The “demon dog of American letters” bounds back into view with The Enchanters, a follow-up to 2021’s Widespread Panic. Freddy Otash—ex-cop turned private eye turned extortionist turned violent goon turned informant turned cop again—is back. This time, James Ellroy’s burning spotlight falls on the death of Marilyn Monroe, the glamorous conspiracies around it, and the often-not-so-glamorous people who circled her.
There are no nice guys here, no heroes to support. Looking for a plucky underdog overcoming the odds and neatly saving the day, providing optimism and comfort? James Ellroy isn’t your man. Nothing so easy here. We’re all born sinners, every human soul full of stains that can’t be removed. Everyone exploits everyone else, plays angles, searches for advantages. Likability can be boring, and Ellroy is a modern master of making his characters interesting instead of nice.
