What's in store for book 2 of Don Winslow's Rhode Island crime trilogy?

Danny Ryan is back. And so is author Don Winslow, the Rhode Island native — and part-time resident — who created Ryan as the protagonist for his current trilogy, the first time Winslow has set action in his home state.

The first book “City on Fire,” was published a year ago. The second, “City of Dreams,” will hit bookstores April 18. The third — which is already finished — will be published a year from now.

After that, the prolific novelist and screenwriter has yet another plot twist in store for his career (more on that later).

What is Winslow's RI trilogy about?

The first book of Winslow's latest trilogy told the story of a war between Irish and Italian organized crime families in a fictional Rhode Island of the 1980s. When we last saw Danny, he had lost the war and was fleeing with his infant son, ailing father and a small remnant of his crew. On his trail were the victorious Italian mobsters back home and a vengeful FBI agent.

Danny ends up in California and Las Vegas, where his fortunes change dramatically. As for the final book, Winslow said much of the action will once again take place in Rhode Island — but he won’t reveal whether or not Danny comes back home.

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In an introduction to “City of Dreams,” Winslow said it took a long time for him to recognize the parallels between Danny’s life and his own. Winslow grew up in Perryville, near Matunuck, and left Rhode Island at an early age to find his way in the world. (Of course, Winslow was not on the run from the mob or the feds.)

“I didn’t realize it until I was deep into book two,” Winslow said in a phone interview from California. “Like Danny, I spent decades wandering, trying to make a living. It took me to Africa, China, college in Nebraska. We lived in hotels for three years when I was a private investigator in California. “

Rhode Island trilogy is grounded in Greek and Roman classics

Winslow said he started this project 28 years ago, writing early versions of book one and part of book two, taking it up and then putting it down. Part of him, he said, wasn’t sure he could do it, because the idea behind the trilogy was that it would parallel ancient Greek and Roman literature. Danny, for example, represents Aeneas, a relatively minor figure in Homer's "Iliad" but the hero of Virgil’s “The Aeneid.”

In the meantime, Winslow found bestselling success with his other books, notably the “Cartel” trilogy set in the brutal drug wars on the Mexican border.

But he kept coming back to Danny/Aeneas. “I was so much in love with it, but I kept thinking, ‘Does it love me back?’” he said. He had to find modern versions for ancient characters and events. The beautiful movie star Diane Carson, for example, represents Dido, queen of Carthage.

“That was the fun of it, that was the challenge,” he said. “Could I take these great classics and use them in my books? It was a labor of love.” Winslow has studied the classics carefully and taken online courses, and he's quick to quote passages from Homer or Virgil.

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He doesn’t appear to mind that most readers won’t get the classical references, even though each chapter begins with a quote from “The Aeneid.”

“If I had dumped the classical allusions, I would have it given up,” he said. “It would have been just another crime novel.”

TV and film adaptations of Winslow's works in the pipeline

Some of the action within “City of Dreams” takes place in the movie world, where a studio is making a movie based on that crime war back in Rhode Island. Winslow himself has already had some experience with making movies – his book “Savages” became a film directed by Oliver Stone — but lately it seems as though he’s become a Hollywood favorite.

Winslow’s "Cartel” trilogy is due to appear as a weekly series on FX, while “The Force,” Winslow’s book about corrupt cops in New York, will hit the big screen as a movie starring Matt Damon. Other Winslow books, including the current Danny Ryan trilogy, are in various stages of development. Austin Butler, fresh off his Oscar-nominated starring role in "Elvis," will co-produce and star in the Sony Pictures adaptation of "City on Fire."

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Winslow gives much of the credit to his agent, Shane Salerno, a screenwriter, producer and founder of a company called The Story Factory. “Shane knows the industry inside out,” he said. “I also like to think I write characters and dialogue that appeals to actors.”

Winslow is also working on a Rhode Island project of his own, an adaptation of “The Last Good Heist,” the true story of the notorious 1975 Bonded Vault robbery in Providence, written by Tim White, Randall Richard and Wayne Worcester. Winslow has written a screenplay, but given the twisting path it takes to get a project made, he’s not revealing any more.

Major shift coming for Winslow: Retiring from books to focus on politics

With everything on his plate, it seems an odd time for Winslow to retire from the book world. But that’s what he says he’s doing, shifting his focus from writing to politics. “I’m old enough to know never say never,” the 69-year-old Winslow said. “But my decision is pretty firm.”

Fierce opponents of Donald Trump, Winslow and Salerno created a series of videos for the 2020 election — collaborating with the likes of Jeff Daniels and Bruce Springsteen — that had millions of views.

“I love writing and do not make this decision lightly, but I’m going to pick a fight,” Winslow’s said in a statement last April. “I’m going to create a series of political videos that hit hard, create change and help win key races across this country.”

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Winslow makes no bones about his politics — he’s a Democrat. At the same time, he believes it’s possible to reach out to some Republicans. “I think there’s a constituency there that’s become more willing to listen,” he said. “And we’ll still fight the hard-core.”

Winslow has almost a million followers on Twitter, which has provided a platform for his politics. But Twitter has changed since it was acquired by Elon Musk, a self-professed free-speech advocate who reinstated Donald Trump’s Twitter account and has been more comfortable with right-wing posts.

But unlike some Twitter users who have left the platform, Winslow said he’s not going anywhere. “You have to fight the fight where the fight is,” he said. “I’m not going to be chased out.”

Don Winslow will appear at the Barrington Public Library on April 22 at 6:30 p.m. for a discussion and book signing, co-sponsored by Barrington Books. This is a ticketed event; reservations can be made at bit.ly/3GmCSqC. For more information, go to barringtonbooks.com.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Don Winslow's RI trilogy heads west in volume 2, "City of Dreams"