Ill give you a rundown of what each group of books is like the nick stefanos trilogy is a hard boiled detec. The former drug enforcer has vowed to go straight and found himself a job as an officer for the humane society. Alle boeken van george pelecanos in een overzicht met boekomslag, flaptekst en. Drama city is the brilliant new novel from one of americas finest literary crime writers. Aside from being an author, pelecanos also works as a tv writer, tv producer and as a film producer. Sep 25, 2016 i would definitely start with one of the series. Join facebook to connect with george pelecanos and others you may know.
The authors excellent sense of the male psyche across a range of ages is more than up to the task of his latest book. He also manages circle films, an independent production company responsible for such films as the coen brothers raising arizona, millers crossing and barton fink. The cut introduces spero lucas, a new protagonist from george pelecanos, the creator of such venerable characters as derek strange and nick stefanos. You know it is pelecanos because there are cars, music and. Jul 15, 2000 the acclaimed crime writer george p pelecanos, who has been taken up by hollywood, talks to euan ferguson about drugs, the dark side of washington d. Like him or not, and like a lot of alkies, theres something about him ya gotta love, nicks trip is one you want to tbe on. On television, he frequently collaborates with david simon, writing multiple episodes of simons hbo series the wire and treme, and is also the cocreator of the hbo series the deuce. Pelecanos and explore their bibliography from s george p. And that pride helps lorenzo resist the pull of easier money. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. He also manages circle films, an independent production company responsible for such films as the coen brothers raising arizona, millers crossing and. Spero is a fit, athletic 29yearold exmarine who roams washington and its environs.
In drama city, george pelecanos returns to contemporary washington dc for his most powerful crime novel yet lorenzo brown in fresh out of the clink. The dc locales are depicted with a neat folding in of history and the contemporary scene. Many of his works are in the genre of detective fiction and set primarily in his hometown of washington, d. Author george pelecanos has written eleven crime novels beginning in 1992 with a firing offense followed by nicks trip, shoedog, down by the river where the dead men go, the big blowdown, king suckerman, the sweet forever, shame the devil, right as rain, hell to pay and soul circus. Pelecanoss later fiction, set on the drugsaturated streets of ghetto washington, d. He lives in silver spring, maryland, with his wife and two children. Pelecanos is an american novelist of detective fiction. The authors admirers wouldnt have it any other way. George pelecanos novels have won and also been nominated for various awards. Author george pelecanos writes what he knows in the martini shot in his new collection of short stories and a novella, pelecanos explores crime, adoption and writing from an african. Many of his works are in the genre of detective fiction and are set primarily in his hometown of washington, dc. The way home follows a father and son relationship across several years. The straight and narrow like the edge of a knife the new york.
In this deep tale, the character miller is much like a certain dog taken in by the humane societya dog and a young man who both cant make it in this world, based on all theyve ever known in their painful lives. Drama city was a nominee for 2006 edgar allan poe award. In this book derek strange and terry quinn are introduced for what turns out to be a three book series. And as much as ive enjoyed those other characters, i cant wait to read more books featuring this one. In 1985, the body of a 14yearold girl turns up in a washington, d. A firing offense 1992 nicks trip 1993 down by the river where the dead men go 1995 books featuring some of the characters in the nick stefanos books. Aug 29, 2011 the cut is the series kickoff that introduces spero lucas, a brand new george pelecanos creation. We have the tale of lorenzo brown, former convict, former drug enforcer, now humane society officer protecting dogs from human cruelty. George pelecanosborn 1957 is an american novelist and writer tv and film. Drama city and the night gardener were published in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Spero lucas is in his late twenties, an exmarine recently returned home to washington, d. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form.
Hell to pay by george p pelecanos and resurrection men by. Once again using the ethnic neighborhoods of washington, d. Drama city by george p pelecanos, 9780316235129, available at book depository. I found myself unable to stop thinking about it after i finished it, and even now, a few days later, its characters and their choices still resonate with me and leave me thinking about them.
Pelecanos drama city delivers a dignified, characterdriven epic that succeeds as both literary novel and pageturner. Dec 26, 2009 the way home is a strong followup to pelecanos previous effort the turnaround. As a modern crime fiction author, pelecanos is very much a descendant of the hardboiled and. In the tough, imperiled parts of washington, where his earlier books have been set, mr. As typical of pelecanos, especially in the two previous books in the strangequinn series, right as rain and hell to pay, the reader is placed in and experiences the violent and depressing portions of an inner city. George pelecanos is an independent film producer, the recipient of numerous international writing awards, a producer and an emmynominated writer on the hbo series the wire, and the author of fifteen novels set in and around washington, dc. Pelecanos puts the forces of good and evil on a collision course, igniting the kind of suspense that hinges on heartbreak. While its a crime book, its also a story of life in washington, dc. He has written 16 books and right as rain is the ninth.
