May 2014 - A Firing Offense

[Michael, Anti-Hero]

Time for some George Pelecanos as we read A Firing Offense

[Algernon (Darth Anyan), Hard-Boiled]

I've started on this, my first Pelecanos novel.
Honestly I am a bit underwhelmed by the first chapters, with the slow pacing and the narrator's voice that I feel is trying to hard to be a smart-ass. I think though that the opening is necessary in order to establish the credentials of the main character in the series (even if these credentials appear to be mostly getting drunk, getting high and getting laid). The blurb promises an explosive finale, so I have that to look forward to. And I should cut the author some slack, this being his first novel, and his later novels being more widely praised.

[Algernon (Darth Anyan), Hard-Boiled]

I forgot to mention that I do appreciate the frequent musical references to punk and indie troops.

[Melki, Femme Fatale]

It's been a while since I read any Pelecanos, but I seem to remember them all having a pretty slow build-up. It drives my husband nuts as he likes a lot more action in his books.

[David]

Strangely, my Mike Angel Mystery books have occasionally been compared to Pelecanos and I've been meaning to read his stuff, though I too am turned off by a slow start. In my 2nd novel, Dark Lake, it begins with a bound woman diving head first out of a firebombed 2nd story apartment. My others usually start fast too, so I'm fuzzy on why the comparison. In our movie/TV age, readers don't like to see a "warming up the engine on a cold day" approach to fiction. In media res is the preferred style.

[Franky]

I'm about 50 pages in and pretty underwhelmed so far. I feel like I'm reading a mix between Superbad and Office Space in book form. Too much focus on juvenile shenanigans at work and not enough on quest to find Jimmy. And the main character is annoying, as are his coworkers. Does it get any better?

[Jeanne]

Franky wrote: "I'm about 50 pages in and pretty underwhelmed so far. I feel like I'm reading a mix between Superbad and Office Space in book form. Too much focus on juvenile shenanigans at work and not enough on ..."

I am only about 20 pages ahead of you and feel the same - underwhelmed. The only aspect I am personally enjoying is that during college I worked at "Crazy Eddies" in NYC area and Nutty Nathan's was definitely modeled after Crazy Eddies or one of the retailers that knocked off the idea.

[Algernon (Darth Anyan), Hard-Boiled]

I'm done with it, and I believe it does get better in the final chapters, but it is a ase of too little, too late. I was already annoyed by Nick Stefanos being more interested in booze, drugs and women than in the investigation. I did enjoy the scenes in the electronics mall with the customers and I really believe Pelecanos can do better, so I'm willing to give him another chance with a more recent novel of his.

[Melki, Femme Fatale]

I feel kind of guilty since I voted for the book, but this one keeps getting relocated to the bottom of the pile. Lackluster reviews aren't helping. I think I'm putting it back on the shelf and getting an early start on next month's read.

[Franky]

It's not all bad, but I'm assuming that the ones that follow in this series are a step up from this one. I can see the workings of Nick going from sales guy to detective.

I do like the nostalgia of the 90s music and pop culture in here. Don't read too many books with Big Audio Dynamite blaring in the background during a bar brawl.

[David]

Had to chuckle reading "nostalgia" and "90s" in the same sentence. Bah.