Soul Circus (Derek Strange and Terry Quinn Series, 3)

PI Derek Strange has married his assistant, Janine, and is attempting to balance his home life against the demands of his job, which at the time involves keeping a drug dealing client, who's not a very nice guy, from receiving the death penalty. Hot tempered and paranoid European former policeman, Terry Quinn is Strange's partner. In addition to trying to keep a man from getting murdered by the state, they are searching for a teenage girl, a runaway last been seen staring in a porno movie. Strange and Quinn have also been hired by would-be crook, Mario Durham, older brother of real crook, Dewayne Durham, to find his former girlfriend. The outcome of that investigation, while nominally successful, is tragic because it leads to the the girl's death. Strange does his best to bring satisfactory outcomes to his cases, but he isn't always successful. This causes him pain, as he's a thinking man who is constantly aware of the hopelessness of the lives of the people in ghetto. This is a tough, violent book, but it's writing is tack sharp, the dialogue is as real as the people on the pages and, if like me, you're a fan of Mr. Pelecanos, you'll be glad that he decided to expand on his trilogy and do the prequel to the Strange and Co. stories.

George Pelecanos is one of today?s best crime writers. I?ve read all of his novels and I can honestly say that I?ve never been disappointed. In his latest novel, Soul Circus, Mr. Pelecanos returns us to the Washington D.C. of Derek Strange and Terry Quinn. It?s a Washington that most of us don?t know about. Drug dealers, gangs, guns and violence abound, but that?s not all these neighborhoods are about. Mr. Peleconos takes us deep into our capitols neighborhoods and culture. If you?ve been keeping up with Mr. Pelecanos?s writing you?ll know that, Harriet Klausner pay attention here, this is Derek Strange and Terry Quinn?s third appearance and Mr. Pelecanos?s 11th novel. As I said before I?ve enjoyed every one of his novels but the ending to Soul Circus is a surprise that I wasn?t prepared for. It may just signal the end to Derek Strange?s stories. I guess we?ll just have to wait and see.If you?ve read Right as Rain and Hell to Pay then pick up this novel as soon as possible. If you haven?t?..What are you waiting for?

Too many series become predictable and unsustainable. Look at Parker and Crais and sometimes Connelly, certainly Sandford. But not Pelacanos. I saw another review that chastised the author for his DC wanderings and his sidetrips into music and westerns. I always check out what the characters are listening to, reading or watching...it's half the fun of a Pelacanos novel. The other thing is the DC as small town theme. Any of Pelacanos characters are likely to show up in any series. I like this post modern aspect to the noirish crime novel. The bad guys are never boring; The good guys never too smart for their own good. I'd be hard pressed to tell any newcomer where to start with this writer. Just start somewhere and then figure it out for yourself.

Reading fiction is a form of escape, of course. If you want reality, you read nonfiction. But after reading SOUL CIRCUS, the latest novel from George P. Pelecanos, you may find yourself wondering what it is about reality that made you want to escape into a world so dark and disturbing and so, well, real.The eleventh novel from Pelecanos and the third to feature private investigators Derek Strange and Terry Quinn, SOUL CIRCUS also includes a number of characters that have appeared in previous Pelecanos novels, including Nick Stefanos, another private detective whose character is based on Pelecanos himself.SOUL CIRCUS finds Derek Strange searching for evidence that will mean the difference between life in prison and the death sentence for Granville Oliver, a dangerous gang leader and drug dealer on trial for murder. Strange has resolved to perform this service, despite Oliver's reputation, for a couple of worthwhile reasons, not the least of which is that decades before, while serving as a police officer, Strange killed Oliver's father. Strange feels that, in depriving Oliver of a father, he set a boy on the path to gangs, drugs, guns and violence, and therefore bears some responsibility for the situation in which Oliver now finds himself. But as Strange explains it to those who question his judgment in the matter, he is not defending Oliver --- he is defending Oliver's rights.Strange's investigation leads him to a young woman who may have evidence that will keep Oliver off the injection table. But there are those who prefer to see Oliver dead and not just the prosecution. These people have long since rid themselves of the burden of conscience that might otherwise interfere with plans for kidnapping, extortion, murder and the other tools of the bad guy trade.In the midst of this investigation, Strange and Quinn take on another small case: locating an absent girlfriend for Mario Durham, a petty crook and no deep thinker whose motives, unbeknownst to Strange and Quinn, have more to do with settling a score than they do with faltering romance. Mario, it turns out, is the brother of Dewayne Durham, another feared gang leader and drug dealer. It is Mario's desire to impress his brother that leads to the death of the absent girlfriend and sets in motion a series of events that trigger a cascade of gunplay and violence that winds its way back to Strange and Quinn.SOUL CIRCUS intricately weaves several subplots into a taut and compelling story that plays out in neighborhoods of Washington D.C. that are so removed from the pomp and photo-op politics of the nation's capital that they might as well be in some third-world hellhole. Pelecanos very effectively demonstrates that living within sight of those familiar, gleaming white symbols of democracy are citizens whose voices are never heard and whose issues offer insufficient political payback to draw the attention of those in power.But while Pelecanos has a political agenda, his message integrates seamlessly

The popularity of George Pelecanos is on the rise, and with good reason. Soul Circus is the third installment of his Derek Strange series, and it more than meets the high expectations set by the previous two. Pelecanos is to Washington, DC as Robert Crais and Michael Connelly are to Los Angeles. He knows the streets, the people, and the culture and his writing reflects the knowledge of an insider. His depictions of urban youth, gang violence, and drug culture are on the mark and he pulls no punches.Character development seems to be a strong suit of Pelecanos, as Derek Strange is one of the best around. There is not a reader around who will dislike him. He is not perfect - in fact, he is quite flawed. He's married, but he's reluctant to fully immerse himself in family life. He opposes the death penalty and hates the drugs that plague his neighborhood, but at times resorts to violence and illegal activities himself. He is constantly trying to help the younger men with whom he comes in contact, but realizes that he can only go so far.Terry Quinn is his partner, and he is just as flawed as Strange. He does not believe in stronger gun control laws, and hates when he is 'punked' due to the fact that he is white. He is prone to violence and has a temper. He often steps over the line, but he is just as loveable as Strange and brings a great deal to the story. Soul Circus is a novel filled with violence and the death of the young. It is at times brutal, and Pelecanos does not flinch when he relates the reality of murder to his readers. He does not, however, portrey all those involved in the drug trade as evil thugs. No character in this book is drawn so black and white as to be wholly good or bad. From Mario Durham, who is constantly laughed at for wearing a pair of used 'ordans,' to the feared Granville Oliver on trial for his life, everyone has their flaws, and all have redeeming features. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but readers would probably maximize their enjoyment of this novel by reading Right as Rain and Hell to Pay beforehand. They are both excellent as well.