Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining look at Los Angeles
Review: Hollywood has known many failures over the years, but the Heaven's Gate of pathetic losers probably is Paris Scott. His numerous efforts for artistic and financial success have landed him a night job at a nearby convenience store. Proving that the worse case lies in a bottomless pit, things go bad for Paris. He obtains a valuable last recording from a rock icon who just committed suicide and a cache of drugs stolen from a powerful dealer. Paris sees the contraband as a means to get rich quick. However, an assortment of other individuals and groups do not quite see eye to eye with Paris. Instead, it seems as if half the sleaziest residents of Hollywood want the tape and or the heroin even at the cost of Paris' life. Even though he now possesses goods worth several million dollars, Paris has no market as the demand for his goods is his life. EVERYBODY SMOKES IN HELL is a wild ride through Los Angeles via John Ridley's hate-love relationship with the city. The story line is not deep yet carries a strong theme that a rich quick scheme invariably fails. The characters are a wide variety of failures and flops with Paris being the leader of the pack. The city of LA seems alive, but appears as another loser rivaling that of Paris. Not for everyone, Mr. Ridley humorously but gritty work portrays the underbelly of Southern California society. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Very unique..The style has a little bite to it.
Review: I actually was a friend to John Ridley in High school back in Wisconsin.We were both in track at the time. He always had this talent for the moment and a wit about him. You could see that wit and sharpness in this book. The detail and decriptions are from a guy who sees more to a situation than is thought to be. Fun reading..and I know his talents will be enjoyed by many.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best crime novels of the new millenium
Review: I am a big fan of crime novels and this is by far one of the best I've read in recent years. Ridley takes a character that was briefly in one of his previous novels, "Love Is A Racket", and builds a compelling story around him. His description of LA is dead-on accurate and, as a resident of the area myself, you can tell by his frank discourse of the good and the bad that he has spent a lot of time here. The most amazing part of the book though is his dialog and his characterizations. His dialog is spot-on, using modern slang as well as anyone out there. Think a Tarantino film in written form, nothing seems forced and everything is used for the purpose of advancing plot or giving us insight into the minds of the main characters. His characters also feel very three dimensional, not just some cookie cutter cutouts of real people. Ridley also balances the humor in the book with the violence and the suspense quite well. The only complaint I would have with the book is its brevity, but that doesn't diminish from the book's brilliance nor its enjoyableness. Actually, its short length encouraged me to re-read the book again a couple months after I finished it initially. This book will suck you in and you'll be sorry when you're spit out again at the end. I give it my highest recommendation. A great summer read.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best crime novels of the new millenium
Review: I am a big fan of crime novels and this is by far one of the best I've read in recent years. Ridley takes a character that was briefly in one of his previous novels, "Love Is A Racket", and builds a compelling story around him. His description of LA is dead-on accurate and, as a resident of the area myself, you can tell by his frank discourse of the good and the bad that he has spent a lot of time here. The most amazing part of the book though is his dialog and his characterizations. His dialog is spot-on, using modern slang as well as anyone out there. Think a Tarantino film in written form, nothing seems forced and everything is used for the purpose of advancing plot or giving us insight into the minds of the main characters. His characters also feel very three dimensional, not just some cookie cutter cutouts of real people. Ridley also balances the humor in the book with the violence and the suspense quite well. The only complaint I would have with the book is its brevity, but that doesn't diminish from the book's brilliance nor its enjoyableness. Actually, its short length encouraged me to re-read the book again a couple months after I finished it initially. This book will suck you in and you'll be sorry when you're spit out again at the end. I give it my highest recommendation. A great summer read.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have (Should Have) Been the Greatest Mystery Ever
Review: I have been an avid mystery reader since I picked up my first in 1976 and this came close to being the best that I have ever read. The characters, their dialogue, the plot, the author's story telling style, his descriptions were fantastic, but the story fell flat at the end. (I will not give anything away here). As I was reading it and realized how close to the end I was getting, I began to wonder how it was to be wrapped up and perhaps my book was missing 25 pages.... however in the last page and a half the book comes to it's sudden conclusion. The pace of the book was well executed and the characters grew and took me along with them and then like hitting a brick wall, it is over! It is one of those types of books that ends but doesn't quite. I sure don't think it calls for a sequel, but it appeared to me that the author got tired of writing, didn't know how to end it, so quickly found a way to. Very unsatisfying. Like eating a delicious dessert and finding a cockroach in your last bite. The ending here spoiled everything that came before it. I was ready to pick up another one of the author's works right away, but now I am going to wait for a while. Well worth the read, but the end may dissapoint some.
Rating:
Summary: CAN'T HELP BUT LOVE IT
Review: I know I'm supposed to hate the characters in this book - losers, drug dealers, low-lives - but page after page I was sucked into their lives, their hopes and their dreams. More than just a good read, this is a fascinating character study. No, they're not likable, but Ridley makes the people in his book compelling. That is truly the mark of great writing. And this is truly a great novel.
Rating:
Summary: RAPID FIRE DELIGHT
Review: I never thought I could be entertained, let alone find interest in scuzzy people leading scuzzy lives, but the characters in this book are so vivid, so twisted - AND FUNNY - you end up reading as fast as you can turn the pages. It's a very creative collection of people the writer's brought together, and he does a GREAT job of juggling them. For someone who doesn't normally read this kind of book, I couldn't put it down!
Rating: 
Summary: Been there done that
Review: I was looking forward to this book because I really liked Love is a Racket. But this one just missed the mark. Others have said it and I'll say it again: there is way too much Tarantino for me to buy this as original. I am also tired of the hipster style prose. Example: This "Hello I'm a fat ***** who smokes too many cigarettes" guy walked in the door. I know Ellroy does it too, but enough! It's irritating to read and it is insulting to a one's intelligence. I guess I should say something about the characterization. Paris good, but needs more work. Brice terrible because she was basically a gimmick( will be good chum for some intellectually lazy literary critic who will write a trite review on how we've never seen a female psychotic killer in literature before... really turned the genre on it's head) that was thrown in for shock value. On top of that, there was very little depth to her-- which might have been ok but I think Ridley wanted Brice to be the strongest character in the story. Instead she turned out to be the stereotypical woman scorned. As for the other characters, seen them too many times. Well sorry Ridley. Your a talented writer; much more gifted than this.
Rating:
Summary: Tight.
Review: I was lucky enough to snatch up a "promotional" issue of this book from the bookstore where I work. I was glad I did. Even though I read it for free, I would've gladly paid money for it. Ridley (isn't he a comedian?) paints a startling picture of the entertainment industry. Everything in the book is seemingly so true...and the book is full of classic "one-liners" that keep the reader chuckling humorously throughout. This is a great book.
Rating:
Summary: Ridley Just Keeps Getting Better
Review: I've been a fan of John Ridley's work since I read his first book, "Stray Dogs." His follow-up, "Love is a Racket" was even better. And now he tops himself with "Everybody Smokes in Hell." Anyone who lives in L.A. can tell you how hilariously, horrifically, and ultimately tragically true this book is. This guy is the real thing, with a style to kill for and vision to match.
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