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What It Was by George Pelecanos
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What It Was (edition 2012)

by George Pelecanos

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2608101,782 (3.72)4
"Washington, D.C., 1972. Derek Strange has left the police department and set up shop as a private investigator. His former partner, Frank "Hound Dog" Vaughn, is still on the force. When a young woman comes to Strange asking for his help recovering a cheap ring she claims has sentimental value, the case leads him onto Vaughn's turf, where a local drug addict's been murdered, shot point-blank in his apartment. Soon both men are on the trail of a ruthless killer: Red Fury, so called for his looks and the car his girlfriend drives, but a name that fits his personality all too well. Red Fury doesn't have a retirement plan, as Vaughn points out - he doesn't care who he has to cross, or kill, to get what he wants. As the violence escalates and the stakes get higher, Strange and Vaughn know the only way to catch their man is to do it their own way. Rich with details of place and time - the cars, the music, the clothes - and fueled by non-stop action, this is Pelecanos writing in the hard-boiled noir style that won him his earliest fans and placed him firmly in the ranks of the top crime writers in America"--… (more)
Member:normiris
Title:What It Was
Authors:George Pelecanos
Info:Reagan Arthur / Back Bay Books (2012), Edition: First Edition, Paperback, 272 pages
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What It Was by George Pelecanos

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» See also 4 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 8 (next | show all)
I'm a fan, and I like the way he sets up stories and brings all the characters together. This is high-quality pulp. ( )
  squealermusic | Mar 16, 2023 |
Great background if you're into this series. Tells about when Strange started out as a PI.

I really get to feel like a part of the life in DC for a black man, without having to be black - or live in DC. It's really different, but the books seem authentic from what I know of the black culture. At the time of this story (just before Nixon and Watergate), I was working at the main Oakland, CA post office, mostly with blacks. I actually enjoyed getting to know the wide variety of black people there, and got along well with everyone.

( )
  MartyFried | Oct 9, 2022 |
I only gave this 4/5, I found some of the deductions and "inklings" made by several of the characters to be a stretch, but I really liked this story, I love the Derek Strange character, and I'll eventually get through every Pelecanos book. ( )
  rgwillie | Aug 17, 2019 |
Derek Strange tells Nick Stefanos a story of murder, mayhem and a ring from 40 years before set, as ever, in Washington DC, but this time in 1972, the month of the Watergate burglary. Pelecanos tells us in the forward that he was "written in a fever" which is exactly how it reads, I found it almost impossible to put down. As always the story is populated by a memorable and motley crew of characters. I look forward to every Pelecanos book; this is not the best, but it is still excellent 9/10 ( )
  johnwbeha | Nov 18, 2015 |
“What It Was" can best be described as Pelecanos doing what he does best - evoking a time and a scene replete with accompanying soundtrack which is evinced in forensic-like detail as are the clothes and cars.

For my complete review please visit The Mystery Bookshelf blog: http://wp.me/p6kwu-YS
  johnbsheridan | Apr 27, 2013 |
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"Washington, D.C., 1972. Derek Strange has left the police department and set up shop as a private investigator. His former partner, Frank "Hound Dog" Vaughn, is still on the force. When a young woman comes to Strange asking for his help recovering a cheap ring she claims has sentimental value, the case leads him onto Vaughn's turf, where a local drug addict's been murdered, shot point-blank in his apartment. Soon both men are on the trail of a ruthless killer: Red Fury, so called for his looks and the car his girlfriend drives, but a name that fits his personality all too well. Red Fury doesn't have a retirement plan, as Vaughn points out - he doesn't care who he has to cross, or kill, to get what he wants. As the violence escalates and the stakes get higher, Strange and Vaughn know the only way to catch their man is to do it their own way. Rich with details of place and time - the cars, the music, the clothes - and fueled by non-stop action, this is Pelecanos writing in the hard-boiled noir style that won him his earliest fans and placed him firmly in the ranks of the top crime writers in America"--

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