I read this book right after I finished Alison Lurie's Foreign Affairs. It felt like I was on another literary planet. This was another well written book, but whereas Foreign Affairs began with the self-ruminations of an academic in her fifties, this book began with a group of kids out to take a dog to his first dog fight. The language is vivid and harsh. It's heartbreaking and often surprisingly sentimental. It's street smart and sometimes a little too hipster for my taste. Most of the times, the language felt fresh and original; sometimes it felt a tad off. This would fall under the category of: How does this writer know this world? It always feels well researched; sometimes it feels more thought out than felt. Ultimately I think Pelecanos takes risks as a writer. It makes him very interesting to read.
This book revolves around two investigators, Derek Strange and his associate, Terry Quinn. They are flawed men. Strange is unfaithful and guiltridden; Qunn has a temper that leads to regrettable, dangerous actions. At the same time, you often see these characters go out of their way to do the right thing, to take care of others, to rescue someone, to try to right a wrong.
The story is set in Baltimore. It is ambitious. There are a wide array of characters introduced at moments and then forgotten for a while only to reappear when it's time for them to make their entrance again. The story comes with a soundtrack. Pelecanos evidently loves certain musicians and actors. Throughout his books, his characters are always listening to music and talking about movies while the story rushes ahead, covering a wide range of material along its way. For example, in this book, Pelecanos discusses race, runaway girls and prostitution, drugs, football, fast food, and marriage. It doesn't feel random; it feels organic to his story. This is why I read Pelecanos.
