A Firing Offense (Five Star Title)

Rating:
Summary: Great, but some inconsistencies
Review: When I moved to DC a few years ago, the guy who had lived in the apartment before me left behind a copy of A Firing Offense. I placed in on my bookshelf and left it there until this past weekend when I decided to give it a try. Well, I was hooked after the first few chapters and I finished it in two days. It was a great read...fast, tough, and real. I look forward to reading Pelecanos' other work. HOWEVER, I want to point out that parts of the book, namely the historical dates and timeline do NOT add up. For one, the setting of the story is, at the earliest, 1990 (which can be deduced by the reference to Goodfellas which came out in 1990) and the main character Nick is supposed to be 30 years old. But, there is a passage where Nick says that he was 10 years old in 1968. If you do the math, he would be at least 32 at the time the story is happening, not 30. I want to ask Pelecanos why he didn't pay more attention to that detail as the story seemed very dependent on timeframe...i.e. musical references, clubs, etc...

Rating:
Summary: DEFINITELY A "GUY'S" AUTHOR
Review: When I started reading Pelecanos, it began with "Right As Rain" after seeing him at a book signing in Philadelphia a few years ago. After that reading experience, I knew I had to read some more of his books so I turned to his Nick Stefanos' series. Someone suggested I read them in chronological order as opposed to the order in which he wrote them. Based on that recommendation, I began with The Big Blowdown, which takes place in the 1930's and 1940's. I thought this book was phenomenal. Chronologically, the next three books were King Suckerman, which takes place in 1976, The Sweet Forever, which takes place in 1986 and A Firing Offense which takes place in the early 1990's -- all of which I've now read.

But here is my problem...does Pelecanos write these books only to attract a male audience? I've gotten this feeling with each of these books since there's always some inside male jokes, references to sport's figures and trivia that only guys would know, gratuitous and gritty sex and over the top drinking and drug binges. All of the characters are trying to be so cooler than cool. They don't just leave a tip....they "drop a twenty on a fifteen dollar tab." The first time Pelecanos writes this, it's clever...by the fifth or sixth time, it's old already.

I'm sure this will incite Pelecanos' fans but I mean this sincerely when I say that "I am a fan." I just wish he wouldn't be so exclusive of the opposite sex when he writes. I can understand that he's probably a real man's man -- the kind of guy other guys want to hang out with. But I want to join the party and I get the feeling with these last three books I've read that it's an "all boy's club" and I'm not invited.

Other reviewers have said that The Firing Offense is one of the weaker books in the series. I thought the story was strong and definitely sets the scene for Nick Stefanos' entry into the private eye industry. He gets the bug after he's asked by a young man's grandfather to help him find his grandson who is missing. Since the boy, Jimmy Pence, was just canned by Nutty Nathan's, it seems like a good match that the grandfather has asked for Nick's help as Nick is the advertising director at the same company.

This book will find Nick going back to one of the stores and selling TV's and microwaves from the sales floor with his old friend Johnny McGinnes. They will then travel south together in search of Jimmy until a light goes off in Nick's head leading him to figure out what's been going on behind the scenes at this electronics' company.

So I'm not giving up on Pelecanos....I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. Next up for me is Nick's Trip, which takes place in the later 1990's, until I finally get to Shame The Devil, taking place in 1998. A book friend of mine, who's a huge Pelecanos fan (a guy of course), says that this one will bring me to tears. I'd like to see Pelecanos be able to do that to me. It would prove that there's not all hardness behind that pen of his.

Rating:
Summary: DEFINITELY A "GUY'S" AUTHOR
Review: When I started reading Pelecanos, it began with "Right As Rain" after seeing him at a book signing in Philadelphia a few years ago. After that reading experience, I knew I had to read some more of his books so I turned to his Nick Stefanos' series. Someone suggested I read them in chronological order as opposed to the order in which he wrote them. Based on that recommendation, I began with The Big Blowdown, which takes place in the 1930's and 1940's. I thought this book was phenomenal. Chronologically, the next three books were King Suckerman, which takes place in 1976, The Sweet Forever, which takes place in 1986 and A Firing Offense which takes place in the early 1990's -- all of which I've now read.

But here is my problem...does Pelecanos write these books only to attract a male audience? I've gotten this feeling with each of these books since there's always some inside male jokes, references to sport's figures and trivia that only guys would know, gratuitous and gritty sex and over the top drinking and drug binges. All of the characters are trying to be so cooler than cool. They don't just leave a tip....they "drop a twenty on a fifteen dollar tab." The first time Pelecanos writes this, it's clever...by the fifth or sixth time, it's old already.

I'm sure this will incite Pelecanos' fans but I mean this sincerely when I say that "I am a fan." I just wish he wouldn't be so exclusive of the opposite sex when he writes. I can understand that he's probably a real man's man -- the kind of guy other guys want to hang out with. But I want to join the party and I get the feeling with these last three books I've read that it's an "all boy's club" and I'm not invited.

Other reviewers have said that The Firing Offense is one of the weaker books in the series. I thought the story was strong and definitely sets the scene for Nick Stefanos' entry into the private eye industry. He gets the bug after he's asked by a young man's grandfather to help him find his grandson who is missing. Since the boy, Jimmy Pence, was just canned by Nutty Nathan's, it seems like a good match that the grandfather has asked for Nick's help as Nick is the advertising director at the same company.

This book will find Nick going back to one of the stores and selling TV's and microwaves from the sales floor with his old friend Johnny McGinnes. They will then travel south together in search of Jimmy until a light goes off in Nick's head leading him to figure out what's been going on behind the scenes at this electronics' company.

So I'm not giving up on Pelecanos....I guess I'm a glutton for punishment. Next up for me is Nick's Trip, which takes place in the later 1990's, until I finally get to Shame The Devil, taking place in 1998. A book friend of mine, who's a huge Pelecanos fan (a guy of course), says that this one will bring me to tears. I'd like to see Pelecanos be able to do that to me. It would prove that there's not all hardness behind that pen of his.