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Hard Revolution: A Novel (Derek Strange and Terry Quinn Series Book 4) by [George Pelecanos]

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George Pelecanos

Hard Revolution: A Novel (Derek Strange and Terry Quinn Series Book 4) Kindle Edition

by George Pelecanos (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 310 ratings

Book 4 of 5: Derek Strange and Terry Quinn

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In this epic showdown from "one of the best crime novelists alive" (Dennis Lehane), police officer Derek Strange hunts his brother's killer through a city erupting with rage.

Book 4 of 5

Derek Strange and Terry Quinn
Print length

383 pages
Language

English
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Little, Brown and Company
Publication date

March 1, 2004
File size

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author's admirers are familiar with middle-aged black PI Derek Strange, featured in several novels (Soul Circus, etc.) so strong that one critic has dubbed Pelecanos the Zola of contemporary crime fiction. This memorable tale is a prequel to those novels, set in Washington, D.C., mostly just before and during the 1968 riots sparked by the killing of Martin Luther King Jr. The first few chapters, though, unfold in 1959, introducing major characters whose paths will entwine later: Derek-who's nabbed for shoplifting but given a break that will set his life on a (more or less) law-abiding pat-hand his older brother, Dennis; their hardworking parents; and some ancillary figures. By 1968, Derek is a young cop partnered with a white guy; Dennis is a pot-smoking slacker; and many of their acquaintances from '59 are working dead-end jobs with an eye toward crime. The ensuing narrative swirls around two scenarios: a plan by Dennis and two street-thug pals to rob a local Greek-owned store (Pelecanos wrote extensively about D.C.'s Greek community in early novels, and many of the nonblack characters here are Greek-American) and a plot by three young white hoods to rob a bank, but only after they drunkenly kill a young black man for sport. The action is fueled by the heat of race relations, which Pelecanos explores with acuity-particularly in his portrayal of Derek, who as a black cop is considered an enemy by many other blacks. Written in rich, observant prose, the novel is a brilliant study of a society tearing apart as racial tensions escalate after the King killing; no wonder some observers have pointed to Pelecanos as the kind of thriller writer who should be nominated for a National Book Award.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Pelecanos first introduced a 50-something Derek Strange in Right as Rain, Hell to Pay, and Soul Circus. Hard Revolution takes us back in time and juxtaposes Derek's childhood with his early years as a cop. Pelecanos, a hard-boiled crime writer, sets this novel, like his previous ones, in a gritty, violent, and racist Washington, D.C. He makes no excuses for the era or place, describing the city and its workings in detailed, urgent, and often offensive prose. It's not a page-turner, but rather a window into the hope--and despair--of an era. The characters seek redemption, but don't always find it. At heart, notes The New York Times Book Review, the story speaks to "the ways Americans love, betray, help and cannot help one another."

