johnnyb1954's review against another edition
3.0
I agree with the complaints about the overworked specific details of clothes brands, music, street names, food eaten. It was annoying. I did like the Spero, his brother, and the young student he befriended. The plot was fine and I enjoyed the book. The resolution is a let down because Spero is supposedly taking responsibility to solve it on his own but needs an unplanned turn of events to actually make it work
kfrench1008's review against another edition
4.0
Pelicanos' best since Soul Circus. His new hero, Spero Lucas, is suitably complex.
tormlen's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh, I listened to this on tape on a road trip. The writing was poor, and it just did not keep my attention. Truthfully, this is a far cry from my kind of book as I'm not a big fan of the crime novel. It felt really contrived to me, especially with how much the author used the word "said." No one ever exclaims anything in this book, or inquires, it's always just "said." I'm sorry, but that's only acceptable in journalism.
nonna7's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a huge fan of George Pelecanos, but I think this may be his best yet. This book introduces Spero Lucas, 29 yr old former marine, Iraq War veteran, currently self employed as an investigator. He finds lost and stolen items and returns them to their rightful owners. In return he gets a cut - 40% of the value of the item or 40% of the cash. He has been working for a criminal law attorney as an investigator. Generally his jobs are not ones that put him in danger although he is always prepared. One of the attorney's client is a high level marijuana dealer. He asks Spero to investigate the loss of several of the packages that were delivered and then stolen. Spero is a compelling figure and an interesting one. I hope Pelecanos brings him back. He is the most "current" character of any crime writer I have read so far. I'm not usually into the violent books, but this one is so amazingly well written like all of Pelecanos' books. I'm looking forward to the next one.
prcizmadia's review against another edition
4.0
Fast-paced and engrossing detective story. This is my second dance with Pelecanos, and the first I loved- read it in one day of travel. This man loves DC and knows how to weave a tale.
markfeltskog's review against another edition
By now, I think, I've read George Pelecanos' entire oeuvre, as well as admired the episodes of "The Wire" he scripted. Here is another author who is one of those rare examples in our hypersaturated culture of excessive praise (which is mostly, I think, marketing copy disguised as criticism) who actually has earned and therefore richly deserves every word issued in accolade of him. This book, however, strikes me as a major advance and departure for this already seriously talented writer: in terms of characterization (particularly) and dialogue, this book, of any "crime fiction" or "thriller" novel, transcends the limitations of its genre and earns its place as a work of art. When I came to the end of this satisfying story, I found an unexpected benefit: it makes the loss of Elmore Leonard, for me, much easier to bear.
tfmcgill's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
marystevens's review against another edition
4.0
Spero Lucas, the adopted son of Greek parents, is an ex-Marine who is making a career out of investigating for a criminal defense lawyer and recovering lost property on the side. He's a multifaceted believable and likable character. In fact none of Pelecano's characters are stick figures and they all change with the action of the story. I liked the vivid portrayal of DC and its neighborhoods. It's a thriller but it's not hyper. No cheap shots in Lelecanos' writing.