Rating: 
Summary: Nick's First Case
Review: "A Firing Offense" introduces us to Nick Stefanos, a man who just turned thirty and is unhappy with his life's choices. Perhaps as a way of rebelling, he stumbles on a new profession, private detective. Stefanos inhabits those potions of Washington D.C. that tourists never see. The seedy neighborhoods, the wild club scene and the party culture. Though the scene he describes has changed quite a bit since this book was first published (the clubs he mentions are for the most part long gone and WHFS radio has gone from hip to coporate bland), the prose is riveting and immediate. Nick and his friends are people with problems, and just like real life, things are not going to turn out all right. The violent climax is explosive; and then there's a slow fade, like the aftermath of a love act.Overall, this is a fine introduction to a gritty private detective series that, so far, unfortunately only includes three novels.
Rating:
Summary: characterizations and setting save this Pelecanos novel..
Review: 'A Firing Offense', as judged by many amazon.com reviewers, is not the most thrilling of crime novels by Pelecanos. In fact the criminal aspect of this story, which only comes to light towards the end (..no spoilers), is somewhat thin. However this book simply oozes with atmosphere. 1980s wasted youth, drug culture, with the lead character (Nick Stephanos) definitely in a "desperately seeking something" mode. I felt transported back in time to a different place. There is something also of a Jack Kerouac feel to it also as much of the book takes place on the road. Bottom line: perhaps not a stellar Pelecanos novel but I enjoyed the ride. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: characterizations and setting save this Pelecanos novel..
Review: 'A Firing Offense', as judged by many amazon.com reviewers, is not the most thrilling of crime novels by Pelecanos. In fact the criminal aspect of this story, which only comes to light towards the end (..no spoilers), is somewhat thin. However this book simply oozes with atmosphere. 1980s wasted youth, drug culture, with the lead character (Nick Stephanos) definitely in a "desperately seeking something" mode. I felt transported back in time to a different place. There is something also of a Jack Kerouac feel to it also as much of the book takes place on the road. Bottom line: perhaps not a stellar Pelecanos novel but I enjoyed the ride. Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Better Pelecanos To Be Found Elsewhere
Review: Although the first of the Nick Stefano books, I read this one after the other two (Nick's Trip and Down By the River Where the Dead Men Go), and it's probably a good thing I did too. I probably never would have continued on through the series if I had have read this one first. It is easily the weakest of the Stefano books. It lacks direction for a good 90% of the book and only really starts to hot up for the finale and the reveals. Like the other books, Nick Stefano and his friends indulge in mind-blowing quantities of both alcohol and marijuana. Unfortunately, the focus was mostly on these excesses rather than trying to solve the problem at hand, which was to find a former co-worker who appeared to have been kidnapped. For completeness sake, by all means read this book, but really, it isn't necessary before going on to the next in the series, Nick's Trip, which I felt was a more enjoyable and entertaining story.
Rating: 
Summary: There's nothing offensive about this book!
Review: As a big fan of crime fiction I am always on the look out for new authors, and I was very happy to come across the new printing of this book. The main character, Nick Stefanos, is relatively three dimensional for this genre and likeable and the settings are realistic and believable. I have since bought the two further novels in this trilogy and 2 chapters into the sequel its looking good! If you are a fan of Elmore Leonard or James Crumley type crime fiction then you will almost certainly enjoy this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad but ultimately dull
Review: As a lover of the crime genre I was keen to read this having had Pelecanos recommended to me by more than one person. I bought an omnibus edition with A firing Offence, Nick's Trip and Down By The River Where The Dead Men Go in one book. I finished A Firing Offence on the first day and I'm about three quarters of the way through Nick's Trip. In a nushell I found this book to be quick and easy to read, interesting in that I have not read anything set in Washington DC before and it certainly had a good plot with a well paced story. The characters did nothing for me. I thought Stefanos was boring and dull. On the one hand he is meant to be exciting with a bit of drug taking in his past (who hasn't?) and the ability to have a bit of a scuffle, in reality he is a single alcoholic with few if any friends who spends most of his time driving around in a drunken stupor. The gunfight scene in the warehouse is not particularly believable and Stefanos' demeanour directly afterwards is far too composed.... the whole thing is a little to unbelievable for me as well as being somewhat trite. I won't bother with the third book in the series. Not bad but hardly great.
Rating:
Summary: Not my cup of tea
Review: George Pelecanos's novel A FIRING OFFENSE introduces private detective-in-the-making, Nick Stefanos. Nick is a thirty-something advertising director for Nutty Nathan's, an electronics chain store. He is responsible for buying advertising space from newspapers and radio stations and providing the necessary copy and art for the store's ads. He is good at his job even though he feels he is at a dead end. This changes when he meets James Pence. James Pence is searching for his grandson, Jimmy Broda, who used to work at one of the Nutty Nathan's in Washington, D.C. He has been gone for three weeks and no one has heard from him. He is hoping that Nick might be able to find out what happened to Jimmy. Nick feels a certain kinship to Broda and he feels that he needs to try to find him. Nick goes to work at the store Jimmy used to work for and gets involved in a drug-smuggling operation. Pelecanos's tries to show the gritty side of Washington, D.C by focusing on the youth who live and work in the city. The employees at Nutty Nathan's show contempt and disrespect for the customers they serve. They lie and trick them and get drunk and stoned during business hours and they find ways to screw their customers. Nick gets involved with skinheads and the punk culture as it is in the early nineties when the story takes place. This book might not be every person's cup of tea but it takes more than one book to achieve a following.
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Summary: Worth reading for the Johnny McGinnes character alone
Review: Given that this is the author's first book and that it might not be quite as polished as later work, should you read this book? My answer is: yes, definitely. In fact, I'd recommend that you read this as your second Pelecanos book. I'd recommend The Big Blowdown as your first because it is set in an earlier period. There are some key characters in this book who show up in later works and I would have enjoyed having read this for background about them. Generally, this book has the standard qualities I love in this author's work - gritty crime stories, interesting characters and great scene development. Besides that, this book would be worth reading for the Johnny McGinnes character alone. He's a sidekick rather than a main player, but he is one wild and crazy and hugely entertaining guy. Check him and this book out if you like crime fiction. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: Worth reading for the Johnny McGinnes character alone
Review: Given that this is the author's first book and that it might not be quite as polished as later work, should you read this book? My answer is: yes, definitely. In fact, I'd recommend that you read this as your second Pelecanos book. I'd recommend The Big Blowdown as your first because it is set in an earlier period. There are some key characters in this book who show up in later works and I would have enjoyed having read this for background about them. Generally, this book has the standard qualities I love in this author's work - gritty crime stories, interesting characters and great scene development. Besides that, this book would be worth reading for the Johnny McGinnes character alone. He's a sidekick rather than a main player, but he is one wild and crazy and hugely entertaining guy. Check him and this book out if you like crime fiction. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: He had me at Hello...
Review: I bought this book after hearing an interview with Pelecanos on NPR. I got hooked on his novels and have read every one he has written. He is not for everyone. His novels are dark and he has not yet learned to write about women with much depth, but I am hooked nonetheless. His characters are interesting, his pop culture references prolific, and I can't wait to see what he does next...
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