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loujoseph's review against another edition
4.0
Pelecanos is a writer for the wire, so i thought i'd give one of his crime fictions a try- pretty good stuff, especially if you're a fan of the wire. the is the first in a series, a good place to start with...
woody1881's review against another edition
2.0
This was just an "okay" book. The story was adequate, but it took more than half the book to tie all the parts, and all the characters into a single story. I almost gave up on this being anything more than an essay on the evils of all white people in relation to African Americans. The story finally developed, but the underlying message, that white people are genetically and involuntarily racist, never stopped. The story line needed some elements of perceived racism, but it was way overdone. I had no sympathy or connection to any character in the book, they were all too busy trying to send a message about racism, despair, injustice, or self-doubt. I may give Pelecanos another chance, but not unless there is another author's work near at hand to switch to if I find more of the same.
duparker's review against another edition
5.0
Incidental and real
On cascading for a week I read 6 books. This was the one I paced out, enjoying each sentence and scene. No need to rush it or move on to the next Gov. This is my first Pelecanos bok, and makes me want to devour (@ a slow pace) the rest of his writing. The characters are flawed humans who have real dialog and interactions. They live in a dirty realistic place and enjoy the ups and downs of that. Bravo.
On cascading for a week I read 6 books. This was the one I paced out, enjoying each sentence and scene. No need to rush it or move on to the next Gov. This is my first Pelecanos bok, and makes me want to devour (@ a slow pace) the rest of his writing. The characters are flawed humans who have real dialog and interactions. They live in a dirty realistic place and enjoy the ups and downs of that. Bravo.
greybeard49's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars.
I really appreciate how Pelecanos writes. He is up there with the best US crime noir authors.
Great scene setter (Washington D C - music, restaurants, streetscapes, landmarks - are threaded through the plot) and he is excellent at developing the storyline (an 'easy as she goes' rollout which really pulls you along). Creates and brings together, for the first time, two great characters who are different but dovetail beautifully.
Great package.
I really appreciate how Pelecanos writes. He is up there with the best US crime noir authors.
Great scene setter (Washington D C - music, restaurants, streetscapes, landmarks - are threaded through the plot) and he is excellent at developing the storyline (an 'easy as she goes' rollout which really pulls you along). Creates and brings together, for the first time, two great characters who are different but dovetail beautifully.
Great package.
dantastic's review against another edition
4.0
A white cop kills an off-duty black cop and the black cop's mother hires Derek Strange to get to the bottom of things. Strange stumbles into a world of drug dealers and dirty cops, and the only man who can help him is Terry Quinn, the white cop who shot the son of the woman who hired him...
Right as Rain kicks off the Derek Strange series. Strange, a sixty-ish black PI, is a pretty smooth character, a former cop who is fond of westerns. Terry Quinn is a white disgraced former cop who works in a used book and record store. Pelecanos uses their contrasting characteristics to explore race relations in Washington DC while they tackle the case of Chris Wilson, the off-duty cop Quinn killed.
Sound like Lethal Weapon? It's not, although Strange and Quinn poke fun at the Gibson and Glover action comedy a couple times. Strange and Quinn are both very well developed characters. Quinn's an intense guy and isn't sure if he shot Wilson because he was brandishing a gun or because he was black. Further complicating Quinn's feelings on race is Juana, his half-black, half-Puerto Rican girlfriend. Strange has been in a casual relationship with his secretary for years but won't commit despite feeling fatherly toward her son Lionel.
The friendship between Strange and Quinn grows naturally, first over westerns and boxing, and seemed pretty believable to me. I found myself caring about their relationships with their women and with each other more than the eventual gunplay I knew was coming.
The villains of the piece, the drug dealers, aren't as developed as I would have liked but the story is more about the interactions between Strange and Quinn anyway. Although I did like that Pelecanos had them leave DC for the country a bit. Both men emerge from the story changed men to some degree. Strange's case turns out well and Quinn learns a few things about himself.
4 stars. I'll be reading more of Strange and Quinn in the future.
Right as Rain kicks off the Derek Strange series. Strange, a sixty-ish black PI, is a pretty smooth character, a former cop who is fond of westerns. Terry Quinn is a white disgraced former cop who works in a used book and record store. Pelecanos uses their contrasting characteristics to explore race relations in Washington DC while they tackle the case of Chris Wilson, the off-duty cop Quinn killed.
