Mixed Pickles - the Book log 2012

I picked this up because of Pelecanos' connection to "The Wire", another one of those drama serials that American TV now does so well, and his influence on the show is made evident by his writing in this novel. His style can be clumsy, and he is prone to ignore the "Show-don't-tell" rule, but I guess that's a habit you fall into when writing for TV. But if you can get past these stylistic aggravations, he plots and does dialogue like a master, and his characters are more than a series of vocal tics and social mannerisms; they have depth and they are capable of change, and of surprising the reader.