we live in now, where forgiveness and compassion are so precious. This is such a complex novel with twists and complications, and I never knew whether I wanted her to find him or not!

By Chris Whitaker ,

Why should I read it?

27 authors picked All the Colors of the Dark as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller, and an epic love story - with a unique twist on each...

* * * * *

Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of local teenager Joseph 'Patch' Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who is broken by her best friend's disappearance. Soon, she will eat, sleep, breathe, only to find him.

But when she it will break her heart.

Patch lies in a pitch-black room - all alone - for days or maybe weeks. Until he feels a hand in his. Her name…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of Same As It Ever Was

ilyssa

From Ilyssa's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Unknown Author Why Ilyssa loves this book

I love a messy family drama, especially one that also makes me laugh. This had spot-on observations about being a mother.

By Claire Lombardo ,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Same As It Ever Was as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NAMED A BEST BOOK BY PEOPLE AND PARADE • The New York Times bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had (“wonderfully immersive…deliciously absorbing”—NPR) returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present.

“Infidelity, dysfunction, secrets – this family novel delivers."—The New York Times • "Lombardo has such a fine eye for the weft and warp of a family’s fabric." —The Washington Post • “Witty and insightful...a powerful exploration of marriage, motherhood, and self.”–Bonnie Garmus, bestselling author of Lessons…


Book cover of The Power of the Dog

Richard A. Danzig Author Of Facts Are Stubborn Things

From my list on legal thrillers to get your heart racing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an author, attorney, artist, and entrepreneur. My experience as a litigator for over forty years, as well as my experience as a painter and an investor, has inspired and influenced me to write the Chance Cormac legal thrillers series. 

Richard's book list on legal thrillers to get your heart racing

Richard A. Danzig Why Richard loves this book

When you enter Winslow’s world of drug cartels, be prepared for violence and intrigue at the US-Mexico border. Winslow vividly portrays the ongoing battle between the DEA and the cartels.

Power of the Dog is the first book in the Cartel Trilogy. Winslow takes the reader south of the border as the War on Drugs confronts the brutal realities of the drug trade and its victims.

By Don Winslow ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Power of the Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Breathtaking' JEREMY CLARKSON
'Winslow's masterpiece (so far) ... should have a place on every crime freak's bookshelf. Superb' INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
_______________________
A brilliant page-turning thriller of power and revenge on the front lines of the drug war.

Drug lord Miguel Angel Barrera is head of the Mexican drug federacion, responsible for millions of dollars worth of cocaine traffic into the US and the torture and murder of those who stand in its way. His nephew, Adan Barrera, is his worthy successor.

Art Keller is a US government operative, so determined to obtain revenge for a murdered colleague that his…


Book cover of Blacktop Wasteland

Garry Bushell Author Of The Face

From my list on gripping stories from the criminal underbelly.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a former rock writer turned television critic, but in my teens, I became hooked on Raymond Chandler’s hardboiled Philip Marlowe detective sagas. The plotting was intricate, the writing exquisite and poetic. I also loved the no-nonsense pulp fiction of Mickey Spillane and his Mike Hammer character. So I’m always on the lookout for authors who combine realism and pace with great prose–like James Crumley, whose writing was like Chandler crossed with Hunter S. Thompson. Through journalism and band management, I came into contact with real gangsters and have always aspired to reflect their three-dimensional reality rather than glorifying them as television and Hollywood tend to do.

Garry's book list on gripping stories from the criminal underbelly

Garry Bushell Why Garry loves this book

‘Bug’ Montage was once the sharpest get-away driving east of the Mississippi, but he had put all that behind him to become a loving family man, getting by on an honest wage as a motor mechanic. When Bug’s respectable life starts to fall apart, a former associate offers him one last job with a huge payout.

The temptation of earning a quick buck is too strong to ignore, but can Bug survive?

By S.A. Cosby ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked Blacktop Wasteland as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

*GUARDIAN BEST CRIME AND THRILLERS OF 2020*
*LA TIMES BOOK PRIZE WINNER 2020*

'BLACKTOP WASTELAND may be the book of the year.' MICHAEL CONNELLY
'Sensationally good' LEE CHILD
'I loved BLACKTOP WASTELAND' STEPHEN KING
'Stunning. Can't remember the last time I read such a powerful crime novel' MARK BILLINGHAM

"Bug" Montage: honest mechanic, loving family man. He's no longer the criminal he was - the sharpest wheelman east of the Mississippi.

But when his respectable life crumbles, a shady associate comes calling with a one-time job promising a huge payout. Inexorably drawn to the driver's seat - and haunted by…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of No Country for Old Men

Randi Samuelson-Brown Author Of Branded Past

From Randi's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Randi's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Randi Samuelson-Brown Why Randi loves this book

McCarthy is a master (the master?) no doubt. This gritty read once again immersed the reader in a facet of the west I'd never considered overly much. Harsh, gritty and mesmerizing.

