What It Was
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Review
What It Was is a vividly imagined period piece, a latter-day Bonnie and Clyde account of two lovers on a murderous rampage ... As aficionados of The Wire will attest, Pelecanos is a peerless chronicler of the black urban underclass and his book is rich in detail about fashion and music and American muscle cars. .... The authors skilful evocation of a crucial moment in American history as seen from the street, rather than a more historical account, is entertainingly rewarding. (SUNDAY EXPRESS 20120317)
A sizzling flashback to the Watergate summer of 1972 ... What It Was features plenty of tough talk, hot cars, hotter women and keenly crafted social and racial observation, all set to a pumping funk and soul soundtrack. (David Roy IRISH NEWS 20120324)
This week we're grabbing a copy of George Pelecanos's thriller What It Was ... if only for it's cool-as-flip cover. Given Pelecanos worked on The Wire and has written some of the greatest American crime novels of the last two decades, we're confident this 1970s slice of noir will live up to it. (THE HERALD )
A lean but lethal thriller ... the world of muscle cars, teetering afros and scratchy soul records proves so intoxicating you'll devour it in one sitting. (SHORTLIST )
The Wire writer George Pelecanos has a way with words that only seems to be getting meaner and swankier (Henry Sutton THE MIRROR )
a well-written potboiler about vicious criminals and virtuous investigators in seventies Washington DC ... it's a mind-blowing trip (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )
If you like your book fast and gritty, What It Was will be a real thrill ride/read. (RTE GUIDE )
Author of over 18 critically-lauded novels ... his reputation rests on a bedrock of tight, fast-paced prose, meticulous plotting, finely tuned characters and an incredible authenticity in depicting time and place. ... What It Was does not disappoint.This is a writer in full control of his material and fully understanding of his strengths. Lovers of crime fiction should not miss what he has to say. (IRISH EXAMINER )
i pretty much loved every sentance of this novel, both for the pacy, hard-boiled plot and for Pelecanos's non-stop grab bag of pop-cultural references. As Befits one of the leading wrietrs on The Wire, his descriptive prose is endlessly quotable. (IRISH TIMES )
A sizzling flashback to the Watergate summer of 1972 ... What It Was features plenty of tough talk, hot cars, hotter women and keenly crafted social and racial observation, all set to a pumping funk and soul soundtrack. (David Roy IRISH NEWS 20120324)
This week we're grabbing a copy of George Pelecanos's thriller What It Was ... if only for it's cool-as-flip cover. Given Pelecanos worked on The Wire and has written some of the greatest American crime novels of the last two decades, we're confident this 1970s slice of noir will live up to it. (THE HERALD )
A lean but lethal thriller ... the world of muscle cars, teetering afros and scratchy soul records proves so intoxicating you'll devour it in one sitting. (SHORTLIST )
The Wire writer George Pelecanos has a way with words that only seems to be getting meaner and swankier (Henry Sutton THE MIRROR )
a well-written potboiler about vicious criminals and virtuous investigators in seventies Washington DC ... it's a mind-blowing trip (SUNDAY TELEGRAPH )
If you like your book fast and gritty, What It Was will be a real thrill ride/read. (RTE GUIDE )
Author of over 18 critically-lauded novels ... his reputation rests on a bedrock of tight, fast-paced prose, meticulous plotting, finely tuned characters and an incredible authenticity in depicting time and place. ... What It Was does not disappoint.This is a writer in full control of his material and fully understanding of his strengths. Lovers of crime fiction should not miss what he has to say. (IRISH EXAMINER )
i pretty much loved every sentance of this novel, both for the pacy, hard-boiled plot and for Pelecanos's non-stop grab bag of pop-cultural references. As Befits one of the leading wrietrs on The Wire, his descriptive prose is endlessly quotable. (IRISH TIMES )
Review
What It Was is a vividly imagined period piece, a latter-day Bonnie and Clyde account of two lovers on a murderous rampage ... As aficionados of The Wire will attest, Pelecanos is a peerless chronicler of the black urban underclass and his book is rich in detail about fashion and music and American muscle cars. ... The authors skilful evocation of a crucial moment in American history as seen from the street, rather than a more historical account, is entertainingly rewarding. SUNDAY EXPRESS 20120219 A sizzling flashback to the Watergate summer of 1972 ... What It Was features plenty of tough talk, hot cars, hotter women and keenly crafted social and racial observation, all set to a pumping funk and soul soundtrack. -- David Roy IRISH NEWS 20120210 This week we're grabbing a copy of George Pelecanos's thriller What It Was ... if only for it's cool-as-flip cover. Given Pelecanos worked on The Wire and has written some of the greatest American crime novels of the last two decades, we're confident this 1970s slice of noir will live up to it. THE HERALD 20120218 A lean but lethal thriller ... the world of muscle