George Pelecanos: The Turnaround

On a hot summer afternoon in 1972, three teenagers drove into an unfamiliar neighborhood and six lives were altered forever. Thirty five years later, one survivor of that day reaches out to another, opening a door that could lead to salvation. But another survivor is now out of prison, looking for reparation in any form he can find it. THE TURNAROUND takes us on a journey from the rock-and-soul streets of the '70s to the changing neighborhoods of D.C. today, from the diners and auto garages of the city to the inside of Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital, where wounded men and women have returned to the world in a time of war. A novel of fathers and sons, wives and husbands, loss, victory and violent redemption, THE TURNAROUND is another compelling, highly charged novel from George Pelecanos, "the best crime novelist in America." -Oregonian

George Pelecanos first book in two years called The Turnaround comes out this week. By all means check this book out. I got an advanced, unedited copy a month ago and I could not put it down. He's easily the best writer I've ever read. Besides capturing the essence of Washington DC in various era's, one thing I love about his work is the way he tells us what's on the characters' sound systems, on their car stereos and why. As a native Washingtonian, while reading his books as events happen I often visualize myself at the scene or in the bar or store during the particular era the story is set in.

The Washington Post Magazine recently did a feature on Pelecanos called Crime Story

The Turnaround was reviewed in today's Post by Patrick Anderson; The Real Pelecanos