--This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

'[Hard Revolution] is Dickensian in structure... Pelecanos's writing is direct and effective, with much period detail about cars and music, and he has a wonderful way with vernacular. The scenes of mob violence are minutely documented and the waste is appalling but, just as in Dickens, love finally conquers all.' -- Toby Clements DAILY TELEGRAPH 'An Ellroy-esque powderkeg waiting for a spark to set it off, Hard Revolution slowboils its dense storyline , interweaving mulitiple characters heading for a violent showdown, until you either care deeply for or loathe them, ensuring that its denouement leaves you shattered. A fascinating historical saga and crime potboiler combined, Pelecanos' 12th novel is a brutal tour de force.' JACK magazine 'In Hard Revolution George Pelecanos breaks new ground with a long, expansive novel which sets the strories of Derek Strange and his family against the momentous events surrounding the assassination of Martin Luther King in the summer of 1968.' WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY 'It's [Pelecanos'] ability, better than any writer up to and including Nick Hornby, to bring his characters to life through their obsessions, desires and needs, that makes Pelecanos's writing jump off the page. He writes about real people in real situations, and the hard choices they must make every day. And, as in Hard Revolution, when he does it well, it's a tender and beautiful thing.' WORD Magazine 'Pelecanos writes clean, tight, cogent prose with a heartfelt urgency.' THE SCOTSMAN 'Has George Pelecanos's hour finally arrived? For years, aficionados of tough, richly characterised thrillers have put Pelecanos securely in the No 1 slot. It's not difficult to see why: many writers excel at the well-turned acerbic thriller but few are able to combine tough dialogue and bloodletting with an ambitious picture of a society - and that's what Pelecanos achieves, time and time again.' -- Barry Forshaw SUNDAY EXPRESS 'This is a wonderful powerful novel that deserves to win an oscar.' TIME OUT 'Hard Revolution is a wonderfully atmospheric, highly intelligent novel; and no one today - not even Elmore Leonard - writes better dialogue.' -- Marcel Berlins THE TIMES '...a sophisticated, unflinching novel. 4 stars *' -- Nick Hasted UNCUT magazine 'An epic novel about one man's journey into the fires of revolution, this is a book that also reeks of soul music and ethnic diversity as Pelecanos lovingly creates the lost world in which he grew up. Beneath the paving stones and the mayhem and crime lies a strange poetry that is unique to Pelecanos. Impressive.' -- Maxim Jabubowski THE GUARDIAN 'Hard Revolution is a superior thriller, raising issues that are still relevant in American society. It is also a fast-paced read that holds the interest right to the final page.' IRISH TIMES --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Review

'[Hard Revolution] is Dickensian in structure... Pelecanos's writing is direct and effective, with much period detail about cars and music, and he has a wonderful way with vernacular. The scenes of mob violence are minutely documented and the waste is appalling but, just as in Dickens, love finally conquers all.' -- Toby Clements DAILY TELEGRAPH 'An Ellroy-esque powderkeg waiting for a spark to set it off, Hard Revolution slowboils its dense storyline , interweaving mulitiple characters heading for a violent showdown, until you either care deeply for or loathe them, ensuring that its denouement leaves you shattered. A fascinating historical saga and crime potboiler combined, Pelecanos' 12th novel is a brutal tour de force.' JACK magazine 'In Hard Revolution George Pelecanos breaks new ground with a long, expansive novel which sets the strories of Derek Strange and his family against the momentous events surrounding the assassination of Martin Luther King in the summer of 1968.' WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY 'It's [Pelecanos'] ability, better than any writer up to and including Nick Hornby, to bring his characters to life through their obsessions, desires and needs, that makes Pelecanos's writing jump off the page. He writes about real people in real situations, and the hard choices they must make every day. And, as in Hard Revolution, when he does it well, it's a tender and beautiful thing.' WORD Magazine 'Pelecanos writes clean, tight, cogent prose with a heartfelt urgency.' THE SCOTSMAN 'Has George Pelecanos's hour finally arrived? For years, aficionados of tough, richly characterised thrillers have put Pelecanos securely in the No 1 slot. It's not difficult to see why: many writers excel at the well-turned acerbic thriller but few are able to combine tough dialogue and bloodletting with an ambitious picture of a society - and that's what Pelecanos achieves, time and time again.' -- Barry Forshaw SUNDAY EXPRESS 'This is a wonderful powerful novel that deserves to win an oscar.' TIME OUT 'Hard Revolution is a wonderfully atmospheric, highly intelligent novel; and no one today - not even Elmore Leonard - writes better dialogue.' -- Marcel Berlins THE TIMES '...a sophisticated, unflinching novel. 4 stars *' -- Nick Hasted UNCUT magazine 'An epic novel about one man's journey into the fires of revolution, this is a book that also reeks of soul music and ethnic diversity as Pelecanos lovingly creates the lost world in which he grew up. Beneath the paving stones and the mayhem and crime lies a strange poetry that is unique to Pelecanos. Impressive.' -- Maxim Jabubowski THE GUARDIAN 'Hard Revolution is a superior thriller, raising issues that are still relevant in American society. It is also a fast-paced read that holds the interest right to the final page.' IRISH TIMES --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Pelecanos has been justly celebrated for his noir sensibility and his gritty portraits of the streets of Washington, D.C., but he hasn't been recognized for what may be his greatest achievement: redefining the art of writing serial fiction. Crime fiction series often grow stale as authors are forced to repeat themselves ad infinitum. Pelecanos has avoided that trap by creating an ensemble of characters, all of whom live in Washington, and jumping between them from novel to novel. Even better, he goes back and forth in time, not with plot-driven prequels but in a way that builds context both in terms of character development and sense of place. Just as The Big Blowdown (1996) gave that kind of depth and context to the earlier Nick Stefanos novels, so Pelecanos' latest looks back at the early life of Derek Strange, hero of four previous books, including Soul Circus (2002). The action, which takes place in the weeks previous to and the days immediately after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., centers on two groups of petty criminals and their ill-formed plans to hold up a convenience store and a bank. As in earlier books, Pelecanos devotes the foreground to these train wrecks waiting to happen, while focusing our attention on the people destined to cross the railroad tracks at the wrong time: doomed criminals, equally doomed cops, soul-suffering mothers and fathers. And this time there is the finale, an even larger train wreck, the riots in Washington's inner city following the King assassination. As Strange, a proud black man and a good cop, is forced to work riot control in his own neighborhood, all of the unresolvable conflicts--personal, racial, historical, political--that have roiled in the background of this novel are ignited in front of our eyes. Like Nathanael West describing the burning of Hollywood in The Day of the Locust, Pelecanos stage manages the conflagration perfectly, capturing the personal tragedy and the metaphorical significance vividly and directly. All of Pelecanos' books, whether set before or after King's death, somehow have been pointing to this moment, and he makes the most of it. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

