"The Martini Shot and Other Stories" by George Pelecanos

Year of Publication:  2016
Length:  295 pages
Genre:  Crime, thriller  

This entertaining book collects seven short stories and one novella.  George Pelecanos is a crime writer who specialises in tough, urban thrillers set in and around Washington DC, and subsequently found great success as a screenwriter, writing episodes of The Wire (2002-2008) and Treme (2010-2013) among others, and was the co-creator of The Deuce (2017-2019) with regular collaborator David Simon.

The stories in this book are very much in the typical Pelecanos style:  a police informant grapples with family problems and his own conscience; a family with several adopted children find the lives of their kids taking unexpected and sometimes dark paths; a young boy finds his skill at basketball makes him some bitter enemies; a seasoned private investigator finds more than he bargained for while investigating a case in Brazil; a young drug dealer tries to get out of the life but finds it's easier said than done; three college friends find their lives going in very different directions when a drug deal goes wrong; in 1930s New York a busboy seeks vengeance for the murder of his friend; and a TV crime writer finds himself embroiled in a real-life crime drama.  Incidentally, the book's title is film industry slang for the last shot of the day, referring to the fact that the next shot is liquor.

The stories are fast moving,  tense and sometimes surprisingly funny, they showcase Pelecanos' ear for dialogue and eye for detail.  However, many of them do cover very similar ground, and plot is not Pelecanos' strong point.  His books are usually more like character pieces with the plots almost playing out in the background.

"The Cut" by George Pelecanos

Year of Publication:  2011
Number of Pages:  292 pages
Genre:  Crime, thriller

Since his debut in 1992, American novelist George Pelecanos has carved out a niche for himself chronicling the dark side of life in Washington D.C., as well as writing for such acclaimed television series as The Wire (2002-2008) and Treme (2010 - ongoing).

The Cut tells the story of Spero Lucas, who has recently returned to his hometown of Washington D.C. after serving a tour of duty as a Marine in Iraq, and now works as a private investigator for a defence attorney.  Lucas' speciality is recovering stolen property, no questions asked, for which he receives a fee ("the cut" of the title) of forty percent of the property's value.  Hearing of his speciality, Lucas is contacted by a high profile crime boss in prison who wants Lucas to find out who is stealing valuable packages of drugs from his operation.  Despite his qualms about working for the man, the fee is too great for Lucas to resist.  However, Lucas is soon pitted against a group whose ruthlessness and taste for violence leave him shocked and he soon realises that his investigation could have deadly consequences.

This is the first of a proposed new series, but it is very much in the vein of Pelecanos' previous work.  His work benefits enormously from his extensive local knowledge of Washington D.C.,  and is enriched by the frequent references to soul music, food, movies, as well as Greek-American culture (all of which are typical Pelecanos trademarks).  His books are well written and his stories are well plotted, exciting and engaging.  Driven more by dialogue than action, Pelecanos builds a number of interesting character here, most notably the flawed but consistently likeable Spero Lucas, even if the main villain of the novel does not seem to have much depth.  There are certain themes in the novel about the problems faced by returning soldiers, violent crime, drugs, race, family and the difficulty of doing the right thing in a dangerous and complex world, which often aren't really developed, but don't really interfere with the story. 

There is plenty here to appeal to fans of Pelecanos and it's an entertaining, exciting and quick read.  George Pelecanos is a talented and distinctive crime writer and well worth checking out.

        

"Shame the Devil" by George Pelecanos

Year: 2000
Number of Pages: 307 pages
Genre: Crime, thriller

Summary: Washington D.C., July 1995: Frank Farrow is a ruthless professional criminal and remorseless killer. When his robbery of a pizza parlour goes violently wrong, five of the restaurant's employees are shot dead, and a child is killed during the getaway. One of the robbers, who also happens to be Farrow's brother, is killed by a police officer, who is in turn severely wounded.
Two and a half years later and the robbery remains unsolved. The relatives of the dead are still trying to put their lives back together. However, Farrow and his fellow killer, Roman Otis, return to D.C. to get violent revenge on the cop who killed Farrow's brother. But they are not the only ones seeking vengence.

