[Wittmann 44]

Pelecanos is brilliant. I've read almost all his books. Probably my favorite American crime writer next to Walter Mosley (Easy Rawlins creator) and James Ellroy (La Confidential).

Don't tend to read much fiction but have read a few recently

Liked

Documents concerning Rubashov the Gambler - Carl Johan Vallgren

Picked this up cheap in Germany recently mainly because I liked the title. Out in the UK soon. About half way through, Fantasy set in the last 100 years of Europe about a compulsive gambler who loses his soul to the Devil at poker and who is condemned to never die. Cue numberous suicide attempts and crossed paths with many of the major historical events in Europe.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter

2nd in the Dexter series about a serial killer working for the police. Very gory this one as Dexter stalks a serial torturer who used kill people for the US government during the drug wars in South America. Short and very readable. Funny for all the gore.


Liked an awful lot

The Winter of FRankie Machine

3rd?? book from Don Winslow whose first book was the brilliant durgs war book "THe Power of the Dog". This is even better. Frank Machianno former mob hitman and enforcer is trying to go straight after a lifetime of crime. He has vowed to go straight but he gets an old favor called in and he gets sucked back into his old life. Long but a real page turner. Robert De Niro has bought the film rights and will play Frankie Machine.


Didn't like

Tree of Smoke - Denis Johnson

This got great write ups and comparisons to Ellroy and I was really looking forward to it. Interlinked story of various fcuk ups advetures in the CIA around the Vietnam era. Really long and very slow. Didn't manage to finish.