5 classic novels that beautifully explore the dark side of life in New York City

3. American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis

American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis, Vintage, 416 pp.

Bret Easton Ellis is the master of revealing the dark side of any city, and 1980's New York is no exception. In American Psycho, protagonist Patrick Bateman is a successful, normal-seeming Wall Street banker with a horrifying series of nighttime hobbies, including torture and murder. Terrifying because it seems so real, "American Psycho" will haunt you long after you put it down.

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