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Title: Shoedog by George P. Pelecanos ISBN: 0-312-11061-8 Publisher: St Martins Pr Pub. Date: 01 May, 1994 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (3 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Efficient heist thriller-harbinger of better things to come
Comment: Shoedog is the debut novel of George P Pelecanos and while it works perfectly well in its own right it has most interest to admirers of this splendid writer as a prototype for the bigger and more ambitious books to come-,more specifically the Nick Stefanos novels.
Its protagonist ,Constantine,is very similar to Stefanos-a well educated young man of Greek extraction,possessed of an encylopedic knowledge of popular music and in thrall to wanderlust and working in mainly menial jobs,especially keeping bar.He falls in with veteran criminal Polk,who involves him in a double robbery of liquor stores in Washington D C.
We are taken through the planning and execution of the robbery,witness the conflict between gang members who the author takes the time and trouble to delineate and render as individuals with their quirks and quiddities .
Efficient plotting and crisp dialogue with a believable cast of characters.The book is reminiscent of what to me is still the best caper novel The Asphalt Jungle and the result is pleasing if minor Pelecanos,which is still pretty major by most people's standards
Rating: 5
Summary: If you like crime fiction and can find a copy, read it
Comment: I've now read all but one of Pelecanos' books and, while I wouldn't rank Shoedog as even one of the top five, I still rate it a five star book. The author has so many tools to work with that he can produce a terrific book even if he's not hitting it on all cylinders. I thought this book was a little short, which limited the character and story development a bit. And, several of the heist characters were also not as interesting as many others I've encountered in this author's books.
Having stated my criticism, I'll have to say I loved reading the book anyway. Randolph, the Shoedog character, was superb. The planning and execution of the robberies was gripping. The Washington, D.C. and music references were characteristically well done. The story had enough twists and turns and the ending was not that predictable. If you like crime fiction and can find a copy (it's kind of scarce), I think you should read it.
Rating: 4
Summary: Noir in DC
Comment: Pelecanos takes a break from the Nick Stefanos series to tell the noir tale of a drifter who, while simply hitching a ride south, gets caught up in shady dealings with deadly consequences. The protagonist, Constantine, is extremely similar to Pelecanos' Nick Stefanos (and even spends a night in Stefanos' bar) he's a loner, able to hold his own, at home with the underbelly of society and a keen sense of what is right and wrong. He gets caught up in with some petty criminals and their controlling boss and ends up in a sticky situation. As usual, Pelecanos uses Washington DC and environs as a backdrop for this gritty little tale.
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Title: Nick's Trip by George P. Pelecanos ISBN: 1852427140 Publisher: Serpent's Tail Pub. Date: 15 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go (Five Star Title) by George P. Pelecanos ISBN: 1852427167 Publisher: Serpent's Tail Pub. Date: 01 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: Hard Revolution: A Novel by George Pelecanos ISBN: 0316608971 Publisher: Little, Brown Pub. Date: March, 2004 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: A Firing Offense (Five Star Title) by George P. Pelecanos ISBN: 1852427159 Publisher: Serpent's Tail Pub. Date: 01 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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Title: The Big Blowdown by George P. Pelecanos ISBN: 0312242913 Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Pub. Date: 01 September, 1999 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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