cars, teetering afros and scratchy soul records proves so intoxicating you'll devour it in one sitting. SHORTLIST 20120223 The Wire writer George Pelecanos has a way with words that only seems to be getting meaner and swankier -- Henry Sutton THE MIRROR 20120224 a well-written potboiler about vicious criminals and virtuous investigators in seventies Washington DC ... it's a mind-blowing trip SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 20120305 If you like your book fast and gritty, What It Was will be a real thrill ride/read. RTE GUIDE 20120324 Author of over 18 critically-lauded novels ... his reputation rests on a bedrock of tight, fast-paced prose, meticulous plotting, finely tuned characters and an incredible authenticity in depicting time and place. ... What It Was does not disappoint.This is a writer in full control of his material and fully understanding of his strengths. Lovers of crime fiction should not miss what he has to say. IRISH EXAMINER 20120317 i pretty much loved every sentance of this novel, both for the pacy, hard-boiled plot and for Pelecanos's non-stop grab bag of pop-cultural references. As Befits one of the leading wrietrs on The Wire, his descriptive prose is endlessly quotable. IRISH TIMES 20120324
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
George Pelecanos packs a punch in his short delivery of a novel containing the elements required for a quick adrenaline rush. Robert Lee Jones ('Red Fury') is a hotpot for females, especially Coco Watkins known for 'the dark buttery texture of her skin'. Robert (Bobby) Odum is a heroin dealer with a supplier (Roland Williams).
He gets a bullet soon. This is written early. Hopefully no spoilers. The rest of Pelecanos'
book weaves the past and present of Odum's contacts, the significance of a ring, the man,Strange, and other characters, Maybelline, Carmen, detective Vaughn. There is a Greek theme that does not dominate yet rolls out a satisfying conclusion and enjoyable one. Vaughn and Strange, quote, "People don't have a chance". A good read.
He gets a bullet soon. This is written early. Hopefully no spoilers. The rest of Pelecanos'
book weaves the past and present of Odum's contacts, the significance of a ring, the man,Strange, and other characters, Maybelline, Carmen, detective Vaughn. There is a Greek theme that does not dominate yet rolls out a satisfying conclusion and enjoyable one. Vaughn and Strange, quote, "People don't have a chance". A good read.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
As we read in the preface, the inspiration for this book came from a conversation Pelecanos had with his friend and co-author of the cult, yet hugely successful TV series The Wire, Ed Burns. It's been written at a feverish pace during the summer of 2011, and thus not long after the release of The Cut, that great crime novel, yet another book by this acclaimed writer hits the stands.
The main characters in this story, as in many others by Pelecanos, are: private investigator Derek Strange, the city of Washington, D.C. and music. A minor role falls to Nick Stefanos, yet another one of his famous creations.
At the beginning we meet Derek and Nick, now partners in a P.I. firm, as they sit in a diner eating, drinking and talking about things. But as one topic leads to the next, all of a sudden the former finds himself in a need to tell the latter a story from the distant past. The year was 1972, and back then there were a lot of things going on in the city; a lot of things, but not so strange. It was a time of change in everything; in politics, in fashion and in crime; in violent crime. However, the criminals that Derek is about to describe remind the reader of some infamous people from the past, Bonny and Clyde; a couple that modern day psychologists would refer to as sociopaths. The villains in this story are Robert Lee Jones, a trigger-happy psycho who's known as Red Fury, and Coco Watkins, an impressive looking woman who owns a brothel.
Derek will cross paths with them while investigating a seemingly trivial case, and before too long he'll come to realize that what started off as a walk in the park is going to turn out to be something completely different. So, all of a sudden he'll find himself in the epicenter of a circle, or rather, a cyclone of events that will culminate in a crime spree, unlike any other, during which murder, in the lips of the killer, will come to sound just like any other word. This case however will also give him the opportunity to meet again with an old friend, police detective Frank Vaughn, a meeting that will bring to him a little bit of joy, but at the same time awaken in him some dreadful memories. Now the two of them have to put their heads and their individual talents together to stop Jones, who seems to be more interested in his every day glory and his future legacy, than staying alive or becoming the city's crime boss. As the action will be heading for its peak the author will go on doing what he does best, which is, talk about the city and describe its neighborhoods and its politics and habits, through the music, the people and their interactions. Here we meet cross-dressers, hookers, drug-addicts and drunks; people who are trying to hold on to life and people who have nothing to look forward to; hopeless and hopeful.
