L.A. Rex
Will Beall
Riverhead Books/Penguin

L.A. Rex reads like a season of The Shield, is just about as addictive, and far more graphic. Set in Los Angeles, Will Beall’s first novel doesn’t let up, with some brutal act occurring about every three pages. Beall also clearly loves his research. The gunfights in L.A. Rex start with detailed descriptions of the hardware involved and bodily harm is described in medical detail.

In style and subject matter Beall owes a debt to Elmore Leonard, and there are strong echoes of Antoine Fuqua’s film Training Day. Unfortunately, the novel’s plot twists can occasionally strain suspension of disbelief, and there is a bit of wandering into cliché with the characters, but these are only minor flaws in a very badass book.

—Gidalya