Rating: 
Summary: Highly intense.
Review: "Soul Circus" is the darkest and most complicated in the Derek Strange series by George Pelecanos. There are fewer pop culture references as you experience the violence of the inner city."Soul Circus" is a western set in the part of D.C. "rarely seen by commuters and generally ignored by the press, out of sight and easily forgotten." PI's Derek Strange and Terry Quinn are lawmen in a lawless society. Dialogue driven, full of vivid cultural realism, it is an intense story of the urban battlefield...not a whodunit, but rather a haunting crime novel with all the collateral damage and unintended consequences. In the midst of a looming gang war between rival drug lords, Strange is driven by a complex moral anger, as he feels inadvertently responsible for a murder. The interconnection of the subplots is profound. Mr. Pelecanos does have an agenda, but he integrates it seamlessly into the story without preaching. The reality is truly disturbing, but it is skillfully written and a compelling read. Not for the sqeamish...highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Strange and Co. are just about the Best PIs in Fiction Today
Review: African American Private Investigator Derek Strange has married his assistant, Janine, and is attempting to balance his home life against the demands of his job, which at the time involves keeping a drug dealing client, who's not a very nice guy, from receiving the death penalty. Hot tempered and paranoid European former policeman, Terry Quinn is Strange's partner. In addition to trying to keep a man from getting murdered by the state, they are searching for a teenage girl, a runaway last been seen staring in a porno movie. Strange and Quinn have also been hired by would-be crook, Mario Durham, older brother of real crook, Dewayne Durham, to find his former girlfriend. The outcome of that investigation, while nominally successful, is tragic because it leads to the the girl's death. Strange does his best to bring satisfactory outcomes to his cases, but he isn't always successful. This causes him pain, as he's a thinking man who is constantly aware of the hopelessness of the lives of the people in ghetto. This is a tough, violent book, but it's writing is tack sharp, the dialogue is as real as the people on the pages and, if like me, you're a fan of Mr. Pelecanos, you'll be glad that he decided to expand on his trilogy and do the prequel to the Strange and Co. stories. I can hardly wait to start reading HARD REVOLUTION. Reviewed by Judith Ann Cole
Rating: 
Summary: a seemingly very derivative Pelecanos novel...
Review: Firstly, I have read just about all books by George Pelecanos through 'Soul Circus' ... and so I can be described as one of his fans. I eagerly awaited the publication of 'Soul Circus' in paperback form. Having just finished I am sad to say I was disappointed. Oh, it has all the hallmarks of his other works: gritty urban crime, drugs, and despair in Washington, DC. It also has one of Pelecanos's regular characters, the self-employed private eye Derek Strange (..he was also in 'Hell to Pay' and 'Right as Rain'). Yet somehow the story seems vaguely similar, sort of a blend of his prior novels. Could I be suffering from 'Pelecanos burn out'? No, this is the first of his books I've read in several months. Bottom line: for those who haven't read anything from Pelecanos, skip this book at go to 'Right as Rain', 'Hell to Pay', or one of the several books leading with the Nick Stephanos character.
Rating:
Summary: a seemingly very derivative Pelecanos novel...
Review: Firstly, I have read just about all books by George Pelecanos through 'Soul Circus' ... and so I can be described as one of his fans. I eagerly awaited the publication of 'Soul Circus' in paperback form. Having just finished I am sad to say I was disappointed. Oh, it has all the hallmarks of his other works: gritty urban crime, drugs, and despair in Washington, DC. It also has one of Pelecanos's regular characters, the self-employed private eye Derek Strange (..he was also in 'Hell to Pay' and 'Right as Rain'). Yet somehow the story seems vaguely similar, sort of a blend of his prior novels. Could I be suffering from 'Pelecanos burn out'? No, this is the first of his books I've read in several months. Bottom line: for those who haven't read anything from Pelecanos, skip this book at go to 'Right as Rain', 'Hell to Pay', or one of the several books leading with the Nick Stephanos character.
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT!!
Review: George Pelecanos is one of today's best crime writers. I've read all of his novels and I can honestly say that I've never been disappointed. In his latest novel, Soul Circus, Mr. Pelecanos returns us to the Washington D.C. of Derek Strange and Terry Quinn. It's a Washington that most of us don't know about. Drug dealers, gangs, guns and violence abound, but that's not all these neighborhoods are about. Mr. Peleconos takes us deep into our capitols neighborhoods and culture.
If you've been keeping up with Mr. Pelecanos's writing you'll know that, Harriet Klausner pay attention here, this is Derek Strange and Terry Quinn's third appearance and Mr. Pelecanos's 11th novel.
