padraic_'s review against another edition
4.0
Pelecanos' third novel, and his third Nick Stefanos book has a slightly darker tone than its predecessors. Nick, a licencised Private Eye is still tending bar at The Spot rather than taking jobs photographing couples entering and leaving motel rooms.
As well as paying the bills working in a bar for anti-social alcoholics facilitates Nick in his own drinking. Previously excessive, this now seems morbid and the link to mortality comes closer when his collapse at at the end of a messy binge leaves him hidden in bushes, feet away from a clinical execution.
Despite not being hired by anyone to investigate Nick's sense of responsibility and guilt sees him poke around on the case until he rubs enough people up the wrong way and gets more actively involved.
Another compulsive read this is classically noir in that it eschews clear morality and the hero has to go outside the law to pursue justice. This comes at a cost as it has in each book so far but 'Down by the river' sees Stafanos and his allies taking considerable punishment for their actions.
Once more set in a punk and new wave soundtracked Washington, seen through the eyes of a class and race aware native the novel delivers imapct and action while providing a credible and complex groups of characters.
As well as paying the bills working in a bar for anti-social alcoholics facilitates Nick in his own drinking. Previously excessive, this now seems morbid and the link to mortality comes closer when his collapse at at the end of a messy binge leaves him hidden in bushes, feet away from a clinical execution.
Despite not being hired by anyone to investigate Nick's sense of responsibility and guilt sees him poke around on the case until he rubs enough people up the wrong way and gets more actively involved.
Another compulsive read this is classically noir in that it eschews clear morality and the hero has to go outside the law to pursue justice. This comes at a cost as it has in each book so far but 'Down by the river' sees Stafanos and his allies taking considerable punishment for their actions.
Once more set in a punk and new wave soundtracked Washington, seen through the eyes of a class and race aware native the novel delivers imapct and action while providing a credible and complex groups of characters.
jakewritesbooks's review against another edition
4.0
After reading this, I’m glad I have a functioning liver. I can’t believe Nick Stefanos doesn’t have cirrhosis. A few years ago, slacker-bartender-cum-private-eye would have been a more enjoyable read. Now I just want him to get to a meeting.
At any rate, considering how raw the first book in this series was, it’s impressive at how Pelecanos honed his style. It’s got the same energy as the first but is better written. I know his later novels are more prestigious and deal with IMPORTANT subjects but I wish he had done a few more of these. They’re fun reads. He’s said that he couldn’t write these books anymore and I get that but they’re still entertaining.
At any rate, considering how raw the first book in this series was, it’s impressive at how Pelecanos honed his style. It’s got the same energy as the first but is better written. I know his later novels are more prestigious and deal with IMPORTANT subjects but I wish he had done a few more of these. They’re fun reads. He’s said that he couldn’t write these books anymore and I get that but they’re still entertaining.
cmleejim's review
4.0
This novel is a little more raw than the last, but also very short. A good send off for the protagonist who just can't seem to get his life right, or finds a way to ruin it just when it's getting itself together.
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