About the Author

George P. Pelecanos is a screenwriter, independent film producer, award-winning journalist, and the author of the bestselling series of novels set in and around Washington, D.C., where he lives with his wife and children. Pelecanos is also at work as a producer on the HBO hit series The Wire. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

From AudioFile

George Pelecanos's tough, disturbing novel depicts the African-American community in Washington, D.C., at the end of the 1960s. It's a time of hope for some blacks, but a time of extreme hopelessness for many others. The story has many characters, but three stand out: Derek Strange, a black DC cop; his brother, Dennis; and Frank Vaughn, a white cop whom Dennis admires but who is caught up in a terrible web of peer pressure. Lance Reddick's narration keeps the action moving; he gives each character a distinct personality and makes the reader care about what happens to him. The tragic conclusion to this gritty story centers around the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the eruption of pent-up hatred on both sides of the badge. J.L.C. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B000FC1BS8
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (March 1, 2004)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 1, 2004
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2115 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 383 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0752856308

Best Sellers Rank: #794,951 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #1,321 in Black & African American Mystery, Thriller and Suspense
- #3,095 in Assassination Thrillers (Books)
- #3,235 in Hard-Boiled Mysteries (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 310 ratings

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George Pelecanos

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George P. Pelecanos was born in Washington, DC in 1957. His first novel was published in 1992 and alongside his consequential success as an author, he has also worked as producer, writer and story editor for the acclaimed and award-winning US crime series, The Wire. His writing for the show earned him an Emmy nomination.

He is the author of fifteen crime novels set in and around Washington, DC. The Big Blowdown was the recipient of the International Crime Novel of the Year award in both Germany and Japan; King Suckerman was shortlisted for the Gold Dagger Award in the UK. His short fiction has appeared in Esquire and the collections Unusual Suspects and Best American Mystery Stories of 1997. He is an award-winning journalist and pop-culture essayist who has written for the Washington Post.

Pelecanos can also claim credit for involvement in the production of several feature films. Most recently, as a screenwriter for film, he has written an adaptation of King Suckerman for Dimension Films, and was co-writer on the Paid in Full.

His novel Right as Rain is currently in development with director Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential, Wonder Boys) and Warner Brothers. He is a writer on the upcoming World War II miniseries The Pacific, to be produced by Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, and HBO. Pelecanos lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his wife and three children. He is at work on his next novel.

