Dark Neon & Dirt

by Thomas Trang

Shaun Nguyen is a Vietnamese war orphan who made it to America. But danger was never far behind – from the Chinatown gangs he ran with in New York, to his years in Iraq dodging bullets and defusing bombs. Nguyen learnt how to survive. By all means necessary.

Now he’s a high-end thief in Los Angeles. One of the best, but smart enough to know he’s living on borrowed time. Then a job goes sideways, leaving bodies on the Hollywood Freeway, stolen diamonds in his pocket, and a target on his back.

Which gets the attention of Thomas Monroe, an LAPD lieutenant who’s been hunting Nguyen for years. Captain Ahab with a gun and badge, plus his own dirty secrets closing in on him fast. The two of them are set on a collision course – a thief who won’t be caught and the cop who doesn’t miss.

Not exactly the quiet life Nguyen is after, especially now he’s met a mysterious woman who’s landed in town. They fall for each other hard. A gallerist living in France who used to be with the FBI’s Art Crime Team. Able to spot forgeries a mile off, but she hasn’t figured him out yet.

So once he wraps up this business with the diamonds, Nguyen is done with the game. The problem is she’s not quite done with the FBI.

Welcome to the City of Angels – where everyone has an angle.

What folks are saying...“Michael Mann’s Heat meets Chuck Hogan’s Prince of Thieves in this high octane crime novel.” —Joel Nedecky, author of The Broken Detective

“ Dark Neon & Dirt is a swift actioner painted expertly across LA’s gritty, urban canvas. A stellar crime debut with worldly ambitions…This heist novel does so much more than bargained for—it’ll steal your heart.” —Matt Phillips, author of A Good Rush of Blood

“Thomas Trang has written a gritty, action-packed tale that will hook you right from the start. The writing is sharp as a broken bottle, and Trang’s characters shoot hardboiled dialogue until the chambers are dry. Dark Neon & Dirt is a visceral and unforgettable debut!” —C.W. Blackwell, author of Hard Mountain Clay

“Fast and smooth as a greased .45 slug, Dark Neon & Dirt is an incredible heist novel that recalls the finest works of Don Winslow.” —Nick Kolakowski, author of Where The Bones Lie

Genres: Mystery

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 18, 2025

Reviews

[M.E. Proctor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel of Los Angeles. Thomas Trang’s "Dark Neon & Dirt" is a tip of the hat to Michael Mann’s "Heat", everybody will tell you so—the location, the face-off between the cop and the criminal, the heist …—but it is also something else. I’d call it a love letter to the movies, all the good ones that glued us to the screen as teenagers wherever we lived, wherever we dreamed of a California of sunsets and palm trees, of sleek cars and shady but-so-cool deals between really cool people, even the bad ones. Maybe especially the bad ones. Didn’t we learn, also, at the movies, that morality was a plastic thing and that nothing was at it seemed? This is where "Dark Neon & Dirt" shines bright. It twists and turns with glee, multiplies the double and triple crosses, and performs a miracle while doing it: we love the characters!

[Douglas Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taut, tense, and stylish (loads of style!) crime drama that zips and pops from start to finish with no wasted words. Classic "buddy movie" elements with two supremely talented, but morally ambiguous, professionals blurring the boundaries between just and corrupt. And there's an equally talented and professional woman in the middle with an agenda of her own.

Author Thomas Trang manages to smoothly create three complex, fully-developed characters with minimal description, and it's hard not to set your own moral compass aside (if necessary) and sympathize with all three, even when they are working against each other.

Time considerations caused me to read this book in fits and spurts, but under normal circumstances I could easily have devoured this book in one sitting, producing one concentrated thrill ride. That's the way I recommend it, and I'll have to go back and do it myself at first opportunity.

[Mtm66]

3.5

[Joel Nedecky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Neon and Dirt, by Thomas Trang, is one of the best heist stories I’ve read or watched. It’s like a blend of Heat and Prince of Thieves (by Chuck Hogan), with a few unique traits of its own.

Nguyen is a thief. He grew up in dire straits and came to America with nothing. A self made man, he’s smart, charismatic, and meticulous. He can work with his hands, throw a punch, and build a bomb. This guy’s the real deal. He’s also spent most of his life alone, so when he meets Teri, he’s shocked how quickly they connect.

Thomas Monroe is the lead in Robbery Homicide. He walks the line between criminal and cop. He’s funny, arrogant, and good at his job.

Nguyen is part Vietnamese and Monroe is Black, but the book isn’t about race, although it is part of each character’s story, especially their childhoods.

