Crimezine Website of the Week: George Pellecanos

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/features/georgepelecanos/writers/

http://www.lawrenceblock.com/index_framesetfl.htm

http://www.scottphillipsauthor.com/

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/index.html

http://spaceythompson.blogspot.com/2009/06/prison-rape-cursing-poop-jokes-and.html

http://www.crimefictionlover.com/

http://bustedflushpress.blogspot.com/

GeorgePellecanos: Cronos of Crime

In the course of Crimezines intensive weekly investigations into the world of crime, we come across many entertaining and useful sites, that we know Crimeziners will love. Top of the pack this week is Gorgeous George Pellecanos and his super cool and informative site that delves into the world of the Washingtonian wonder. Yeah, we know he had help with this site, but he has made more effort to involve crime fans than any of the other author and for this Gorgeous George wins the prestigious Crimezine website of the week.

The fantastic Lawrence Block needs no introduction, his site is fun and informative. Read about his new  Matthew Scudder book The Night and the Music.

Crimezine fave Scott Phillips rocks, check out the off camera pix with John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton from Movie the Ice Harvest. His book Cottonwood, is out in paperback now

Crimezine also loves fellow bloggers, some of our fave raves this week include  the marvelous Spacey Thompson/ Hardboiled Wonderland, the Encyclopaedic  Crime Fiction Lover and the marvelously monikered Busted Flush Press.

And for those ghoulish fiends out there who just cannot resist  the true crime apocalypse that is modern America, Check out trutv.com. This site is an A to Z of ghastly goings on. Enjoy!

George Pelecanos, Athenian god of Crime fiction is a Cut above.

http://www.facebook.com/georgepelecanos?sk=app_206971596013011

http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/features/georgepelecanos/the_cut/

http://www.hbo.com/the-wire/index.html

Pellecanos: Athenian god of Crime Fiction

George Pelecanos is a name that will be on the kebab loving lips of many a Crimeziner. His idiosyncratic prose and keenly observed charachters have led to comparisons with James Ellroy’s work. Though Crimezine reckons Chester Himes meets classic Elmore Leonard is closer to the mark. Check out the opening of his latest novel at the Facebook link http://www.facebook.com/georgepelecanos?sk=app_206971596013011 .

Pelecanos, is famed for dredging through the seedy world of Washington DC, no less than fifteen of his novels  have been based there, though these days the life long Washingtonian has upped camp to the more sedate surroundings of Silver Spring Maryland.

Crimezine recommends readers who are  unfamiliar with the Pelecanos oeuvre  start with the excellent Nick Stefanos books, such as A Firing Offense, Nicks Trip and Down by the River where the Dead Men Go. Georges style has evolved substantially over the years, becoming richer and more engaging.

Fans of HBO show The Wire or New Orleans Drama Treme may be familiar with Pelecanos without knowing it. , as George wrote episodes for both series and also produced The Wire for the second and third seasons.

The Cut

George is a man of many obsessions as readers of his work will know. Basketball is a recurring theme, as is a endearing if somewhat trainspotterish interest in popular music. Crimezine is somewhat bewildered at this, as we stopped taking an interest in the “hit parade” after the Ed Sullivan show got canned, but we note approvingly that Pelecanos is a fan of the truly awesome blues rock duo  The Black Keys. Rocking!

George is also known as a full on feta cheese loving fan of everything that is Greek. Crimezine whole heartedly approves, as we are fans of spit roasted meats and toga wearing classicism ourselves. George also professes to be a life long devotee to gas guzzling four wheel drive brand Jeep, although we are not certain that he is truly serious in this enthusiasm, as he can frequently be seen driving a Mustang, which is all very well, just keep the speed down on Mulholland Drive, OK?