The Sweet Forever

George Pelecanos is not a name I imagine any of you are familiar with. If you are it is likely you have seen his TV work, he was a writer and producer for shows such as The Pacific, Treme and, the holy grail itself, The Wire. Yet his background is as a novelist, specialising in crime stories set in his hometown Washington DC. Within that community he is considered one of the true living greats of the genre and ranks alongside better known names like James Ellroy and Dennis Lehane.

The Sweet Forever is the third in his DC Quartet series, following The Big Blowdown and King Suckerman. The story concerns itself with a car accident on a DC street, and the people who witness the crash. Given this is a crime novel, there's a bit more to it than that. The driver was a money runner for the local kingpin and, in the pandaemonium that follows, a bystander nabs the runner's money and hightails it out of there. A victimless crime, but even the simplest of actions can cause a butterfly effect; street justice takes over the neighbourhood and innocent bystanders are caught up in the maelstrom. It is a slow burn of a story but one where incident is all the more felt. Acts of violence have true impact and never feel gratuitous.

This was reportedly the book that got Pelecanos the job The Wire and it is easy to see why. The Sweet Forever's backdrop is set against the drug epidemic that flooded DCs inner city, and the different sectors of society it affects - street kids, small business owners, the police. This novel is one less concerned with a thrill ride than it is with documenting a place and time. The narrative is secondary to documenting the effect cocaine has had on the city's inhabitants, physical or otherwise.

What really makes this novel stand out though is its dialogue. Pelecanos captures the language of the street without it ever seeming contrite or an act, it feels authentic. Few writers really can capture different social classes through dialogue the way he has and the fact that this book hasn't garnered more attention for its authenticity is something of a crime itself. Start today. It is a devastating book and a terrific read.