Drama city 2005 finalist 2006 edgar award for best mystery novel. Jailed drug dealer anwan hawkins, pleased with the way spero lucas brisk investigative work for attorney tom petersen gets his teenaged son david sprung on charges of car theft and worse, asks him to take on a private. The son of greek immigrants, he began working at a young age at his fathers lunch. Buy a cheap copy of nicks trip book by george pelecanos. Drama city is a throwback to george pelecanos dc quartet. Because pelecanos writes so well, this can be a bit difficult to read at times. And that pride helps lorenzo resist the pull of easier money doing the kind of work that got him a recent prison bid. He is also a screenwriter and independent film producer and is currently working on the hbo. There is a fierce inevitability to the way george pelecanos s new book unfolds.
Browse author series lists, sequels, pseudonyms, synopses, book covers, ratings and awards. I rooted hard for the main character to make it in drama city. Writing with the grace and force that have earned him praise as the poet laureate of the crime world, george pelecanos has created a novel about two scarred and fallible people who must. He worked extensively on the hbo the wire, and was a writer on treme. Pelecanoss first standalone after four consecutive novels starring private eye derek strange including soul circus and hard revolution, drama city introduces lorenzo brown, a young, black onetime criminal enforcer whos recently returned to the streets after doing eight years in prison on a felony drug charge. Another trip around the dark corners of the other washington, d. In his job as an officer for the humane society, he cruises the city streets, looking for dogs that are being mistreated underfed, unclean, trained to kill. Becoming a member of the lovereading community is free. Pelecanos s pace, plotting, and ear for street talk are light years beyond most mystery fare with plodding dialog and flat characters. George pelecanos born 1957 is an american novelist and writer tv and film. Pelecanos grew up in the mount pleasant area of washington, d.
Pelecanos became a published author in 1992 when he began the nick stefanos series with a firing offense. Author george pelecanos writes what he knows in the martini shot in his new collection of short stories and a novella, pelecanos explores crime. Author pelecanos was born on february 18, 1957, in washington d. The acclaimed crime writer george p pelecanos, who has been taken up by hollywood, talks to euan ferguson about drugs, the dark side of washington d. Drama city probably moves to the top of my pelecanos rankings.
He is the editor of the bestselling volumes dc noir and dc noir 2. Since then, author pelecanos has penned multiple novel series and books in his writing career. If i could be reincarnated as any author, it would be george p. The initial novels of pelecanos were written in first person and were narrated through nick stefanos voice. An old highschool friend drags nick stefanos into a complex and deadly conspiracy involving drugs, theft, intrigue, and murder. This master of noir is back on his favourite terrain, washington dcs seedier segments. Set in washington dc an excon and former drug enforcer leaves jail and tries to go straight but in doing so in the course of his day repeatedly comes facetoface with his old life and finds himself on the brink of a vicious turf war which could destroy him. There is a fierce inevitability to the way george pelecanoss new book unfolds.
George pelecanos is the bestselling author of twenty novels set in and around washington, d. Aside from being an author, pelecanos also works as a. In this case, its the story of a black man trying not to fall back into a life of lorenzo brown, dog catcher and excon, struggles to keep from falling back into his old ways, while his parole officer, rachel lopez, has some problems of her own. Author george pelecanos writes what he knows in the. His early novels, beginning with a firing offense 1992, featured parttime dc detective nick stefanos. Any time you have poverty, joblessness, subpar public schools, and a lack of opportunity, youre going to have a high rate of crime. Below is a list of george pelecanos books in order of when they were originally published. In 2005, pelecanos saw another novel published, drama city.
Pelecanos shows the distinction between those capable of making that turnaround and those who cant, while exploring a common humanity that goes deeper than differences of skin color and home turf. Derek strange, a private investigator with a massageparlour habit but also a strong social. The way home is a strong followup to pelecanos previous effort the turnaround. The second in a series featuring private investigator derek strange and his shorttempered, disgracedcop. Pelecanos newest hero walks the mean streets of the nations capital with all the piercing hopes and fears and personal baggage of the others the way home, 2009, etc. George pelecanos is back in the uk promoting his latest thriller drama city, in my opinion is his most ambitious book to date. Crime and criminals had always been fundamental to lorenzos existence. The cut is the series kickoff that introduces spero lucas, a brand new george pelecanos creation. George pelecanos dreams of literary and commercial success. No catches, no fine print just unadulterated book loving, with your favourite books saved to your own digital bookshelf. Pelecanos s later fiction, set on the drugsaturated streets of ghetto washington, d. Pelecanos on lovereading, the uks number one book recommendation website.
Pelecanos, 49, is part of a fraternity of writers, including dennis lehane and richard price, who push the boundaries of crime writing into literary territory, exploring character more deeply. He is also an independent film producer, and a producer and emmynominated writer on the hbo series the wire, treme, and the deuce. He is a graduate of the university of maryland, college park, and worked at a variety of jobs before getting involved in the film industry. His birth had taken place in a greek american family.
The backdrop of the story sends three white teenagers on a reckless 1972 joyride into a black neighborhood, alcohol. What is the best george pelecanos novel to start with if. This is the official george pelecanos fan page run by his publisher little, brown. In drama city, george pelecanos returns to contemporary washington dc for his most powerful crime novel yet lorenzo brown is fresh out of the clink. Youll see the characters pop up in cameos in other stories and might get more out of it.
Whatever you did before doesnt matter, says a character. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. What is the best george pelecanos novel to start with if you. He is also a film and television producer and a television writer.
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