Trang writes dialogue that cracks, and the action scenes are cinematic, but what I like most is the quieter moments in-between, the relationships. Each one rings true, and the conversations here are about the things we all think about.

Can you really leave the past behind? How much money is enough? Is there ever a right time to walk away from what you’ve known all your life?

There are no easy answers, but the fun is in asking them, then seeing how it all plays out.

[Rob Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

LAPD Detective Thomas Monroe circles Los Angeles like a shark hunting for professional thief Shawn Nguyen in this electric-tinged thriller from Thomas Trang. An impressive crime fiction debut that has the feel of a Michael Mann film on the page. I had such a great time reading Dark Neon Dirt. You need to pick up this emotionally violent novel now!

[Andrew Monge · Rating 5 out of 5]

DARK NEON & DIRT by Thomas Trang pits a master thief against a determined cop in a propulsive, action-packed story with all kinds of twists and turns. Add in the LA backdrop, where everyone’s working a hustle, and you’ve got one helluva debut novel. Recommended.

[James Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

DARK NEON & DIRT is an expertly written debut crime novel where prose is king. Every single page is electric with razor-sharp writing that evokes James Ellroy and George V. Higgins without ever feeling like a copycat of either author. There are also some literary flourishes here and there that help elevate the piece without pushing into the bounds of stuffy navel-gazing.

Part of what's great here is just how memorable the scenes and characters are. Admittedly, I read this in chunks spread over the course of several months and weeks, but every time I revisited, I never found myself wondering what's going on, where I am, or who these people are. The characters are well defined with excellent noir-ish dialogue and complexity that feels real and organic. Trang doesn't reinvent the wheel here, using familiar tropes and playing with them in a familiar sandbox, but he deploys these tropes in a way that doesn't feel like something I've read or seen before.

On that note, early on while reading, I did get the distinct feeling that this story was rather formulaic, with a bit *too* much inspiration drawn from the wells of Heat and Thief. (I think that's why it took me so long to finish it.) But I will say, this feeling mostly dissipated once things kicked into gear in the back-half of the book, taking a turn into a three-way cat-and-mouse romp that feels equal parts Michael Mann and James Ellroy. Honestly, even if this had been pure Heat worship, it wouldn't have affected my rating at all because the prose is so exceptionally well rendered that I would enjoy reading Trang describe a snail crossing a concrete surface. And at the end of the day, I think most people will take a well-written story that's a little formulaic over boring writing with a plot nobody's ever thought of.

So if you like crime fiction -- especially sprawling heist thrillers that would be right in line with Heat with a healthy dose of LA Confidential -- then you need to hop on the Trang train right away.

[Kris the retired librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shaun Nguyen has been many things in his life- a Vietnamese war orphan, part of a Chinese gang, and a soldier in Iraq. Now he’s a master thief and he knows it’s almost time to get out of the game. An old army buddy gets Shaun involved in an armored car robbery that goes terribly wrong. Shaun’s the only one left standing at the robbery and he’s got a bag of diamonds as his prize. Los Angeles police lieutenant Thomas Monroe has been tracking Shaun’s high end heists for years, but without any luck. The stolen diamonds puts Monroe, a sketchy cop, one step closer to Shaun. Shaun wants one more big heist before retiring. His plans get more complicated when he meets a beautiful former FBI agent who has plans of her own.

I love a good heist novel and this is a great one. It pulled me right in. I’m also a sucker for crime fiction set in LA so I couldn’t resist this one. Shaun and Monroe are complex characters who play a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Shaun is a smart thief and loyal friend, while Monroe is a brilliant and dogged detective with a chip on his shoulder. There’s tons of twists and turns and lots of action. The book has less than 300 pages, so the plot zips along. I tore through this because it was just so good. This was one of my favorite March reads. Author Thomas Trang really knocked it out of the park with this debut crime novel. Loved it.

[Hobart · Rating 5 out of 5]

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 (rounded up)
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
WHAT'S DARK NEON & DIRT ABOUT?
I've tried 6 different versions of this, and have ended up saying something I regret each time. Let's see if I can nail it this time. I'm thinking of a recipe.

Ingredients
* 1 child who escaped Vietnam right after the fall of Saigon, who learned to defuse bombs to serve in Iraq, and is now one of LA's most successful thieves
* 1 LAPD lieutenant whose driving interest (not quite an obsession, but you never know) is finding out this thief's identity and apprehending him. I'm not sure if he cares about the order. His other interests? Best if you don't know
* 1 member of the FBI's Art Crime Team who decided that opening a gallery in France seemed like a more lucrative way to spend her time
* A generous amount of LA Noir to season

Directions
1. Combine the robber, cop, and seasoning, mix well.
2. Slowly pour in the gallerist.
3. Bring to rolling boil over a sweaty LA heat.
4. Serve hot.