By Cormac McCarthy ,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked No Country for Old Men as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Llewelyn Moss, hunting antelope near the Rio Grande, instead finds men shot dead, a load of heroin, and more than $2 million in cash. Packing the money out, he knows, will change everything. But only after two more men are murdered does a victim's burning car lead Sheriff Bell to the carnage out in the desert, and he soon realizes that Moss and his young wife are in desperate need of protection. One party in the failed transaction hires an ex-Special Forces officer to defend his interests against a mesmerizing freelancer, while on either side are men accustomed to spectacular…


Book cover of The Cartel

John Houle Author Of The Siberian Candidate

From my list on political thrillers that teach you about real world events.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was a political consultant for much of the first half of my nearly 30-year career in communications. Having run statewide and local political campaigns, I experienced many of the personalities I write about today. What is behind the political decisions elected leaders make? Can you truly be a dedicated public servant in politics today? If you only play to win, how do you keep from becoming your own worst enemy? My writing and the works I gravitate towards explore these challenging issues, which are as prevalent today as they were analyzed by the Greeks, Shakespeare, and 20th-century writers.

John's book list on political thrillers that teach you about real world events

John Houle Why John loves this book

Having read the series out of order, The Cartel was my first Winslow book. His story was so captivating that I needed to go back and read how it all started.

The fact that I could start with The Cartel without having read the origin story is an example of Winslow’s talent. The Cartel is a great stand-alone story, made even better when its two companion books are added together. Winslow has developed compelling characters, and it's enjoyable to watch how they evolve and face new challenges.

By Don Winslow ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Cartel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The New York Times bestselling second novel in the explosive Power of the Dog series—an action-filled look at the drug trade that takes you deep inside a world riddled with corruption, betrayal, and bloody revenge.

Book Two of the Power of the Dog Series

It’s 2004. Adán Barrera, kingpin of El Federación, is languishing in a California federal prison. Ex-DEA agent Art Keller passes his days in a monastery, having lost everything to his thirty-year blood feud with the drug lord. Then Barrera escapes. Now, there’s a two-million-dollar bounty on Keller’s head and no one else capable of taking Barrera…


Book cover of City on Fire

Garry Bushell Author Of The Face

From my list on gripping stories from the criminal underbelly.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a former rock writer turned television critic, but in my teens, I became hooked on Raymond Chandler’s hardboiled Philip Marlowe detective sagas. The plotting was intricate, the writing exquisite and poetic. I also loved the no-nonsense pulp fiction of Mickey Spillane and his Mike Hammer character. So I’m always on the lookout for authors who combine realism and pace with great prose–like James Crumley, whose writing was like Chandler crossed with Hunter S. Thompson. Through journalism and band management, I came into contact with real gangsters and have always aspired to reflect their three-dimensional reality rather than glorifying them as television and Hollywood tend to do.

Garry's book list on gripping stories from the criminal underbelly

Garry Bushell Why Garry loves this book

Part one of Winslow’s latest trilogy introduces us to a gangland war between Irish and Italian mobs in New England after their fragile peace is ruptured by a beautiful woman. The fall-out puts an end to Danny Ryan’s dream of going legit. It’s up to him to step up, take the lead, and save his family.

Winslow writes believable characters, marries action with heart, and consciously echoes Homer’s The Iliad, including a contemporary Helen of Troy.

By Don Winslow ,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked City on Fire as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"One of America's greatest storytellers." - Stephen King

"No one fuses action with emotion like Winslow." - The Times

The new thriller from the #1 international bestseller - the start of a brand new trilogy

'Superb. This is storytelling with a keen edge. City on Fire is exhilarating to read.' - Stephen King

A Times Best Book for 2022

Two criminal empires together control all of New England.

Until a beautiful woman comes between the Irish and the Italians, launching a war that will see them kill each other, destroy an alliance, and set a city on fire.

Danny Ryan…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of The Lincoln Lawyer

Richard A. Danzig Author Of Facts Are Stubborn Things

From my list on legal thrillers to get your heart racing.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an author, attorney, artist, and entrepreneur. My experience as a litigator for over forty years, as well as my experience as a painter and an investor, has inspired and influenced me to write the Chance Cormac legal thrillers series. 

Richard's book list on legal thrillers to get your heart racing

Richard A. Danzig Why Richard loves this book

Connelly is the GOAT of the legal thriller genre. He is the creator of Mickey Haller and Hieronymus Bosch.

The Lincoln Lawyer introduces Mickey Haller, the LA lawyer whose office is his Lincoln Town Car. A criminal defense lawyer, Haller agrees to defend a prominent real estate agent who claims he is being framed for assault and attempted murder.

In Connelly’s novels, things are never what they seem. Connelly understands the challenges facing attorneys in investigating and trying difficult cases for difficult clients.

By Michael Connelly ,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked The Lincoln Lawyer as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

They're called Lincoln Lawyers: the bottom of the legal food chain, the criminal defence attorneys who operate out of the back of a Lincoln car, travelling between the courthouses of Los Angeles county to take whatever cases the system throws in their path.

Mickey Haller has been in the business a long time, and he knows just how to work it, how to grease the right wheels and palms, to keep the engine of justice working in his favour. When a Beverly Hills rich boy is arrested for brutally beating a woman, Haller has his first high-paying client in years.…


Book cover of Circe
Book cover of The Life We Bury
Book cover of All the Colors of the Dark

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