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Liked It “I can't call this book a thriller. It is so much more. It is, simply, the best crime novel I've read in several years. This book was my first introduction to George Pelecanos, and already I've added several more of his books to my TBR pile. |
Didn’t Like It “Twenty years ago, someone is murdering children. He is never caught. Twenty years later, a child is murdered with the same MO. Cops who were involved in the earlier murders work on the latest murder.” see full review » see other reviews » |
Newest Reviews
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“I have tried twice to read this book and never did get into it...”
colorado wrote this review Monday, October 12 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“Audio book.”
lisat wrote this review Monday, September 14 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I can't call this book a thriller. It is so much more. It is, simply, the best crime novel I've read in several years. This book was my first introduction to George Pelecanos, and already I've added several more of his books to my TBR pile.
Hilarie wrote this review Thursday, July 2 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The Night Gardener begins in 1985, at the scene of a homicide committed by a serial killer known as "the night gardener"who has been targeting teenage victims. It is here that we are first introduced to three police officers: patrolmen Gus Ramone and Dan Holiday, and detective T.C. Cook. We are offered only a brief glimpse before the novel jumps to 2005. Gus Ramone, now a detective, divides his time between work and family. Dan Holiday is a cop no longer, but provides chauffeur services with security to the wealthy. T.C. Cook, now retired, is haunted by the faces of the serial killers victims, and longs to bring the killer to justice. The discovery of another homicide that bears remarkable similarities to the unsolved cases of twenty years ago brings these three men together.
Let me start my review with a warning. The dialogue in this book is extremely raw, including almost constant profanity and vulgar references. That being said, Pelecanos writes some of the best dialogue I've ever read. Personally, I wish the language could have been cleaner, but it might not have felt so authentic if that had been the case.
The Night Gardener really surprised me, in a good way. I was expecting a page-turning murder mystery which would resolve itself in a tidy black and white ending by the last page. Instead, I found a book which was almost a constant shade of gray, and which compelled me to keep reading because of the powerful questions it made me ask myself. I was especially impressed with the ending of the novel. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll simply say that for me I don't feel that it could have ended any other way.
I also appreciated that Pelecanos avoided so many of the typical plot devices that are present in so many crime novels. For once, I appreciated reading about a police officer who was a devoted husband and father, as opposed to a self-destructive hero. I was also fascinated by Pelecanos presentation of the racial tensions that are present in Washington D.C., and I appreciated that he was able to present more than one viewpoint. Pelecanos has made a fan of me with this one.
If you are looking for a crime novel with true substance, you can't do better than this. Just don't say I didn't warn you about the potty talk.
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“Chapter 13 & the characters, while not cookie-cutter, don't come across as nearly as developed as others have said. I lived in D.C. for years & while I never spent much time in Southeast, I don't get much sense of place from the description of it in the book. It's more like he's ticking off items from a list of places and things to mention.
Avis habilis wrote this review Monday, September 21 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
The conclusion is dissatisfying for nearly all the characters involved, as it should be. One of the major themes of the book is the futility & arbitrariness of the very notion of "solving" a crime. Answers are found, but nothing is ever actually resolved.”
“Simply outstanding. A slow, methodical novel that tells a richly detailed story. The characters feel real; no high speed car chases, impromptu romances, or gratuitous sex. The best murder mystery I have read in years.”
verena b wrote this review Wednesday, May 27 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“Twenty years ago, someone is murdering children. He is never caught. Twenty years later, a child is murdered with the same MO. Cops who were involved in the earlier murders work on the latest murder.”
Albert F wrote this review Monday, July 21 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
“This was another first time read of an author thanks to Shelfari and its members, anyone know how many of us there are?
Darren Foster wrote this review Wednesday, March 5 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
A real gritty and true-to life novel about a DC police detective and others trying to solve a murder that is similar to older cases. Pelicans’ next book is already in my “want” list.
”“Excellent noir-ish story centering around police detective Gus Ramone and his family as he struggles with two murders of young men. One of the crimes suggests a crime of 20 years ago that prefaces the present day action. Three of the officers from the serial murders of young black children in the past are reunited to solve the current case. A parallel story follows a would-be outlaw rebel who wants to make a name for himself based on his daring criminality. The tone of this novel is sad and elegiac, mourning lost opportunities and wasted lives. Set in the rougher neighborhoods of DC. Really fine.”
Beverly N wrote this review Monday, January 19 2009. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“i'm a big fan of the hbo show the wire.i picked this up because he writes on the show and was happy i did the similarites with the show are there read this book watch the wire best thing on the small screen period.”
luis c wrote this review Sunday, January 6 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