HEAT
If Trang isn't one of Michael Mann's biggest fans, he's sure acting like it. Or at least the narrative voice of this book is. I was to wrapped up in things to count, but there were a number of direct references and allusions to Heat. Enough that there's no way that the reader is not supposed to pay attention to as many as you can catch.

That said—despite what I expected after the first couple of references—beyond it being about a fairly successful thief being chased by a detective, and the cat-and-mouse between them and the biggest score in the thief's career, there's very little overlap.

I'm pretty sure if you enjoyed Heat that this is going to be right up your alley. But that's true of people who enjoyed Winslow's Crime 101, or any good cop-and-robbers story.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT DARK NEON & DIRT?
I want to say a lot about this book, but I'm afraid I'll spill more than you want me to, prospective reader. Although...even saying that there's something to spill is sort of accomplishing that anyway. I'm just not going to win here.

This grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I rarely—if ever—knew just where he was taking the story or the characters. And even if I was right about something, it felt more like a lucky guess than me understanding what Trang's plan was. That's from the first scene to the last—and all stops in between.

It's hard to elaborate on this, but let me make a couple of notes on character. Once you put down the novel for the last time, I expect you'll take a couple of minutes and re-evaluate almost every choice made by the majority of the characters. You'll also find yourself appreciating the way that every character felt like a new twist on a tried-and-true favorite type. You find yourself getting annoyed with, if not actively disliking, characters who would be the protagonists/heroes of pretty much every other crime novel you can think of. Most of the rest will generate a good deal of ambivalent feelings for you (eventually, in the moment, you'll be pulling for their success).

Honestly, I'm still revising my thoughts on a couple of characters as I type this up.

One thing you won't revise is how these people think and talk—especially talk. You all know how much I'm a sucker for good dialogue, and Trang did not disappoint. Especially Lt. Monroe, something about his lines endeared him to me.

I mentioned Winslow above, and this is just the kind of story he'd tell—Trang doesn't have Winslow's style (yet), but his voice and story-telling choices are similar. I can also see this as an outline that Elmore Leonard would work from. For a debut novel, it's hard to ask for more than that.

Within a chaper or two, I pretty much felt like Trang came over and sat down too close to me on some bench, so I had to slide over a bit before introducing himself and telling me that I needed to make some room on my shelves between Tolkein and Tropper because he intended on filling it over the next few years.

Trang's got the chops—I cannot wait to see what comes next. I strongly encourage crime readers (particularly those with an affinity for novels that live in the gray areas) to pick this up, while I go reorganize my shelves.

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this ARC by the author a day or two before I was going to order it, so it really didn't affect my opinion of it–he just saved me a few bucks. (and I paid him back by not posting this on time, he really didn't come out good in this deal).

[Offer · Rating 5 out of 5]

It should come as no surprise the number of terrific and detailed reviews of this novel. All well-deserved praise. I'll leave you to explore those reviews as to what the book's about. They all do that much better than I.

I'd seen the growing excitement in the lead-up to this novel's release, as I'd been following the author on social media as well. Strong concept and premise, an intriguing blurb, wrapped in a dark, evocative cover. This sounded like something I wanted to check out.

On the heels of having read Thomas Trang's earlier science-fiction/historical noir novella, called "The World Behind Us", you could say I was well primed for this debut novel of his. I'm thrilled to say it did not disappoint by any means. In fact, from its opening pages, it got this cinematic action piece going and the pages turning for me right away. That would have been satisfying enough to a point, but the author managed to create such realistic, well-rounded and interesting characters, it added great depth to the story. Each of these characters also gave me the strong sense of their having "come from somewhere" before this and, for those who survived this chapter in their lives, would head out into their own futures.

I was fortunate also in having Thomas as a guest on my podcast recently (see my Goodreads profile), along with my wonderful guest co-host, author Craig Terlson. We had a lovely chat about this novel and his other upcoming projects. Want to hear more from him directly? Do check it out.

Needless to say, I'm a huge fan, and I fully recommend this novel to you! It's fast-paced, well-structured, and layered with twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages from the get-go until the very satisfying conclusion. Enjoy!

