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George Pelecanos
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Right as Rain (Derek Strange and Terry Quinn Series Book 1) Kindle Edition

by George Pelecanos (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 543 ratings
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Derek Strange is a black ex-cop in Washington D.C. who now makes a living running his own private detective agency. He is hired to investigate the killing of an off-duty black policeman by a white police officer -- a killing that was supposedly accidental, but that has opened difficult questions about racism on the force. In the course of that investigation the white officer, Terry Quinn, becomes Strange's friend and then his partner. Together they try to uncover what really happened that night, when Quinn came upon a confusing and treacherous crime scene. Along the way they confront the kingpins of a flourishing drug trade and some of the most implacable, dead-eyed killers ever to grace the pages of a novel.
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  1. Book 1 of 5
    Derek Strange and Terry Quinn
  2. Print length
    326 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publisher
    Grand Central Publishing
  6. Publication date
    October 23, 2008
  7. File size
    2069 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

George Pelecanos's Washington, D.C., is a far cry from the upwardly mobile, tourist-attraction-speckled enclave of Margaret Truman (Murder at the National Cathedral, Murder in Georgetown). Pelecanos's capital is a haunting terrain of drugs and death, a no man's land of posturing dealers and skeletal warehouses that shelter their buyers:

A rat scurried into a dim side room, and a withered black face receded into the darkness. The face belonged to a junkie named Tonio Morris. He was one of the many bottom-of-the-food-chain junkies, near death and too weak to cut out a space of their own on the second floor; later, when the packets were delivered to those with cash, they'd trade anything they had, anything they'd stolen that day, or any orifice on their bodies for some rock or powder. When PI Derek Strange is hired by Chris Wilson's mother to find out why her son, a black cop, was killed by a white cop, Terry Quinn, on a dark night in that no man's land, Strange figures that the answer is painfully clear: a typical case of mistaken identity, fueled by the assumptions and preconceptions of Quinn's innate racism. But what Strange finds is a tentative kinship with Quinn, who is desperate to proclaim himself "color-blind." Kicked off the force and convinced that there's more to his own story, Quinn asks to join Strange in his investigation. As the two pry into the past, drifting through the neighborhoods both men have known all their lives, they find themselves enmeshed in a tangle of cold-blooded competition and heated personal enmity.

Pelecanos generally has a light touch with the treacherous quagmire of -isms, veering only occasionally into sententious meanderings about the consequences of an economically and racially divided society. His wry humor, particularly in his descriptions of Earl and Ray, the heroin middlemen who bring the concept of white trash to a depressingly low level, leavens the novel's noir bleakness. And Strange himself is a compelling character: a middle-aged black man who has seen more of life's callousness than he cares to admit, and whose jitteriness about personal commitment speaks volumes about his own expectations for happiness. A strong character and a good read--Pelecanos fans can settle in and look forward to Strange's next appearance. --Kelly Flynn

From Publishers Weekly

Nearly a decade after Pelecanos (Shame the Devil; Nick's Trip) introduced Nick Stefanos to the private eye scene, the hard-boiled specialist has come up with a new urban gumshoe who's just as tantalizing to watch in action. Derek Strange, a black ex-cop in his mid-50s, walks the same Washington, D.C., streets as Stefanos, yet does so with far more experience under his belt. In his debut, Strange is hired to answer nagging questions about the death of black police officer Chris Wilson, who was killed by another cop in a shootout. Police investigators cleared Terry Quinn, the white cop who killed Wilson, but Strange soon discovers several hidden issues that may put a different spin on the case. Quinn confirms that he shot Wilson in self-defense, but admits he remains disturbed by the actions of the other people present at the scene of the conflict. Strange enlists his aid in the investigation and the case takes both men deep into the worlds of drug dealing, police corruption and racism. The plot rolls along in a workmanlike, almost predictable fashion. Yet as is usually the case with Pelecanos, it's the characters who give the story the gritty, dark twists that have become the author's trademark. The cast is wonderfully varied, yet Pelecanos also manages to capture the essence of most of his characters with just a few descriptive licks. It's Strange, however, who steals the show. He's a mature man with a highly defined sense of who he is--an aging private eye who knows that his best weapons these days are his wits and wisdom. (Feb. 6)Forecast: A new Pelecanos series hero is big news in the noir world. British, Italian, French and Japanese rights have already been sold, and a five-city author tour will start sales rolling in the U.S.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B001J2UVMK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Grand Central Publishing; 1st edition (October 23, 2008)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 23, 2008
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2069 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 326 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0316099295
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 543 ratings

About the author

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George Pelecanos

George Pelecanos

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George P. Pelecanos was born in Washington, DC in 1957. His first novel was published in 1992 and alongside his consequential success as an author, he has also worked as producer, writer and story editor for the acclaimed and award-winning US crime series, The Wire. His writing for the show earned him an Emmy nomination.

