This is one of my favorite Pelecanos novels. I've learned to appreciate writers in this genre that can draw you into a world by painting a picture with their words, by creating characters you care about, and by using realistic dialogue. He does all that in spades in this book. As with all his work, you get a slice of DC, you learn about the characters of Stefanos, Dimitri, the gals, and the bad guys, and the dialogue is superb as always. And as I've neglected to do in other reviews, I want to recognize the way Pelecanos uses musical references throughout the work to put a soundtrack to what's happening in your mind. Nobody does that better.

I think what I like best about Shame the Devil is the way the author puts his characters in morally ambiguous situations and allows the story to follow a realistic path to its conclusion. You get a sense for what's going through Dimitri's mind as he faces his demons throughout the book, you sort of think you know what might happen, and then the author brings it home in a satisfying conclusion. You know who the bad guys are and who the good guys are, but the good guys aren't Boy Scouts. ( )

Other than too many characters, very good ( )

Pelecanos' greatest appeal for me may be the D.C. setting. Having lived there for several years it was fun being able visualize the sites. Beyond that, while I enjoyed it I can't say he is my favorite author in this genre. ( )

Pelecanos' greatest appeal for me may be the D.C. setting. Having lived there for several years it was fun being able visualize the sites. Beyond that, while I enjoyed it I can't say he is my favorite author in this genre. ( )

Good book this. Set in Washington DC in the late 1990s.Main character is Nick Stefanos a part time investigator.
4 people are murdered in an armed robbery one is a 5 year old boy.
3 years pass case isnt solved. The victims family run a support group every month. To summarise the father of the boy killed finds out who the fugitives are and goes after them, Nick tries to stop him. Justice is served. I really like George Pelecanos books just not the references to music. ( )