George Pelecanos is one of the most exciting writers out there. He has a feel for his DC city and the working class and criminals who live there. You don’t doubt his authenticity. As his fellow novelist Scott Philips once said, “If I was gong to commit a crime, I’d talk to George first.”
The Cut is a throwback to his early series characters like Nick Stefanos and Derek Strange. Spero Lucas is an Iraq war vet who retrieves stolen property for 40 percent of it’s value. He’s a tarnished angel who dates back to Chandler’s Marlowe; the good man working in a bad business. This job turns especially bad when he’s asked by an incarcerated drug dealer to find out who has stolen several 30-pound packages of marijuana. The job puts him in the middle of gangsters and cops, where he’s not sure who’s good and bad. It also puts him in contact with the working poor, and their children caught in the cross fire.
It’s the relationships between the grit and gunfights that make this such a fun read. Tom Peterson, the lawyer Spero works for, has some of the best lines that explain the world they play in. We also spend time with Spero’s adoptive Greek mother and his black brother, Leo. Leo is a high school English teacher who uses crime novels to teach his students. He gives Pelecanos some great moments to discuss his influences. Elmore Leonard’s Unknown Man #89, a book to which The Cut owes a debt, becomes a great topic.
This is a smart and entertaining hero book with subtle social awareness and a large dose of humanity. I was happy to hear this is going to be an ongoing series. I’m looking forward to knowing Spero Lucas, his friends, family, and the streets he works, much better.
George Pelecanos will appear to BookPeople to speak & sign The Cut on Friday, September 2nd, 7p. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit our website, www.bookpeople.com.
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