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4.3 out of 5

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David W. Nicholas

I think I'm getting the hang of it

Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2009

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OK, I've read three George Pelecanos novels now. I think I'm beginning to see his style clearly, and while I wasn't universally impressed with the books (Shame the Devil was a bit slow, far as I was concerned) I think I like the overall mood he sets and what he tries to do.

So, some observations. All three of the books have included an extended prologue, which backgrounds the characters in the main part of the story, and sets the stage for what's to occur in the main part of the book. This latest book, Hard Revolution, does this differently from the other two, because here Pelecanos is writing a prequel to some later detective stories he was writing, with his main character detective learning his place in the world, so to speak. So as a result, the first part of the book takes place in 1959, and the main part of the story nine years later, in 1968.

Second, Pelecanos is clearly a person who pays a lot of attention to pop culture. Reading his books one imagines he's one of those guys who can tell you who covered a particular song by a particular artist, who wrote it, when it was released, whether it was a hit, and so forth, and do this for practically everything you can imagine. At least half the scenes in Hard Revolution are set with some reference to music from the period. The author also tells you about cars, and other items of pop culture or commerce that the characters use, in considerable detail.

Third, the author has a thing for secrets buried in the past. Considering that I grew up reading Ross MacDonald, this is a good way to rope me into reading these books; the idea that someone has done something, gotten away with it, and now, many years later, may have to face the consequences, has always been appealing. No one likes to think these people get away with stuff forever.

One last thing that's interesting. Most novelists have trouble setting their stories in the middle of events in the outside world. Those events tend to distract from the main plot, and that would worry some; your plot has to be pretty strong to stand up to such distractions. Hard Revolution, set during 1968, with Johnson quitting the presidency, King getting shot, and so forth, uses the events of that year (or some of them anyway) to provide context for what's going on in the main plot.

I really enjoyed this book, the plot, the characters, and the action. I would recommend it.

5 people found this helpful

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E. Hughes

Derek Strange becomes Derek Strange

Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2022

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Reads like an HBO series. Great characters entwined in overlapping stories. Great detail on the 1968 riots in DC, heartbreaking at times. Well done.

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DC Guy

A Wonderful Novel, Provided You Want What This Novel Delivers

Reviewed in the United States on May 16, 2015

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If you live in and love Washington, DC, this book is for you. The references to streets, neighborhoods, stores, radio stations, car models, and music make this at times more of a non-fiction documentary than a novel. And because I live and love DC, I lapped it up. As for the writing, it's generally good but sometimes overreaches. As for the plot, it's nothing special: Your standard police procedural. If anything bugged me, it was the point of view. Basically, you get deep into the heads of three types of people: blacks, Greeks, and what for want of a better term I'll call white trash. It's standard operating procedure for any novelist to give you the inner thoughts of their characters. With great novelists, I never question that the writer has done that successfully. With Pelecanos, it's more of a challenge.
All in all, if you like DC or want to enjoy a crystal-clear view of a time and place, this is your book.

4 people found this helpful

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S. T. Sullivan

A Crime Novel from Late Sixties Washington, D.C.

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2008

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In this, Pelecanos last novel staring the Washingtonian Derek Strange, Pelecanos takes Strange back in time to the Washington, D.C. of the late sixties when racial tensions and small time crime were plaguing the city. Pelecanos is among the best writers working in crime fiction and he handles this story, and especially the events happening in Washington on the night of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assasination masterfully.

Like Pelecanos's other works, Hard Revolution makes the district come alive and exposes a world of hard working blue collar families and young kids caught up in trouble that has little to do with the halls of power that occupy the same city. If you like your crime novels hard boiled, brilliantly written and historically accurate, then Pelecanos and Hard Revolution is for you.