A very good novel, well-written and with a fine story to tell but, in my humble opinion, not as good as The Cut. I'm sure the fans will love it though, not only for its action and pace, but also because it provides some useful info about the background of one of Pelecanos' favorite heroes.
The main characters in this story, as in many others by Pelecanos, are: private investigator Derek Strange, the city of Washington, D.C. and music. A minor role falls to Nick Stefanos, yet another one of his famous creations.
At the beginning we meet Derek and Nick, now partners in a P.I. firm, as they sit in a diner eating, drinking and talking about things. But as one topic leads to the next, all of a sudden the former finds himself in a need to tell the latter a story from the distant past. The year was 1972, and back then there were a lot of things going on in the city; a lot of things, but not so strange. It was a time of change in everything; in politics, in fashion and in crime; in violent crime. However, the criminals that Derek is about to describe remind the reader of some infamous people from the past, Bonny and Clyde; a couple that modern day psychologists would refer to as sociopaths. The villains in this story are Robert Lee Jones, a trigger-happy psycho who's known as Red Fury, and Coco Watkins, an impressive looking woman who owns a brothel.
Derek will cross paths with them while investigating a seemingly trivial case, and before too long he'll come to realize that what started off as a walk in the park is going to turn out to be something completely different. So, all of a sudden he'll find himself in the epicenter of a circle, or rather, a cyclone of events that will culminate in a crime spree, unlike any other, during which murder, in the lips of the killer, will come to sound just like any other word. This case however will also give him the opportunity to meet again with an old friend, police detective Frank Vaughn, a meeting that will bring to him a little bit of joy, but at the same time awaken in him some dreadful memories. Now the two of them have to put their heads and their individual talents together to stop Jones, who seems to be more interested in his every day glory and his future legacy, than staying alive or becoming the city's crime boss. As the action will be heading for its peak the author will go on doing what he does best, which is, talk about the city and describe its neighborhoods and its politics and habits, through the music, the people and their interactions. Here we meet cross-dressers, hookers, drug-addicts and drunks; people who are trying to hold on to life and people who have nothing to look forward to; hopeless and hopeful.
A very good novel, well-written and with a fine story to tell but, in my humble opinion, not as good as The Cut. I'm sure the fans will love it though, not only for its action and pace, but also because it provides some useful info about the background of one of Pelecanos' favorite heroes.
Format:Kindle Edition
In What it Was the prolific George Pelecanos lovingly recreates Washington DC in the early seventies - the music, the attitude, the politics as well as the crime - and reveals more about some of the characters in his previous novels, in particular Derek Strange. If you are a fan of Pelecanos I can unreservedly recommend it. If you have not read him before I would start with one of his earlier more standalone books, like The Turnaround or The Cut, and then move onto this one later.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Readable, but not fantastic
Honestly I found this book a bit easy to put down. It was OK, but certainly won't make anybody's must read list. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Mr. Wesley H. Winegarden
Return to form
Found the last couple a bit slow and lacking the drama of his earlier stuff
Not this, feel as if I was transported right back to the 70s
Cracking story,... Read more
Not this, feel as if I was transported right back to the 70s
Cracking story,... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ron Dogers - Palace Fan
Hard boiled!
Formulaic in places- description of clothes worn by each character and of music played in each bar, ad nauseum. Read more
Published 1 month ago by eoin
Its what is happening in the background that makes it special
One of the other reviewers does not like this book as it mentions clothes, cars and music. But as with a lot of Pelecano's books who is wearing what, driving what and listening to... Read more
Published 1 month ago by colin
What it was
This novels 2 central characters - Vaughn and Strange are fairly well written but the characterisation of the minor characters could have been better. Read more
Published 2 months ago by adele
The 1970's
This novel stemmed from George Pelecanos's novel The Night Gardener where a character Red `Fury' Jones was planted as a fable, he wanted to give a whole story with him in as the... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Lou pendergrast
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