[Grant Wamack · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Dark Neon & Dirt is my introduction to Thomas Trang's work and it's a fire crime fiction novel. It's a heist novel set in LA--think ex-military asian guy crosses paths with dirty black cop. The narrative moves at a steady pace with gripping dialogue and a cinematic scope. Great characterization like the cop Monroe, who has a Dr. Franz Fanon book on his shelf, which is a small detail that speaks volumes about the man.

And fantastic imagery like this...

"Monroe grabs his hand.
Yanks it into a Vulcan salute. Breaks two of his fingers."

Trang has an obvious, but deep love for the genre gushing through the pages. The other cool thing is how well researched it is. He mentions specific streets and parts of LA and even sprinkles history into the mix and he gets Navy EOD right (I worked with some of these guys back when I served). I love reading books set in LA since I live here and this is pretty slick. Although he mentions some of the major ingredients, such as Skid Row, that contribute to the grit, it's still missing the full spectrum and grimy authenticity of an average day in LA that is an essential part of the city's makeup. Besides that, everything else was on point.

Dark Neon & Dirt is a cinematic yet moving crime novel that subverts expectations, moves at a fast clip, and breathes new life into the heist subgenre. Highly recommended.

[Ilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precise crime thriller. Absolutely entertaining.

[Craig Terlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sizzle and a snap that’s better than Heat.

So here’s the thing, I don’t like the film Heat. I think it’s overrated and overhyped. The good news, this book by Thomas Trang ain’t it. It’s way better. Like five stars better.

Dark Neon & Dirt is a complex tale with fleshed out and full dimensional characters (as they should be.) What I mean is that you’re dipping into some real lives here, or so imagined… me not knowing professional thieves or crime detectives. But you feel the authenticity here, even more so in the city they dwell in. It’s an Ellroy type of L.A., or maybe it’s Chandler’s L.A., or Robert Towne’s… it doesn’t really matter. If I knew the city more, I’d see how real it was, but it doesn’t matter because it all feels real. Like really real. Ok, enough of that.

I love a good arrow structure in a novel, where two characters are living their separate existences, but you know they are on a crash-course, and someone is gonna end up dead or going to jail, or both. (Shut up, I’m on a roll.)

Nguyen the pro-thief starts the novel out with a bang, a set-piece on the street of a heist going way wrong, almost like that DeNiro/Pacino film… but it isn’t! In fact, there are nods to the film in the book that I wish the author would have left out. That’s probably my bias showing. Ok, it is. But here’s the thing, there’s way more interesting things at work here. I became deeply invested in Nguyen’s backstory, which is expertly weaved into the narrative. He’s like one of those super-criminals, ice-cold, but still charismatic. Some reader remarked on a similarity to the Thomas Crowne Affair, and Steve McQueen would fit here… if he was a part-Vietnamese, and an ex-army bomb expert that is.

And then we come to Monroe the super-detective. I say super because the dude is smart, and not because Trang says he is smart… we know it. Again, backstory is woven in an authentic way that gives the book propulsion. I will admit there were times in the later middle of the book that dragged, but I think that’s because of the complexity. This is a book that requires careful reading, or things get missed. I missed some. And I know on my second read, which I am planning, I probably won’t see a pacing problem at all. So y’all slow down reading this one.

Both characters have a deep loneliness within. They ignore it, but we can feel it. I think that’s what draws me to them, a much deeper sense than your usual tropey good-cop, better thief set-ups. At first, I was rooting for Nguyen the thief, but I grew a tender spot for the Peckinpah-esque screw-up of a life Monroe the cop was leading.

Thomas Trang knows his way around a sentence. His prose is crafted as tightly and smoothly as a drill used by an expert safe-cracker on a solid steel 7-ply titanium safe. I made that up. I have no idea what I’m talking about. But the author does! Which made me suspicious. How does this guy who doesn’t live in L.A. know so much about the city? Or more so, how does he know so much about high-tech crime, both the doing of it, and the solving of it. If I ever meet this guy, I’ve got some questions. I’m coming for you T.T.

Anyway, I might have digressed, and not said enough about the book. The hell with that, read the other reviews. I’m here to rave about the writing. There is so much good in here. Great metaphoric descriptions like, “Donny Fingers could jump for joy and get stuck.” Or, “Finnegan laughs in a booming fat-guy voice you could rest a tray of shots on.” And I love the deep references that IYKYN (boomers, ask your grandkids), “All we know for certain is the car was red. Maybe we should bring Ferris Bueller in for questioning.” Or, “The dark features and clipped stubble scream moneyed Eurotrash…”
I also really love fresh language, and Dark Neon and Dirt uses it as its main currency. “… a two-story Craftsman in a quiet cul-de-sac shaped like a teardrop that looks out over L.A.”

