What do you think?
Rate this book
Smog
Not yet published
Expected 23 Mar 27From the internationally bestselling author of Sweetbitter, a captivating blend of literary fiction and true crime—set during the Menendez brothers trial in 1990s Los Angeles.
Two handsome brothers from Beverly Hills are on trial for the brutal murder of their parents. The entire country is riveted.
So is Hugo Byrne.
A renowned journalist—decades sober, privately repressed, and haunted by the violent death of his own daughter—Hugo arrives at the Chateau Marmont to cover the trial for a glossy national magazine. He intends to write the definitive account.
But what happens outside the courtroom—the lives disrupted, in some cases ruined—is just as fascinating as the theater inside. And no one fascinates Hugo more than his close friend Liv Ellis, a quick-witted Beverly Hills society wife who accompanies Hugo to the trial, and whose obsession with the brothers is as mysterious as her origins.
An enthralling mix of true crime, high-toned dish, and dark psychological noir, Smog is a story of wealth, privilege, and abuse; a suspenseful inquiry into the dark heart of that universal institution that is supposed to protect us but so often the family.
Two handsome brothers from Beverly Hills are on trial for the brutal murder of their parents. The entire country is riveted.
So is Hugo Byrne.
A renowned journalist—decades sober, privately repressed, and haunted by the violent death of his own daughter—Hugo arrives at the Chateau Marmont to cover the trial for a glossy national magazine. He intends to write the definitive account.
But what happens outside the courtroom—the lives disrupted, in some cases ruined—is just as fascinating as the theater inside. And no one fascinates Hugo more than his close friend Liv Ellis, a quick-witted Beverly Hills society wife who accompanies Hugo to the trial, and whose obsession with the brothers is as mysterious as her origins.
An enthralling mix of true crime, high-toned dish, and dark psychological noir, Smog is a story of wealth, privilege, and abuse; a suspenseful inquiry into the dark heart of that universal institution that is supposed to protect us but so often the family.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication March 23, 2027
About the author
Stephanie Danler
9 books1,947 followersStephanie Danler is a writer based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the New School. Sweetbitter is her debut novel.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
2027
August 30, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 5, 2026
Smog was a novel that reminded me how transportive fiction can be. Late 80’s and early 90’s Los Angeles, a restless city obsessed with the parricide of Kitty and Jose Menendez, and all viewed through the lens of Hugo Byrne. He seems to be so lucky: a coveted front row seat in the courtroom, rooms at iconic hotels, and dinners with his obscenely wealthy connections, but as the novel goes on, we start to see through the veneer.
Hugo is a fascinating and flawed man, and I was living for the significant pettiness of his circle. His narrative was engaging and at times dark, and served as a stark reminder: all journalism comes with a bias and manipulated perspective.
Like the Smog of the title, this novel has a pervasive feeling of pollution. Are we seeing everything, or what Hugo wants us to see? What is the significance of what he shows us, and more: of what he leaves out?
Stunning work, and now I need to live with the pain of not being able to thrust this into anyone’s hands for months.
*thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
Hugo is a fascinating and flawed man, and I was living for the significant pettiness of his circle. His narrative was engaging and at times dark, and served as a stark reminder: all journalism comes with a bias and manipulated perspective.
Like the Smog of the title, this novel has a pervasive feeling of pollution. Are we seeing everything, or what Hugo wants us to see? What is the significance of what he shows us, and more: of what he leaves out?
Stunning work, and now I need to live with the pain of not being able to thrust this into anyone’s hands for months.
*thank you to the publisher for the review copy.
Read
October 26, 2026Review TK.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This book was not for me. I was drawn in by a retelling of the Menendez trial from the point of view of a journalist with his own personal life coloring his experience. However, this is a book about the main character, Hugo Bryne's, messy life and the bits of the trial that interest him. Hugo has no real long-term attachments, because he sucks. He has a wife that he visits occasionally, though their marriage is true on paper only, a son who barely stands him, and a smattering of friendly acquaintances that mostly put up with him as a transactional relationship. His one 'true' friendship he ends up torpedoing just to prove he is a good journalist and the truth matters over all else. The writing itself is poetic, but at times paired with Hugo's personality, it puts me at even more of an emotional remove from the story. At no point in the reading did I feel invested in Hugo as a character or any of the other character's in the story. Overall, I would not recommend this novel, unless a man ruminating on why his life has become this when it is all a consequence of his own actions, which he does not regret, is interesting to you.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
i am a big fan of stephanie danler but i couldnt connect with this book at all.
her writing, as always, is poetic. in regards to this novel specifically, you can feel the moodiness and melancholy of both the main character and LA as a dangerous/seductive city in the 90s. i respect the author's writing and her vision to tell this as a fictional story with a (true) true crime story in the background. you don't really see this often except in historical fiction.
however, with that being said, i felt like throughout most of the novel i simply could not invest in the characters. and i there were times i found my self skimming the story and flipping through pages which i hate doing.
kuddos for the effort. i hope others give this novel a more rave review than i could.
her writing, as always, is poetic. in regards to this novel specifically, you can feel the moodiness and melancholy of both the main character and LA as a dangerous/seductive city in the 90s. i respect the author's writing and her vision to tell this as a fictional story with a (true) true crime story in the background. you don't really see this often except in historical fiction.
however, with that being said, i felt like throughout most of the novel i simply could not invest in the characters. and i there were times i found my self skimming the story and flipping through pages which i hate doing.
kuddos for the effort. i hope others give this novel a more rave review than i could.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC to provide an independent review.
