Right as Rain by George Pelecanos

On the recommendation of fellow blogger ECD, I decided to try something by George Pelecanos.  I chose Right as Rain because it is the first in the author’s acclaimed series featuring Derek Strange and Terry Quinn.  Strange is a black man and former DC cop but now in middle age runs his own successful private detective agency.  Quinn also a former DC cop left the force after he, a white man, shot and killed a black off duty police officer.  Quinn was cleared of any wrong doing but is haunted by the incident as he struggles to come to grips with his own racial prejudice… a prejudice he previously was sure did not exist.

Strange is hired by the off duty cop’s mother to clear her dead son’s name.  Derek tracks down Quinn working at a used book store and finds him forthcoming with details about the shooting.  Because Quinn himself seeks closure about the incident, he agrees to partner with Strange on his fact finding mission.  The two discover they have common interests beyond the case.  They both love music, old westerns, cars and boxing and begin to form a friendship.

 

Their investigation leads to the crime that envelops the grity streets of Washington DC.  They uncover an illegal drug operation that includes prostitution, police corruption and violence.  In dealing with this evil under belly of society and placing their own lives in jeopardy, Strange and Quinn each find their own social and moral consciences.  Strange who has been a ‘player’ most of his life realizes he has feelings for his long time secretary, Janine.  Quinn realizes he has deep seated prejudices that he unknowingly has tried to disguise in his own life.  Their partnership and their friendship seem to fill a void in their respective lives and make them both want to be better people.

Pelecanos is a good story teller and does a great job with character development in Right as Rain.  We learn a lot about the Derek Strange and Terry Quinn characters from the music they like, the books they read, the bars and restaurants they frequent and the cars they drive… all interestingly entwined into the plot.  Even Quinn’s ride a 1969 Chevelle SS 396 with a four speed Hurst shifter tells us something about his personality.  But mostly we learn about how two human beings deal with each other in a backdrop of poverty, violence, and racial prejudice. Herein lies the author’s true gift.