The Turnaround

Three white teenagers, stoned, drinking, and looking for trouble, drive into an African-American neighborhood, taunt three young black men, and suffer predictable consequences. While character development could be stronger in this well-crafted, author-approved abridgment, listeners will have no difficulty following Pelecanos's gut-wrenching reflection on the results of a moment of teenaged stupidity on the participants, 35 years after the fact. Dion Graham's voice makes every moment feel portentous, every event tremble on the brink of something cataclysmic. At the same time, his smooth, rounded tones are as comforting as curling up under a down comforter on a cold night. Reminiscent of Dennis Lehane's disturbing MYSTIC RIVER, Pelecanos's novel explores the destructive nature of bigotry, urban blight, and the aftermath of senseless violence. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from June 30, 2008
In yet another gem of urban noir, bestseller Pelecanos (The Night Gardener
) explores the possibility of making “the turnaround,” of starting over and building a new life, regardless of the past. One summer day in 1972, three teenage white boys—Alex Pappas and his friends Billy Cachoris and Pete Whitten—drive into a poor Washington, D.C., neighborhood, high on booze and weed, looking for trouble. They confront three young black men, Billy winds up dead and Alex badly beaten. In 2007, Alex runs the family coffee shop, as did his father, and grieves for his son, recently killed in Iraq. Then, one of the black survivors of “the incident” contacts Alex, opening a door that may finally put the trauma of the past to rest. At the same time, another survivor, the man who beat Alex, has gotten out of prison and has extortion on his mind. The result is a beautifully written and thought-provoking novel of crime, friendship, aging and redemption.

September 29, 2008
As the title implies, redemption lies at the center of Pelecanos's novel as adults try to disentangle themselves from their youthful indiscretions. Some 30 years later, and still bearing the physical scars of those indiscretions, Alex Pappas halfheartedly runs a diner while dealing with the cards life has dealt him when he unexpectedly reunites with his assailants. Though there is potential for forgiveness, one of the assailants is looking to stir up trouble and bring all of them down. Dion Graham delivers a solid performance, providing a smooth-flowing narration with a deep and slightly raspy voice. His inflection and emotional projection help the more sober moments within the story. The only drawback is the similarity of his male characters' voices, which can cause confusion. A Little, Brown hardcover (Reviews, June 30).

Novelist George Pelecanos engages the imagination and plucks the heartstrings with his latest novel of crime and its aftermath. Dion Graham's narration adds to the inflammatory mix of racial hatred, violence and redemption. When three white teenage boys venture into an unfamiliar Washington, DC, neighborhood on a sweltering summer afternoon in 1972, they encounter three black teens, and a violent confrontation occurs. Graham handles all the characters with aplomb, adding just the right measure of sneer or growl to his delivery when needed. This is a heartfelt story of violence, its repercussions, and the magnanimity of the human spirit. R.O. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

Starred review from July 15, 2008
In 1972, three white teenagers drive into a solidly African American neighborhood bent on "rais[ing] a little hell." What follows is tragic: one boy is left dead, another scarred for life, and a young African American is in prison. Thirty years later, two survivors of that fated afternoon accidentally reconnect and explore accommodation. But a third party to these past events has more sinister plans. Crime figures prominently in Pelecanos's latest depiction of life in the grittier streets of Washington, DC, but the author of "The Night Gardener" has always been more than a writer of crime fiction. Like Richard Price ("Lush Life") and Dennis Lehane ("Mystic River"), with whom Pelecanos is often compared, he writes big-hearted novels of life as it is and not as we wish it were. His characters live complicated, often harrowing lives: you care what happens to them. As always, Pelecanos combines generosity of soul with scrupulous attention to detail and an acute sensitivity to the complicated dance of friendship and antagonism between people whose faces wear different colors. A virtue of this fine novel is the author's evident love for his characters, even the lost ones. Enthusiastically recommended for all general collections. [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 4/15/08.]David Keymer, Modesto, CA

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