What is the setting of Sunset Express: An Elvis Cole Novel by Robert Crais?

The novel is set in Los Angeles. This setting is important in that it presents a backdrop that is both bright and exciting, such as when Elvis comes in contact with Hollywood stars, but also gritty and dark, as when Elvis meets up with drug addicts and unethical lawyers. The setting is a backdrop to the main plot, but it is also a character in itself, giving the plot a tone that is both light and dark, a tone that both shocks and surprises the novel's characters and readers alike.