I could say a lot more about this book. It’s worth reading twice, but I’ll end with this snippet of diners at a Denny’s. “Inside is the usual mix of people allured by the hot food and bright lights. Families with kids at the table, young couples talking and looking at their phones. Truckers that have grown roots at the counter bullshitting with the waitress. Others with disintegrating lives and silent stares out the window at the passing traffic, either lost in memory or trying to forget. A synecdoche for America.”

I mean, C’MON! Right?
Go read the thing.

[kenneth m gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark Neon & Dirt, the latest novel by Thomas Trang, is more than an action/heist story. It is a story of people drifting through life till the current takes them to the brink. No main character in this story is the good guy, but they understand this while attempting to do the right thing within their inescapable parameters. Not always with success, which made these characters breathe for me.
The L.A. environments, dialogue, and technical details all ring with authenticity. You can tell Thomas Trang has done his research. I felt like I was there, across the street, watching some of these action scenes. I could hear them and I could smell them. The insights into the art world were highlights for me.
As the story unfolded, I enjoyed learning the backgrounds of these characters and how life pulled them together to this point in time.
The action scenes were a cinematic violent ballet, but in between was the quiet. The moments of introspection, the decisions they made and how they dealt with those decisions are what will make me remember this novel and reread it in the future.
Dark Neon & Dirt is that rare literary action novel.

[Shane Jimenez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A smart, slick, high-octane crime thriller with page-turning action and a ton of heart. Dark Neon & Dirt follows Nguyen - a former IED specialist in Iraq, now turned high-end thief in the City of Angeles - as he barely escapes with his life in a heist gone bad, and finds himself on the run from crooks and cops alike.

A impressive and confident debut novel by Thomas Trang, who with razor-sharp prose brings you through the seedy neon-lit underbelly of LA. The book starts with a flash bang and roars a hundred miles an hour to its satisfying conclusion. But Trang’s real skill is going deep within the hearts and motivations of his characters, and making you invested in them and their competing motivations. He’s a novelist of depth and pathos and undeniable skill. Read this book. You won’t be able to put it down.

[Charlie Kondek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I start? Slick, punchy, impactful prose capable of heart-breaking moments as much as heart-quickening thrills and hilarious wit. Crackling dialogue by delightful characters you can't help falling for. Authentic setting with a loving eye not just for detail but interpretation. And plot, nonstop, engaging plot. It all wears its influences appreciatively on its sleeve as well as being the complete invention of an erudite, worldly and playful mind. A powerful voice in contemporary crime fiction that deserves a wide audience, which is especially crucial coming as it does out of the independent crime fiction scene. Give this a read and keep your eye on Thomas Trang.

[Jeremy D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal debut. Many layers, many facets, dances deftly between hard boiled noir, heist caper, with moments of humor and snappy dialogue. Feels lived in and real, with a propulsive narrative. You wonder at first how the many, MANY disparate threads of the narrative are going to come together, but it turns out Trang is a master of the narrative weave.

Like James Crumley mixed with Elmore Leonard. Highly recommend.

[James Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic debut crime novel by Thomas Trang. While Dark Neon & Dirt certainly gives off Heat vibes, I turned the last page thinking of a grittier version of The Thomas Crown Affair with a seedy understanding of the big city's grim. Trang keeps the pages turning with passionate characters and cultural references in abundance.

[Gracchus · Rating 3 out of 5]

The stories of the lives of the protagonist and the antagonist were intriguing. The novel was, for the most part, compelling and interesting, but sometimes it seemed a little bit constructed. My "willing suspense of disbelief" wasn't so willing anymore. It is a heist novel with veterans, mob gangsters, dirty cops and strong women.

[C.W. Blackwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thomas Trang has written a gritty, action-packed tale that will hook you from the start. The writing is sharp as a broken bottle, and Trang’s characters shoot hardboiled dialogue until the chambers run dry. DARK NEON & DIRT is a visceral and unforgettable debut!

[Brian Bowyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dynamite!

My first read by Trang, but certainly not my last. DARK NEON & DIRT is phenomenal. It's one of the best crime novels I've read in quite some time, and I'm looking forward to reading more by Trang. Highly recommended!

[Coy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blazed through this one and enjoyed every second of it. Trang takes us into the heart of LA where the line between good and bad is the line between caught and free. Three great characters coiling around every side of the law.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom produced a hot HEAT style story. Lots of fun and written with machinery precision.

[Dwayne McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reminiscent of Heat but then marches into its own. For any fan of a heist movie-it’s a must read.