Opinions: George Pelecanos is probably best known for writing several episodes of the HBO television series The Wire (2002-2008). However he is also an acclaimed crime novelist whose novels are all set in and around his native Washington D.C. Like a lot of Pelecanos' work, this novel deals with themes of betrayal, loyalty, family, friendship, redemption and the difficulty of doing the right thing in a violent world, as well as classic American cars and soul and funk music of the seventies. This novel forms the final part of Pelecanos' "D.C. Quartet" (the others being The Big Blowdown (1996), King Suckerman (1997) and The Sweet Forever (1998)) and features regular Pelecanos characters Dimitri Karras and private investigator Nick Stefanos.
The book features a large cast of characters and a number of plot strands, with the main storyline almost being a subplot for most of the book.
Pelecanos is a talented writer with a fine grasp of character and detail and a strong ear for dialogue.
Definitely recommended for fans of crime fiction and thrillers.

"Shoedog" by George Pelecanos

Year of Publication: 1994
Number of Pages: 200 pages
Genre: Crime, thriller, action, noir

Summary: Constantine is a drifter who has spent seventeen years travelling around going from one job to the next. He hitches a ride with an elderly man named Polk who is heading to Washington DC, Constantine's home town. Constantine reluctantly agrees to accompany Polk to DC after being promised money. However Polk is there to see a powerful gangster named Grimes and he and Constantine agree to join five other men in a dual liquor store hold-up that Grimes is planning. However, it turns out that each of the criminals involved in the planned robbery have their own agenda and Constantine finds himself caught in a web of violence and betrayal.

Opinions: This early book from acclaimed crime writer George Pelecanos is a tense and violent action thriller. It wears it's pulp credentials proudly on it's sleeve and comes across like one of the tough film noir crime thrillers from the 1940s and 1970s. The book is short and punchy and empty of any unessentials. Several typical Pelecanos themes feature in the book such as 1970s soul and funk music, old cars, and detailed descriptions of the workplace (the title character works in a shoe store from where he gets the nickname "Shoedog"). The plot constantly moves forward and is always entertaining. It's ideal for reading on a plane or train or a long dull afternoon. It's surprising it hasn't been filmed yet, actually, because it really is crying out for a movie adaptation.

"Drama City" by George Pelecanos

Year of Publication: 2005
Number of Pages: 291 pages
Genre: Crime, thriller

Summary: In Washington D.C., Lorenzo Brown has recently been released after eight years in prison on drugs charges. Determined to lead put his criminal past behind him and lead an honest life as a law-abiding citizen, Lorenzo takes a job at the Washington Humane Society, patrolling the streets of the city looking for abused and neglected animals. Although Lorenzo's resolve is constantly tested by his old friends and cohorts who are still dealing drugs on the same corners.
Helping Lorenzo stick to the straight and narrow is his parole officer Rachel Lopez. Although popular, dediacated and very good at ther job, Rachel has her own demons to fight, mainly her alcoholism.
However, a stupid misunderstanding over territory between two rival drug gangs flares violently out of control when a vicious killer guns down two members of a rival gang, setting in motion a chain of events which threaten to destroy both Rachel and Lorenzo.

Opinions: George Pelecanos is the author of fifteen novels to date, all set in and around Washington D.C.. He is also a journalist and a producer and writer for television, most notably on the HBO series The Wire, and most recently The Pacific and Treme. Drama City is a gritty and powerful novel dealing with themes of drugs, violence, alcoholism and animal cruelty as well as what leads people to take up crime and how hard it can be to change, even with the best of intentions. The book moves between various characters and storylines which come together in the last quarter. It is a tough, brutal story which is nevertheless laced with grim humour and also genuine compassion. It's well written and moves at at lightning fast pace. Pelecanos fans might be interested to look out for a brief cameo from recurring Pelecanos character Derek Strange early in the novel.
Naturally the book will appeal to any fans of The Wire, but should also appeal to fans of general crime fiction.

"Drama City be more like it"
"Like them two faces they got hangin' over the stage in those theatres. The smiling face and the sad."
"City got more than two sides."
-George Pelecanos, Drama City