The first Menendez brothers' trial draws Hugo Byrne to the Chateau Marmont, on assignment for a glossy magazine reminiscent of Tina Brown's Vanity Fair. And Byrne, of course, channels the third-act, man-about-town Dominick Dunne. Danler dips in and out of the courtroom and Byrne's forays among the LA cognoscenti, weaving in his backstory to create a not-quite-linear, not-quite-flashback structure that propels the story. The reader is drawn along like a raft following a river's eddies and currents, but is never confused. A fusion of true crime and literary thriller, it's a pleasure on its own, but readers who remember Dunne's Menendez coverage will have the added frisson of spotting his circle, some barely disguised.
The first Menendez brothers' trial draws Hugo Byrne to the Chateau Marmont, on assignment for a glossy magazine reminiscent of Tina Brown's Vanity Fair. And Byrne, of course, channels the third-act, man-about-town Dominick Dunne. Danler dips in and out of the courtroom and Byrne's forays among the LA cognoscenti, weaving in his backstory to create a not-quite-linear, not-quite-flashback structure that propels the story. The reader is drawn along like a raft following a river's eddies and currents, but is never confused. A fusion of true crime and literary thriller, it's a pleasure on its own, but readers who remember Dunne's Menendez coverage will have the added frisson of spotting his circle, some barely disguised.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Setting: California
Rep: queer protagonist
This is kind of a masterpiece. The way Danler blends fact and fiction is exquisite, to the point I found myself googling some of the characters to see if they were real or not. Really felt like it encapsulated the 1980s and I loved the various side plots too away from the trial - which truly seemed too wild to be true and yet it really happened. If this was pure fiction, I'd be thinking the author's pretty twisted, as the details of the Menendez brothers' trial are pretty horrific. I imagine there will be a big divide of opinion on this, but I thought it shone. Hugo felt like such a real character, and I could easily believe this was a memoir.
Rep: queer protagonist
This is kind of a masterpiece. The way Danler blends fact and fiction is exquisite, to the point I found myself googling some of the characters to see if they were real or not. Really felt like it encapsulated the 1980s and I loved the various side plots too away from the trial - which truly seemed too wild to be true and yet it really happened. If this was pure fiction, I'd be thinking the author's pretty twisted, as the details of the Menendez brothers' trial are pretty horrific. I imagine there will be a big divide of opinion on this, but I thought it shone. Hugo felt like such a real character, and I could easily believe this was a memoir.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was incredible. Yes, it is about the Menendez trial, and yes, it is a fascinating portrait of L.A. in the 90s, but mostly it’s a look inside the mind of a flawed man who breaks everything he holds too close. Hugo Byrne is a wonderful character because he is just so human and flawed. I hope this book is a huge hit! It deserves it!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing the review copy. And no thank you, I actually hate you, to Amazon and Bezos for rendering my 2012 kindle unusable with advanced reader copies. Useless!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing the review copy. And no thank you, I actually hate you, to Amazon and Bezos for rendering my 2012 kindle unusable with advanced reader copies. Useless!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved SMOG!! Longtime huge fan of Dominick Dunne's work, I recognized his essence in Hugo. And while I followed the Menendez trial, this provided a fresh look at an abhorrent crime. More than that, the lens one looked through was the community's perspective which made the story feel intimate but not warm and personal which is revealing in itself.
Danler's writing is as close to perfect as a reader would want and this is a book I will reread!!
Can't believe I havent read Bittersweet yet! Its next on my list!
Danler's writing is as close to perfect as a reader would want and this is a book I will reread!!
Can't believe I havent read Bittersweet yet! Its next on my list!
Did Not Finish
October 23, 2026 LOVED Sweetbitter which ultimately led me to request Smog from NetGalley.
I really gave this a try and it just wasn’t for me. I made it to 55% before I threw in the towel. There just really wasn’t anything I was enjoying about the book and when it started to go into detail about child SA , I felt like I was good stopping. While the writing was good, I was just very disinterested in the plot.
Hopefully others enjoy it more than me! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc
I really gave this a try and it just wasn’t for me. I made it to 55% before I threw in the towel. There just really wasn’t anything I was enjoying about the book and when it started to go into detail about child SA , I felt like I was good stopping. While the writing was good, I was just very disinterested in the plot.
Hopefully others enjoy it more than me! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A very 90s, LA-based, noir and suspense novel featuring Huge Byrne, a journalist, who writes about the Menendez brothers trial then subsequently facing the aftermath into his own life. For fellow enjoyers of 'Sweetbitter', this one will definitely capture your heart.
Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy!
Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced copy!
April 20, 2026
This book is an instant LA classic. Neo noir vibes, mystery, intrigue…Danler has outdone herself
Want to Read
August 28, 2026Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
RTC.
RTC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Incredibly compelling at the level of detail and description. Beautifully - and luridly - captures early 90s LA.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
really enjoyed the overall idea of the book and the writing but could not really connect to Hugo’s character
October 27, 2026
A very smart, suspenseful novel. SD was writing her a** off.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews