Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go

Humor, music, alcolholism, murder... it's a fast-paced combination of all that.

Nick Stefanos knows bartending, cars, guns, music... I don't really need or like all those music references, it feels meh.

It's fun otherwise, if I happen to find a few more of the series for cheap, I'd take them.

The third helping of Nick Stefanos that Pelecanos offers up is his best yet and truly shows his early growth as an author. The three books together form a foundational trilogy that any fan of detective fiction should seek out.

I was very close to chalking this book up as another cookie cutter crime fiction.. I think "dreck" was the word that came to mind. Until the last five chapters or so that really allowed the novel to come alive and really embrace a noir vision. I would recommend Pelecanos, particularly the Nick Stefanos series.

This is the story of Nick Stefanos a part time bar tender/ private eye full time drinker. Based in Washington in the mid 1990s.
Nick witnesses a murder when he is totally steamboats. He wants to help solve the case when the victims friend goes missing he teams up with another private eye called Jack LaDuke together they uncover a drugs/gay porn ring.
SPOILER ALERT
The rescue they missing boy who a few days later is murdered.
They go back with all guns blazing and kill the baddies.

ok book I liked the characters. Pelecanos is a great writer.

Nick Stefanos is a mess, passing out in a public park after another bout of drinking. As a result he becomes a witness to a brutal crime and takes it upon himself to figure out what happened.