Irene Van Beck has had enough of working for a traveling burlesque show. She has a plan, and together with fellow dancer Millie Martin, she is ready to start a new life. Tagging along with them is comedian Henry Weiss, and soon they are off to Hollywood on the next train. However, there it is one thing to dream about finding fame in Hollywood; it's a different thing in real life. Just finding a paying job is hard enough, but Irene, Millie, and Henry won't give up, and they have each other to rely on.

As a big fan of old Hollywood movies, this was a book I looked forward to reading. CITY OF FLICKERING LIGHT is a story about three friends finding, or trying to find, fame in Hollywood. It's a hard life, and the risks are there, from being taken advantage of or numbing your pain with drugs. Not to mention the dreary days of just waiting for the big break. Or often, just a job to pay the bills and put food on the table. I found the book to be a bit too light for my taste, sure there are darker moments, but I never really felt that they got to me. I think one of the problems I had with the book was Millie who was extremely naive. She never really annoyed me, but I never really warmed up to her either. Often it felt like Irene and Henry were there just to protect her from danger all the time. Irene and Henry were the ones that I felt were the most interesting to read about. Their plight of finding a bright future was what really engaged me. I'm also glad that Juliette Fay didn't turn this into a triangle drama. The ending was a bit too abrupt. It left me wondering what would happen next. Which of course is not a bad thing since it showed that I was engaged in the story and wanted more.

I would say that the CITY OF FLICKERING LIGHT is perfect if you like reading about old Hollywood and if you are looking for a beach read. I found the story easy-going, and I will definitely read more from the author.