3 people found this helpful

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J. G. Cohen

Semi hard revolution

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2004

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First let me say I eagerly awaited this "prequel" and had been a little disappointed with the earlier Soul Circus. I 've read Hell to Pay & Right as Rain. The early part of the current novel which features the key characters in their youth is fine and yes I thought of Richard Price's work covering the Bronx of my youth.
Ultimately I'm a little disappointed with the tale, the last remarks about Frank Vaughn and the selective morality and plain old believability.
It will be interesting to see if GP takes one last shot with Derek. I'll bet yes.

2 people found this helpful

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Fritz Z. Smith

Page-turner like all his books

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2015

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Pelecanos really nails the atmosphere of 1968 (and 1959) D.C. Page-turner like all his books, but I often wonder if its hard for people not from the area to follow with all the references to landmarks, slang, music etc. from that region. Great job of building suspension leading to the M.L.K. riots. Read his books and its readily apparent that he was a major contributor to the Wire's success; nobody understands and interprets the pathology of inner cities better.

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2012

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This is a very interesting tale of the events that happened during the 1968 riots in Washington, DC. I lived in the DC area and happened to be in the corridore area before and after the rioting. The interactions of the characters makes the events that did happen pose a new appreciation relating to the causes and effects. Suspicions, cruelty, and ignorance all contributed to the explosion of the rioting. Pelecanos puts you in the streets and back alleys.

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SKULL

Pelecanos at his best

Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2019

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I have read all his novels and believe this to be his best . if you are a fan and havent read it you should. Read the whole book in one sitting. Awesome.

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Monster D.

fabulous crime novel

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 22, 2023

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This is a totally engrossing and the characters are drawn so interestingly.

wordparty

Much more than crime

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 18, 2012

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This is a tremendous book. Divided into two sections: Spring 1959 and Spring 1968, it describes a group of characters in their adolescence and then adulthood, culminating in their crimes and retribution amongst the political events involving Martin Luther King's campaigns and assassination.
The way the seeds of the 1968 harvest are sown in the spring of 1959 is masterly. If you feel a little impatient for the hard action to begin, as I did, stay with it. The speed steadily picks up, and the background of the characters is vital to the final outcome, and is in any case beautifully plotted and described.
This novel goes far beyond conventional crime writing, as does much of the finest work in this field that comes out of the United States.I wish I could find British authors who were half as good at transcending the genre and who didn't just stick to serial killer, morose police detective, or "who did it" mode....

"Hard Revolution" is a detailed illumination through events and character of the racial elements of those fierce times in Washington DC, but never loses the drive through to discover what happens at the end of the story.
I have read and enjoyed several other books by George Pelecanos; this, which deals with the youth and motivation of Derek Strange, the protagonist of earlier novels, is, for me, the best, and if you want to follow the series about Strange, would be the one to start with.

One person found this helpful

hr7

Brilliant!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2017

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Having read the author's more famous works I was excited by both the story line and key themes of the novel.

I like the writing style, sometimes the prose is sparse but incredibly descriptive and you, as the reader, sits comfortable on the sofa but can see and smell the streets, apartments and even the smallest of things. This ability is one of the hardest skills and Pelecanos has this skill in abundance.

The story is fantastic and immediately hooks the reader in, he provides great social and political context as well as characters who are credible and interesting.

Enjoyed it and have read more by the author since.

Dr David Mankin

Life on the streets

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 13, 2009

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This is the second George Pelecanos that I have read (following the Turnaround which I enjoyed). In many respects this isn't a crime novel but rather an exploration of life on the streets in late sixties Washington. As a commentary, and indictment, of racial prejudice it is a powerful novel and Pelecanos' effficient prose style works well. But I wouldn't necessarily call it a great novel which it would have to be to merit five stars. The Derek Strange character is certainly interesting and I'm now reading 'Right as Rain' the first in a trilogy of (more conventional) crime stories featuring strange as a middle-aged PI.

3 people found this helpful

Mr A E Morris

Decent

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 5, 2020

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Well developed characters and smooth storytelling set against an against an interesting and relevant historical backdrop. Not quite the plot punch to get to 5 stars though.

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Hard Revolution: A Novel (Derek Strange and Terry Quinn Series Book 4) Kindle Edition

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