Sound like Lethal Weapon? It's not, although Strange and Quinn poke fun at the Gibson and Glover action comedy a couple times. Strange and Quinn are both very well developed characters. Quinn's an intense guy and isn't sure if he shot Wilson because he was brandishing a gun or because he was black. Further complicating Quinn's feelings on race is Juana, his half-black, half-Puerto Rican girlfriend. Strange has been in a casual relationship with his secretary for years but won't commit despite feeling fatherly toward her son Lionel.
The friendship between Strange and Quinn grows naturally, first over westerns and boxing, and seemed pretty believable to me. I found myself caring about their relationships with their women and with each other more than the eventual gunplay I knew was coming.
The villains of the piece, the drug dealers, aren't as developed as I would have liked but the story is more about the interactions between Strange and Quinn anyway. Although I did like that Pelecanos had them leave DC for the country a bit. Both men emerge from the story changed men to some degree. Strange's case turns out well and Quinn learns a few things about himself.
4 stars. I'll be reading more of Strange and Quinn in the future.
jimmypat's review against another edition
3.0
This is the first book I’m reading in a series that I’m calling “quarantine life”. With all of our libraries closed due to the corona virus, I’m left to cull through my own shelves for books that I haven’t read yet.
This book has been on my shelf for 18 years, so it’s probably been that long since I’ve read a Pelecanos novel. Despite a rough start (more in that in a moment), I was pretty engaged with this novel- mainly due to Pelecanos’ gift with dialogue. It also reminded me of his other works, where much of the action centers around the relationship of two guys (white and black) where they talk incessantly about music.
This book stays firmly in 3 star territory due to a couple of reasons:
- When reading, I’m not interested in commercials. However, Pelecanos kept singing the praises of Craftsmen tools, Heineken beer, Pay Day bars, and Tabasco. Check out this example, where after listing all the Craftsmen tools in Strange’s trunk Pelecanos writes “When he could, Strange always bought Craftsman - the tools were guaranteed for life and he tended to be hard on his equipment.” What the heck is this crap? Did Sears pay for this product endorsement?
- Gratuitous and unnecessary sex scenes. A lot of them. That coupled with (pun intended!) the main characters casual disregard for the women in their lives was a bit much.
Despite those items, I’m likely to read the next book. There was enough going on to make me curious to see what happens next with these guys.
This book has been on my shelf for 18 years, so it’s probably been that long since I’ve read a Pelecanos novel. Despite a rough start (more in that in a moment), I was pretty engaged with this novel- mainly due to Pelecanos’ gift with dialogue. It also reminded me of his other works, where much of the action centers around the relationship of two guys (white and black) where they talk incessantly about music.
This book stays firmly in 3 star territory due to a couple of reasons:
- When reading, I’m not interested in commercials. However, Pelecanos kept singing the praises of Craftsmen tools, Heineken beer, Pay Day bars, and Tabasco. Check out this example, where after listing all the Craftsmen tools in Strange’s trunk Pelecanos writes “When he could, Strange always bought Craftsman - the tools were guaranteed for life and he tended to be hard on his equipment.” What the heck is this crap? Did Sears pay for this product endorsement?
- Gratuitous and unnecessary sex scenes. A lot of them. That coupled with (pun intended!) the main characters casual disregard for the women in their lives was a bit much.
Despite those items, I’m likely to read the next book. There was enough going on to make me curious to see what happens next with these guys.
gregtrob's review against another edition
5.0
Another great read from Pelecanos with Strange as the main character. I found the plot in this one very interesting and it kept me riveted to the book.
jdcorley's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
How to make a mystery/crime story have racial elements without falling into stereotype - get very, very, very specific. Every single character in this from the racist redneck meth dealers to the innocent young kid present at exactly one interview has a point of view, a history and Pelecanos carefully lays it out with understanding, even if not acceptance. See what you think of Terry Quinn by the end of this book that supposedly introduces him to the private-eye job that will be the source of the next few books. Tell you one thing, Pelecanos absolutely doesn't expect us to just love him and think he's great.
The one exception to the rule of Pelecanos' relentless, detailed focus on personal viewpoints and history are drug users. In this story a drug addict has no point of view and no interiority at all; they're just a vehicle driving towards an overdose. There's not an ounce of sympathy to the addict anywhere in here, even when rescuing (this is not a euphemism) one is the core objective of the last fourth of the book.
The one exception to the rule of Pelecanos' relentless, detailed focus on personal viewpoints and history are drug users. In this story a drug addict has no point of view and no interiority at all; they're just a vehicle driving towards an overdose. There's not an ounce of sympathy to the addict anywhere in here, even when rescuing (this is not a euphemism) one is the core objective of the last fourth of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Addiction, and Gun violence