Readers will have to wait a little longer for Don Winslow’s next novel. HarperCollins said today that it has delayed the release of City on Fire until 2022 amid the surge in Covid around the country. It had been set to hit shelves in September.
The book will launch a trilogy that tells an epic crime saga. City on Fire follows the template of Homer’s The Iliad, and its follow-ups will be City of Dreams and City in Ashes. The latter two are planned for September 2022 and September 2023, respectively. No word on whether either will be delayed.
“I’ve been writing City on Fire and my new trilogy for decades,” Winslow said in a statement. “One of the great joys of publishing a new book is interacting with readers on tour, a hallmark of each of my publications. In light of rising Covid case numbers across the U.S., I’ve decided to postpone the publication of City on Fire until 2022 when I can tour at full capacity, meet with readers in signing lines and shake the hands of the people I value so much. To keep everyone safe — readers, booksellers, librarians — the publication must be delayed. I do not make this decision lightly. Stay tuned for new pub date to follow.”
The trilogy focuses on two criminal empires — one Irish, the other Italian — that control all of Rhode Island and have led a peaceful lucrative existence until a modern-day Helen of Troy tears them apart and starts a brutal war. The protagonist, Danny Ryan, is forced to grow from a street soldier into a ruthlessly efficient leader to protect his friends, his family and the home he loves. Fighting the Mafia, the local cops, the feds, Danny will build a dynasty or die trying.
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Sony Pictures and Elizabeth Gabler’s 3000 Pictures — a partnership between Sony and HarperCollins — acquired outright screen rights to the City trilogy in June.