As I said before I've enjoyed every one of his novels but the ending to Soul Circus is a surprise that I wasn't prepared for. It may just signal the end to Derek Strange's stories. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
If you've read Right as Rain and Hell to Pay then pick up this novel as soon as possible. If you haven't'..What are you waiting for?
Rating:
Summary: Life in the raw
Review: I am continually puzzled at reading other reader's "lists," or perusing the 'mystery/drama' section of Borders or Waldenbooks, to see Burke and Crais and Lehane visibly displayed and Pelecanos, well, at least he's on the shelves. You like the dark mystery, the true mystery noir? You must read Pelecanos. Stuck, sentenced, incarcerated or living there by choice, Derek Strange, black, muscular, aging gracefull, wise, and Terry Quinn, younger, white, more hot blooded, less introspective, prowl the streets of Washington and Maryland righting toppled lives where they can and seeking retribution when possible. They fail at the former from time to time but rarely at the latter. When Derek signs on to help the Defense team for a self admitted Black crime king, Quinn goes along, admittedly with some reluctance. But Derek explains that he feels he must do something to stand up against the government from snuffing out the lives of black men when it chooses to. He defends, he tells Quinn, not Granville Oliver the mobster but Granville Oliver the Black Man whom the Feds have targeted for execution. It's a tricky bit of writing but Pelecanos pulls it off. Franklin wrote about the signatories of the Declaration of Independance, "We had better hang together or we will certainly hang separately." And that is the sum total of Pelecanos' mysteries. They're good; they're harsh; they're even disturbing. But all along there is that call to 'hanging together.' We have to get along. Some are offended by Pelecanos' tendency to preach. But I don't see it that way. He just uses the forum of writing excellent mysteries to point out a few painful truths. Coughlin and Burke do the same thing regarding alcohol. Parker does it with relationships. Quinn and Strange find enough evidence to support the Defense's strategy to reduce the Oliver sentencing from the injection to life. You'll have to read the book to discover if it works or not. Along the way they find a few lives of children they can save and lose a few others. Great stuff. If I have a gripe, it could be too much rock 'n roll memorablia. Too many 'muscle' cars from the '70's. Too much about sports. Of course, that's what I like so maybe it is a good addition. 5 stars. Could be 6.
Rating:
Summary: Top of the Game
Review: I come late as a fan of Pelecanos, and I can't believe I overlooked such a top notch writer. Characters, dialogue and setting all make this a noir mystery from the old school. Heroes aren't always heroes and the surprise ending is back. In Derek Strange and Terry Quinn Pelecanos has created a real life experience, men with souls, consciences and a sense of their own shortcomings. But that doesn't stop them from trying to do the right thing, make mistakes and move forward within the limits of their power. Not for the faint of heart or the reader with a false sense of right and wrong.
Rating: 
Summary: TOO Harsh For ME!
Review: I have read all of Mr. Pelecanos books that are still in print and had become fond of Strange and Quinn. However, I almost didn't finish this book. I had to put it away about three fourths of the
way through. I found it too harsh for me, and I have liked previous books by Peleconos. I just finished it after a couple of months and although I was upset by some of it I'm sure most people will like it. The ending was great.Derek Strange is a great character.
Rating:
Summary: a bit of a sidestep
Review: i hope i didnt give up too early (page 96) but i was somewhat disappointed by "soul circus". i largely enjoy pelecanos but, as in this book, too often find that i have to wade through too many extraneous passages -- notably concerning music, dc landmarks, cars, barely relevant dialog, etc -- to get to the good parts. the good parts can be exceptional: tough, terse, funny, and action packed. okay, even gritty. sometimes, though, i feel i have to work too much for the reward, good as it is.
i keep thinking that this is not an uncommon reaction and that mr pelecanos will adust accordingly. he will edit out the peripheral stuff so that it contributes to-- rather than diffuses-- tension, take a more direct approach, and emphasize his undeniable strengths. i'll keep trying because, if he "puts it
all together", its going to be great!!!
Rating:
Summary: Uneven at best
Review: I know I'm in the minority here, but I found this book to be mostly boring, with not much to distinguish it from the one that came before it. There are too many similarities: Strange has to get his [hair] correct a few times, multiple unnecessary mentions of music choices, gratuitous conversations between Strange and Quinn. For me, the repeated music references were particularly grating. They seem like the author's way of telling you how hip and varied his music tastes are, and often don't seem to serve much purpose in the story. There is still plenty of good stuff in here, but you have to wade through the bad to get to it.
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