He is the author of fifteen crime novels set in and around Washington, DC. The Big Blowdown was the recipient of the International Crime Novel of the Year award in both Germany and Japan; King Suckerman was shortlisted for the Gold Dagger Award in the UK. His short fiction has appeared in Esquire and the collections Unusual Suspects and Best American Mystery Stories of 1997. He is an award-winning journalist and pop-culture essayist who has written for the Washington Post.

Pelecanos can also claim credit for involvement in the production of several feature films. Most recently, as a screenwriter for film, he has written an adaptation of King Suckerman for Dimension Films, and was co-writer on the Paid in Full.

His novel Right as Rain is currently in development with director Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential, Wonder Boys) and Warner Brothers. He is a writer on the upcoming World War II miniseries The Pacific, to be produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and HBO. Pelecanos lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife and three children. He is at work on his next novel.

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
543 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Stay Fabulous
5.0 out of 5 stars For the love of The District
Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2013
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As a District resident, reading this book was like walking down a familiar street but discovering something new every day. The nooks and crannies of D.C. sparkle with intrigue in this book. I was out last night, and ran into two persons who were "Geoscoping" or something like that - an urban scavenger hunt. That reminded me of this book, because you never know what kind of trouble, nonesense, or excitement, you'll find in D.C.
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Jose Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars Effective, but flawed.
Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2008
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This was my first Pelecanos novel. I became aware of him through his writing on "The Wire," which in my opinion is one of the best TV shows ever created.

When I first started reading this book, I thought I was going to be getting Richard Price without the beautiful language. It didn't stay at that lofty level, but it was an effective novel nonetheless.

The main characters here are an older black PI and a white ex-cop who shot and killed an off-duty black police officer, which caused a media mushroom cloud in D.C. (where the action takes place).

Strange, the PI, is hired by the slain officer's mother to clear her son's reputation and get his name on a memorial downtown for officers who have died in the line of duty. After Strange approaches Quinn, the ex-cop (he left the force after the storm his shooting caused, though he was found to be in the right), Quinn slowly starts to aid Strange in the investigation.

Unlike a lot of other reviewers here, I liked the story Pelecanos tells in "Right as Rain." It's not "The Maltese Falcon," but it's surely not an episode of "Scooby-Doo," either. Considering that Pelecanos clearly wanted to make this a story about what has become of D.C. and the racial tensions that exist there, I would say the story is nicely plotted and inhabited by real characters that give it a strong sense of legitimacy.

I think the one flaw of this book is that at times it deals with the racial tensions in mature, honest ways, and then at other times Pelecanos spouts off cliches and hits you over the head with a sledgehammer. I found that Pelecanos holds his white characters to an impossible standard. And he never examines the racism from the other point of view -- of blacks toward whites.

While I think Strange is a well-drawn, complicated, feels-true character, I never felt the same about Quinn. I don't think you get to know him that well. And constantly in the book people meet Quinn and say he's "disturbed," but where is the evidence of this? I just don't see what they see.

Overall, though, Pelecanos keeps his prose simple and his dialogue humming. Strange's eventual acceptance of Quinn is what this book is really about, and it's their relationship that I enjoyed the most.

There was definitely enough good in this book to make me want to read the next Strange/Quinn saga.
5 people found this helpful
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Gerry Mc
5.0 out of 5 stars Pelecanos' detective to the rescue
Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2014
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I have read a number of books in this series and I enjoy them all. This one is no exception - Strange has some character flaws that he remains true to no matter what, but also is true to his word and does the next right thing without wavering. An enjoyable detective procedural with lots of local color thrown in for those of us familiar with DC and the surrounding counties.
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D. Schwent
4.0 out of 5 stars Pelecanos can do no wrong!
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2013
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A white cop kills an off-duty black cop and the black cop's mother hires Derek Strange to get to the bottom of things. Strange stumbles into a world of drug dealers and dirty cops, and the only man who can help him is Terry Quinn, the white cop who shot the son of the woman who hired him...

Right as Rain kicks off the Derek Strange series. Strange, a sixty-ish black PI, is a pretty smooth character, a former cop who is fond of westerns. Terry Quinn is a white disgraced former cop who works in a used book and record store. Pelecanos uses their contrasting characteristics to explore race relations in Washington DC while they tackle the case of Chris Wilson, the off-duty cop Quinn killed.

Sound like Lethal Weapon? It's not, although Strange and Quinn poke fun at the Gibson and Glover action comedy a couple times. Strange and Quinn are both very well developed characters. Quinn's an intense guy and isn't sure if he shot Wilson because he was brandishing a gun or because he was black. Further complicating Quinn's feelings on race are Juana, his half-black, half-Puerto Rican girlfriend. Strange has been in a casual relationship with his secretary for years but won't commit despite feeling fatherly toward her son Lionel.

