Hell to Pay (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: George P. Pelecanos
- First Published: 2002
- Type of Work: Novel
- Time of Work: Fall, 2000
- Setting: Washington, D.C., area
- Principal Characters: Derek Strange, Terry Quinn, Sue Tracy, Karen Bagley, Lamar Williams, Joe Wilder, Sandra Wilder, Lorenze Wilder, Garfield Potter, Carlton Little, Charles White, Fred Wilson, Jennifer Marshall, Stella, “All-Ass” Eve, Granville Oliver
- Genres: Long fiction, Mystery and detective literature, Private investigator fiction
- Subjects: African Americans, United States or Americans, Blacks, Crime or criminals, Twentieth century, Leadership, Prostitution or prostitutes, Poverty or poor people, Inner cities or inner-city life, Violence, Washington, D.C., Detectives, Revenge, Lower classes, Drugs, Drinking or drunkenness, Popular culture, Machismo, Private investigators, Marijuana, 2000’s, Urban life
- Locales: Washington, D.C.
From the hundreds of crime novels published annually, what is it that makes a few stand out? Undoubtedly the style of the writer makes a difference, and so does the ability to depict memorable characters, especially the main investigator and sometimes a partner, but the ability to capture a particular ambiance or location also seems important. This is the strength of George P. Pelecanos, author of Hell to Pay. Pelecanos has been writing about Washington, D.C., for a long time. It was the setting for his previous novel, Right as Rain (2001), to which Hell to Pay is a...
[The entire page is 1818 words long]
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