The Turnaround (Abridged) Audiobook

" I guess I should give higher than 3 stars. The ending was too sweet. I'll read more of his books. Night Gardener next. "

" Urban grime,like "The Wire", though somehow not as engrossing. "

" Fans of The Wire or Generation Kill will find familiar reasons to dig this book - crime, decay, conflict, people, their circumstances, their reasons why and a common wish to break free of it all. Some of the turns come off telegraphed and some characters aren't that deep. The same could be said for the show Pelecanos used to write for, and it didn't ruin the results there. "

" the ending made it right "

" I liked that it took place right in the MD/DC areas that I'm familiar with so I could actually envision every place the characters were, but it is definitely more of a male skewed book. The Author seems very knowledgeable and is also one of the creator/writers for The Wire, so I knew this book would have "street cred" for sure. "

" I don't usually enjoy crime novels. This one held my attention because of the local flavor ... the neighborhood where I grew up AND the one where I live now. "

" There is a pretty far fetched thing that makes Alex "solve" a "mystery". And some of the language is predictable and trite. But his characters are 3D and he puts them smack dab into some thought provoking situations and gives you the reasons why. "

" I don't read all that much crime fiction, but there are some really terrific authors working in the field, and Pelicanos may be the best of them. Great characters, great sense of place, and some of the most brilliant plotting I've ever read. "

" While the story treads familiar ground, Pelecanos demonstrates a good ear for dialogue, and the stilted and somewhat sentimental prose turned into magic through the skillful and nuanced narration of Dion Graham, whose performance lifted me above the clogged 10 freeway. "

" One coincidence rankles but otherwise this is a better book than I thought it would be. Mostly because most of the drama isn't in the scenes the plot summary on the jacket copy conjures up. "

" Somewhat disappointing, I did recognize some characters from the wire. Not sure if I will read another of his books. "

" An interesting story centering around how one incident can change the shape of the lives of those involved and the quest for closure and redemption that follow. "

" Good story about mistakes made, redemption, forgiveness and generosity. "

" brought back memories, since part of it takes place in the 70's in areas near where i grew up. "

" Predictable, but not a bad read. "

" I read about 1/4 of this book then had to put it down. The story wasn't compelling enough to help me get past the writing style - reading the book felt like I was reading a script from dragnet. "

" Far from Pelecanos' best. Yet, still enjoyable. Pelacanos still renders D.C.-as-character better than any other. "

" I've read better Pelecanos but am still a fan. "

" A good book, well written. A story of mistakes and forgiveness. "

" Great writer... this is a book about redemption. "

" Another book with a bonus! Great crime story follows clean real characters presented plus hip dialog. "

" My gosh, this book is terrible! I couldn't even finish it. That's some bad writing. "

" A well-written, simple little book. I'm not sure if I liked it for it's unassuming nature, or the fact that it went down easy. "

" Story by writer for TV The Wire and has much of the same feel, although not quite so involved. Deals with racial issues, family issues and accepting responsibility and facing the past with dignity. "

" A awesome book. up there amongst the best ,GP has no competition<br/><br/> "

" Couldn't even finish it. Total bore. "

" ok, a bit of a surprise at the end - but nothing special, lots of dull parts. "

" Thirty years after a confrontation of 3 white boys with 3 black boys, the men who were involved try to pick up the pieces. "

" A more accessible version of Richard Price that breaks down at its conclusion, ending without real drama in a strangely sappy feel-good resolution. "

" Somewhat unrealistic in its too sweet ending, but I did read it in one sitting! "

" I've read better Pelecanos but am still a fan. "

" Pelecanos is one of my favorite mystery/crime writers. He writes about real people. Well, they seem real. The books are gritty and violent,but his books are almost all set in Washington, DC (where I lived for many years) and violence is pretty everyday. Easy but compelling reading. "