The friendship between Strange and Quinn grows naturally, first over westerns and boxing, and seemed pretty believable to me. I found myself caring about their relationships with their women and with each other more than the eventual gunplay I knew was coming.

The villains of the piece, the drug dealers, aren't as developed as I would have liked but the story is more about the interactions between Strange and Quinn anyway. Although I did like that Pelecanos had them leave DC for the country a bit. Both men emerge from the story changed men to some degree. Strange's case turns out well and Quinn learns a few things about himself.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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David
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on September 6, 2018
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Good detective novel.
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DAVID HUNT
5.0 out of 5 stars First rate novelist
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2020
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Mr Pelecanos is a first rate writer. After reading this book and King Suckerman, l cannot understand why he seems to have a low profile.
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Cedric Randolph
5.0 out of 5 stars Another fine novel by George Pelecanos
Reviewed in Italy on October 1, 2017
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The more I read by Pelecanos, the more I appreciate his sharp eye for a period when I also was growing up. His dialogue is natural to the ear and at the same time perfectly matched to the region where the action is taking place, the Washington DC area. His characters are clean in their being very normal in their being extraordinary fictional characters. He has few heroes who see themselves as such. Yet true heroism is often depicted in his writing. His plotting is spot on and keeps readers turning the pages and wanting more when the book has ended. No shortcuts here. No false signals. No situations that are unbelievable or out of the ordinary even if the entire book is clearly fiction. He knows that the narrative is driven by looking at all the pieces, good bad and indifferent, without judging them and letting them slide together like they do in real life. If you like one of his books, you can be sure that any book you pick up by Pelecanos will give you a satisfying read.
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Christian Johann
5.0 out of 5 stars Derek Strange, P.I.
Reviewed in Germany on October 7, 2011
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Vor langer Zeit war Derek Strange Polizist. In seiner Heimatstadt, Washington, DC, arbeitet er nun als Privatdetektiv. "Right as Rain" führt Strange und Terry Quinn zusammen. Quinn ist ebenfalls ein Washingtoner Urgestein; wenngleich ein jüngeres. Auch er ist ehemaliger Polizist. Quinn hing seine Uniform jedoch an den Nagel, nachdem er einen Mann erschossen hatte, der sich ihm gegenüber nicht als Polizist zu erkennen gegeben hatte. Strange ermittelt im Auftrag der Mutter des Erschossenen, die verzweifelt nach Gerechtigkeit sucht. Die Geschichte spielt im Washington, DC der Neunzigerjahre, das mehr Moloch als Machtzentrale ist. So weit, so klar.

Hier die zusätzlichen Informationen: Strange ist schwarz, Quinn weiß. Der Mann, den Quinn erschoss, war schwarz und beugte sich mit einer Waffe über einen Weißen.

Als Strange und Quinn sich besser kennenlernen, gewinnen sie so viel Vertrauen zueinander, dass Quinn schließlich bei den Ermittlungen Stranges mithilft. Ziel ist es nun, die Ungereimtheiten aufzuklären, die sich immer noch um besagte Todesnacht drehen. Zwar war Quinn von jeglichen Vorwürfen befreit worden (alles sei 'right as rain' gelaufen). Dennoch nagt die Nacht noch immer am Westernfan Quinn. Sein Gewissen scheint nicht rein zu sein.

Nebenbei werden Strange und Quinn immer weiter in die Tiefen der Welt der Drogenabhängigen und Drogendealer gezogen. Quinn und Strange kämpfen beide mit ihren jeweiligen rassistischen Vorurteilen. Sie leugnen sie, fallen ihnen zum Opfer und suchen einen Weg, damit umzugehen. Jede Seite dieses Buches nimmt ein Klischee auf, hält es dem Leser vor Augen und fordert ihn auf Stellung dazu zu beziehen.

Eingebettet sind all die Themen, die Rassismus, Drogen und Gesellschaft streifen, in George Pelecanos soliden Plot. Neben interessanten und tiefgründigen Charakteren hält die Geschichte auch glaubwürdige Schurken, hervorragende Schilderungen von Washingtons Problemvierteln und hintergründigen Humor für ihre Leser bereit. Schmankerl sind die Verweise auf Westernklassiker, sei es als Buch, Film oder Filmmusik. Am Ende ist auch dies wieder eine Variation des Westernthemas komplett mit erfahrenem Gunslinger, heißblütigem Cowboy und finaler Schießerei. Fünf ganze Sterne.
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Filippo urbinati
4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
Reviewed in Italy on November 16, 2017
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Very good crime and investigation book. What I really like of Pelecanos is that he is able to construct very complex carachters without being boring. Good
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