Shame the Devil by George P. Pelecanos Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Shame the Devil
Book Review: Read the Book and Shame the Devil
Summary: 4 Stars
I don't think anyone captures the darker side of town quite as well as George Pelecanos. It's a rough, tough world out there and it's brought to life for us in each of his books and this one is as close to reality as any of his previous books. It's a gritty book with occasional scenes of extreme violence, populated with characters that have become tired with life and just about totally worn down through their hard living in a hard world.Set in the 90s, Shame the Devil features the characters in Pelecanos' three previous books, updates their lives for us and puts them through one final tough experience. It's probably necessary to have read the three previous books to gain a full understanding of all that's mentioned during this story. Old characters are revisited along with parts of their story, reminders of previous books and I should imagine some of these references would be lost if Shame the Devil were the first Pelecanos that you've read.
Book Review: The man
Summary: 5 Stars
Pelecanos is simply the best thing out there. The most honest writer I've ever read. And growing up in DC, he knows it so well. Read and learn.Book Review: Very Interesting And Well-Written!
Summary: 4 Stars
Shame The Devil is the first book I've read by George Pelicanos -- but it certainly won't be the last. As a matter of fact, I've already bought his latest mystery, Right As Rain. Shame The Devil is chocked full of the qualities you want in a book -- interesting main plot and sub-plots, very well-developed "good guys"(particuarly Nick Stefanos)and "bad guys", lots of action, strong, realistic dialogue and a writing style that makes you want to turn the pages as fast as you can. The only quality that I found to be a bit unrealistic is the degree of knowledge so many of the characters have about different styles of music. At this point, Dennis Lehane is my favorite mystery writer but Pelicanos has the potential to be his equal. Do yourself a favor and get a copy of Shame The Devil. Enjoy!Book Review: a tight, well-developed crime novel..
Summary: 4 Stars
'Shame the Devil' is the last in a series of novels by George Pelecanos tracing the lives of Greek immigrants and their decendents living in downtown Washington. While there is no need to read all the previous three novels, which I haven't done, I suggest reading at least one (perhaps the first, 'The Big Blowdown') to gain a historical perpective to the characters, the setting, etc.'Shame the Devil' is very well-written, complete with excellent characterizations. While it doesn't have much of the drug culture found in the author's other novels it does contain more than its fair share of violence, extreme sadistic violence. The book drips with evil. Simply put, the story is about revenge and redemption. Certainly not in the same league as 'Crime & Punishment' but nonetheless a fine story. My only criticism is that at times, especially towards the end, the author gets a bit soppy. The good guy characters start hugging and snivelling. Why the author chose to insert "Kodak moments" into this hard-hitting novel is anyone's guess.
Bottom line: George Pelecanos is really a terrific crime writer. Enjoy.