The City Knows

No matter how well secrets are kept, the city knows.

At the turn of the 1970s, two friends set out from Ohio to Los Angeles. Will is a songwriter seeking to follow in the footsteps of his idols. Alex has no plan apart from riding his friend’s coattails to some kind of fame on his own. Will is focused and determined, but carries the burden of mental illness that often overwhelms him. It’s compounded by the secret he can’t share about the source of his songs.

Alex attempts to break into movies, but finds his only means of survival is to supply high-profile figures within the industry with drugs. As Alex’s associations begin to lead him into darker and more dangerous territory, Will’s career begins to take off, causing their lifelong relationship to fracture. Both soon find themselves in over their heads in their respective situations-and romantic relationships. In Alex’s case, he becomes involved with Jessy, who has deep ties to L.A.’s Black Panther leadership, and attempts to use Alex’s movie industry connections to further the cause. All of this leads to Will and Alex being forced to make choices that will ultimately seal their individual fates.

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Jason Schneider is the author of six books, including That Gun In Your Hand: the Strange Saga of ’Hey Joe’ and Popular Music’s History of Violence, and 3,000 Miles (A Novel). He has been writing about music since 1994, with his work appearing in Exclaim!, Paste, Shindig, The Globe & Mail, the Toronto Star, and many other outlets. He currently resides in his hometown, Kitchener, Ontario.