'The Night Gardener' tells the story of a police investigation into the death of a black youth in Washington DC. The apparent murder matches a series of unsolved killings that occurred 20 years previously. Gus Ramone and Dan Holiday, two cops who worked on the earlier cases, come together again to solve the latest crime. But their lives have diverged in the intervening two decades; family man Ramone remains a police officer, whereas the boozy, single Holiday had to leave the force under a cloud.
This straightforward premise is developed well by Pelecanos, who examines family relationships and racial issues in US society today along the way.
Aside from having a decent plot, a deal of reading pleasure can be had from Pelecanos's use of language, especially his dialogue, which is always snappy and authentic and often darkly humourous.
Overall, this is a thoughtful and well-constructed crime novel, that delivers social comment without slowing the narrative. I've read that Pelecanos has contributed to the acclaimed US series 'The Wire' - anyone who likes this or its ilk, eg 'The Shield' would probably find this a worthwhile read. Readers who've already tried Pelecanos only need to know this maintains his usual high standard.
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