Shame the Devil (Crime Essentials) [Import] [Paperback]

George P. Pelecanos (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Orion mass market paperback; New Ed edition (August 14, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0752858181
• ISBN-13: 978-0752858180
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)

More About the Author

George P. Pelecanos was born in Washington, DC in 1957. His first novel was published in 1992 and alongside his consequential success as an author, he has also worked as producer, writer and story editor for the acclaimed and award-winning US crime series, The Wire. His writing for the show earned him an Emmy nomination.

He is the author of fifteen crime novels set in and around Washington, DC. The Big Blowdown was the recipient of the International Crime Novel of the Year award in both Germany and Japan; King Suckerman was shortlisted for the Gold Dagger Award in the UK. His short fiction has appeared in Esquire and the collections Unusual Suspects and Best American Mystery Stories of 1997. He is an award-winning journalist and pop-culture essayist who has written for the Washington Post.

Pelecanos can also claim credit for involvement in the production of several feature films. Most recently, as a screenwriter for film, he has written an adaptation of King Suckerman for Dimension Films, and was co-writer on the Paid in Full.

His novel Right as Rain is currently in development with director Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential, Wonder Boys) and Warner Brothers. He is a writer on the upcoming World War II miniseries The Pacific, to be produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and HBO. Pelecanos lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife and three children. He is at work on his next novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pelecanos best book yet, January 24, 2000

By 

Doug Vaughn - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Shame the Devil: A Novel (Hardcover)

One thing that is sure about George Pelecanos, he gets better with each new book. Shame the Devil is the final book to use the cast of characters that center around the Washington D.C. bar, The Spot, where recurring character Nick Stephanos is the bartender (when not working as an unlicensed detective). This book offers fast paced action as well as satisfying character portrayals and, more than any other of his books, probes fundamental human issues of faith and life's meaning in the face of arbitrary violence and cruelty.

One of the things that make Pelecanos so popular with the D.C. audience is also protentially a problem for readers elsewhere; his books are so detailed with references to streets and neighborhoods that would mean nothing unless one knew them personally that readers might wish for some exposition to explain where and 'what' Georgia Ave. or Anacostia are. Still, the sense of place is fundamental to his writing and his stories come alive because they are about real people in a known setting. He is almost alone in creating Washington stories that don't focus on the President or some Senator or one of the Federal law enforcement agencies. Pelecanos's books are peopled by blue collar workers, common criminals, D.C. cops, and a sprinkling of hard working attorneys and small businessmen.

This book starts with a bang - an armed robbery that goes wrong and ends up with multiple victims - and it progresses to a dynamite conclusion in which revenge is is coupled with self-discovery and redemption. A really thrilling and satisfying reading experience.

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A poignantly fine novel, December 22, 1999

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shame the Devil: A Novel (Hardcover)

In 1995 Washington DC, May's Pizza Parlor is the scene of a massacre in which three employees, the getaway driver, and a little boy are dead. Additionally, Officer William Jonas is badly injured when he exchanges bullets with the criminals. Though he has no remorse over four of the dead, CEO (criminal executive officer) Frank Farrow escapes with his booty, but feels rage over the death of his brother.

Frank decides he must return to DC to kill the cop who killed his sibling. However, Frank is not the only person filled with overflowing anger from the pizza parlor incident. Dimitri Karras wants to get even with Frank for running over his little five-year old boy when he evaded the local police. Other relatives of the dead also suffer from deep grief and their efforts to share their feelings have minimally eased some of the ache. Dimitri learns from private investigator Nick Stephanos that after three torturous years have passed, Frank has returned to enact his own vengeance, unaware that his victims have individuals seeking him out to get their own form of vengeance.

SHAME THE DEVIL is an inner city tale of grief and revenge. The story line centers on the survivors struggling very poorly with the '95 slaughter. The plot shifts among several deteriorating neighborhood locales in which the characters meet to discuss the aftermath. Fans who enjoy a character-driven, angst-laden tale will want to read George P. Pelecanos' poignantly fine novel.

Harriet Klausner

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps it's not a "mystery"..., January 28, 2000

By 

T. Lundregan "toml30" (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shame the Devil: A Novel (Hardcover)

But George Pelecanos continues to write some of the best fiction that's out there. I would rate this a great mystery, even if you know "whodunnit." The characters are smartly written and the book is superbly paced. I first discovered Pelecanos with his last book "The Sweet Forever" and it was great to see how his characters from that book have evolved. If you're tired of reading the same old, same old from writers such as James Patterson and Steve Martini, definitely read this book. Pelecanos is right up there with Dennis Lehane and Michael Connelly (two writers whose positive reviews of Pelecanos inspired me to try him). Also, if you're at all familiar with the DC area, Pelecanos captures the setting beautifully. I cannot more highly recommend this book.