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The Night Gardener
by George Pelecanos


8.8

based on 18 reviews
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based on 7 votes
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Drama City

TV:

The Wire (HBO)

The author (and sometimes writer for TV's "The Wire") sets his latest thriller in inner-city Washington D.C., where a trio of cops attempt to solve a 15-year-old series of murders which may be related to a fresh crime.

Little, Brown and Company, 384 pages
08/2006
$24.99

ISBN: 0316156507

Fiction
General Literature & Fiction
Mystery & Thrillers

All reviews are classified as one of five grades: Outstanding (4 points), Favorable (3), Mixed (2), Unfavorable (1) and Terrible (0). To calculate the Metascore, we divide total points achieved by the total points possible (i.e., 4 x the number of reviews), with the resulting percentage (multiplied by 100) being the Metascore. Learn more...

Los Angeles Times Miles Corwin

Those who can appreciate a writer who transcends the genre will forgive Pelecanos' transgressions and find The Night Gardener a powerful and compelling book.

Publishers Weekly

A dignified, character-driven epic that succeeds as both literary novel and page-turner. [19 June 2006, p.40]

Booklist Bill Ott

One thinks of Michael Connelly, John Harvey, and Ian Rankin--other writers able to look inside their cop heroes with remarkable sensitivity--but Pelecanos' scalpel may cut more precisely than any of them. [1 May 2006, p.37]

Library Journal Craig Shufelt

As in his previous novels, as well as his work on HBO's "The Wire," he manages to weave several threads perfectly into the larger story. Another winner from arguably our best contemporary crime writer. [15 May 2006, p.95]

The Globe And Mail [Toronto] Margaret Cannon

If you're not already a die-hard Pelecanos fan, The Night Gardener should bring you into the fold. This gritty, gripping, beautifully constructed police drama is the best book by one of the best authors now writing. [2 Sept 2006, p.D12]

USA Today Jocelyn McClurg

Pelecanos, the reigning bard of D.C. crime writing, delivers his most mature and accomplished novel in The Night Gardener. And that's a mixed blessing for cult followers of this underappreciated writer. Because in honing his craft to a high gloss, Pelecanos has lost a bit of the hyperkinetic, ultra-violent edge that made his earlier books so explosive. Still, it's hard to fault somebody for being too good. [17 Aug 2006, p.04D]

Salon Laura Miller

The Night Gardener, has all the elements that make a season of "The Wire" so engrossing and refreshing.

The New York Times Janet Maslin

Like "Drama City" it is heart-in-your-throat gripping from beginning to end.

Sydney Morning Herald Sue Turnbull

Structurally, this may just be the perfect crime novel...Structure, however, is hardly enough; it's the detail that seduces and convinces.

The Independent Mark Timlin

Things are never quiet in Pelecanos land and we should be grateful. Police procedural at its very best.

Boston Globe John Koch

There isn't a dull page in the book.

Washington Post Stephen Amidon

His evocations of the "other" Washington -- geographically proximate but also a world away from K Street, Georgetown and Capitol Hill -- are superb.

Daily Telegraph Susanna Yager

By concentrating on the relationships between the characters as much as on the detail of the pursuit, Pelecanos turns a mystery into a moving story with no easy conclusion.

Atlantic Monthly Jon Zobenica

A host of supporting characters—family members, barflies, prostitutes, precinct mates, thugs big-time and small—help flesh out this deeply human tale, which doesn’t shy from the unexpected discoveries and laudably unsatisfying resolutions of all great noir.

Chicago Sun-Times Paul Saltzman

The Night Gardener isn't among his best work, but even average Pelecanos is something to behold. [27 Aug 2007]

The Onion A.V. Club Keith Phipps

Plenty of writers have captured the grotesque attraction of serial killers, but few so capably get how their aberrant compulsions reflect more acceptable, public patterns of destruction.

Entertainment Weekly Adam B. Vary

Like Pelecanos' work on HBO's "The Wire," Gardener brims with meticulous, humane, sprawling authenticity — and takes its sweet time getting anywhere.

Kirkus Reviews

The setup screams "Mystic River," but Pelecanos's olympian yet furiously impassioned take on urban violence remains his own. [1 June 2006, p.541]

The average user rating for this book is 8.8 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Dara gave it a9:
An expertly written crime novel -- gritty and insightful.

Dan C gave it a9:
Behind the deceptively simple prose is a story of real depth, about not just this or that specific crime, but about the human condition. Pelecanos brings characters to life in amazing ways with few, well-chosen words. A novel full of living, breathing people. A great read and a rewarding experience. I can't wait for his next book.

Mr. Hankey gave it a10:
Easily one of the best books of 2006. George Pelecanos has crafted his masterwork! The Night Gardener is a chilling tale about the societal problems of Washington D.C. and how it affects the lives of children, police officers (ex-police officers as well), and criminals. It is emotionally intense and a must-read.

Darrell N gave it a9:
This is a well-told crime caper that doesn’t depend on clever plot twists. The book is about several imperfect and mostly ordinary characters, trying to find purpose in their lives. All of the main characters were likeable and easy for me to identify with.

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The Night Gardener by George Pelecanos

The Night Gardener
by George Pelecanos