Another Pelecanos Winner: The Turnaround

REVIEW: The Turnaround by George Pelecanos (2008)

Although mostly known for his DC Quartet and Derek Strange series, George Pelecanos continues to write excellent stand-alone novels.  The writer/producer of HBO’s highly acclaimed series The Wire has written another winner with The Turnaround.

Teenage boys often make stupid decisions.  Boys will be boys, or so they say.  Boys get bored easily, hang out in packs, chase girls, drink, smoke, talk about sports, listen to the popular music of their day, and always get into trouble.  For three white boys and three black boys from D.C., one fateful decision will tragically alter their lives.  On a dare, the white boys drive into an all-black neighborhood.

But Pelecanos doesn’t dwell on “the incident,” instead he writes eloquently about its aftermath.  In fact, the real story starts thirty-five years after the incident, as Pelecanos asks the question: can these boys make the turnaround? Neither mystery, nor thriller, The Turnaround is simply storytelling at its best – a tragic tale that takes a hard look at the consequences of teenage behavior and how boys can become men.

_

VERDICT: HOLY COW BATMAN! (Translation: Highly Recommended!)

Best Reads of 2009 (so far)

It’s more than halfway through 2009 and time to evaluate what I’ve read so far.  For some reason, I’ve been reading a lot of my favorite authors (John Connolly, C.J. Sansom, Michael Koryta, and C.J. Box) rather than new authors.  Nevertheless, George Pelecanos and Ross Macdonald, who I’ve never read before, wrote superb mysteries.

Of the 20 books I’ve read so far in 2009, here’s my top ten list:

1. Right as Rain – George Pelecanos (2001)   See review
2. The Killing Kind – John Connolly (2002)  See review
3. Sovereign – C.J. Sansom (2007)  See review
4. Envy the Night – Michael Koryta (2008)  See review
5. What the Dead Know – Laura Lippman (2007) See review
6. Free Fire – C.J. Box (2007)
7. Prayers for the Assassin – Robert Ferrigno (2006)
8. The Black Angel – John Connolly (2005)  See review
9. The White Road – John Connolly (2003)  See review
10. The Chill – Ross Macdonald (1964)  See review

Best Mystery I’ve Read All Year

Right As Rain by George Pelecanos (2001)

George Pelecanos is simply a genius! Most readers, outside of D.C., have never heard of Pelecanos; those who have probably know him as one of the writers of the highly acclaimed television series, The Wire.  As Michael Connelly’s blurb on the cover states: “Those in the know read Pelecanos.”  For years, critics, such as Patrick Anderson of the Washington Post, have heralded him as one of today’s top crime masters.  Right as Rain is the first in his four-book series featuring D.C. private eye Derek Strange.

After watching all five seasons of The Wire before reading Right as Rain, I couldn’t help but cast Clarke Peter (who plays Det. Lester Freamon) in the role of Derek Strange.  I heard his voice every time Strange spoke, which brought the novel to life.  Part Batman, Sherlock Holmes, and a sheriff of the Old West, Derek Strange’s street-wise and methodical nature serves him well as a successful D.C. investigator.  Nonetheless, Right as Rain is as much about down-and-out ex-cop Terry Quinn as it is about Derek Strange.  The two team up when Strange is hired to investigate a police shooting in which Quinn played a major role.  Even after Quinn leaves the police force, he still searches for answers and the hope for redemption.

Pelecanos is a master of dialogue.  Every line rings with authenticity and carefully nuanced characterization.  He writes unforgettable scenes and tightly written chapters focused on morality and the conflict that arises from violence on the mean streets of D.C.  Right as Rain is the perfect marriage of character and plot.  It’s a novel that makes you think while you’re reading it and long after you finish it.

HOLY COW BATMAN! (Translation: Highly Recommended!)

REVIEW: The Chill by Ross MacDonald

Synopsis: In The Chill a distraught young man hires Archer to track down his runaway bride. But no sooner has he found Dolly Kincaid than Archer finds himself entangled in two murders, one twenty years old, the other so recent that the blood is still wet. What ensues is a detective novel of nerve-racking suspense, desperately believable characters, and one of the most intricate plots ever spun by an American crime writer.

Review: While The Chill eventually comes together in the end, this was one mystery that I had to trust the reputation of the author.  I don’t know how many of today’s authors I would have trusted with such a convoluted plot.  What starts out as a missing woman’s case unravels to reveal two murders separated by decades. There’s no reason why the older murder might be connected to the present case, but P.I. Lew Archer has a hunch.

Even though I liked Archer’s doggedness and questioning style, it was very difficult to keep track of the multitude of names in the story. I also expected this “classic” hard-boiled mystery to be written in the terse style of Chandler and Hammett, but it was surprisingly easy to read, without any memorable one-liners or literary flourish. Nonetheless, if realism is the main criteria, McDonald’s Archer definitely behaves like an authentic private eye.

While some hard-boiled critics swear by Ross MacDonald, I wouldn’t put The Chill in the same league as Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon or Chandler’s The Big Sleep.  However, I was impressed enough by the character of Lew Archer to read MacDonald’s other reputable mystery, The Drowning Pool, in the near future.

Verdict: GOOD BUT NOT GREAT (Translation: Recommended with some reservations)