Drama City

By George Pelecanos

     Having just finished an eight-year stint in prison on drug charges, Lorenzo Brown is "back home" in uptown Washington, DC, and he is trying to live the straight life with a legitimate job as a Humane Society officer, working as a street investigator to protect animals from abuse. Lorenzo patrols the very streets that he used roam in his younger, crime-filled days, and he often runs into former cohorts and former enemies - but Lorenzo is determined to keep his life straight and narrow.

     Lorenzo is on parole, and his parole officer is Rachel Lopez. Rachel is a hard worker, and her heart is in the right place, but she has her own problems. Her nights are spent drinking heavily and having one-night stands. She knows that her lifestyle may catch up with her, as she sees it in her clients every day. Lorenzo is one of Rachel's favorite clients because she knows that he is truly making the effort to live a straight life and not violate the conditions of his parole, which is more than Rachel sees in so many of her clients that turn into repeat offenders.

     While both Lorenzo and Rachel are trying to stay a step ahead in their individual daily struggles in life, suddenly an evil young man, who is employed by a local drug lord, commits a violent act that changes everything. Lorenzo finds himself in the position of deciding whether he will exact revenge, and he needs the understanding and sympathy of Rachel. Drama City is an entertaining and engrossing read even though the setting is in the drug-filled streets of Washington, DC. Lorenzo and Rachel are interesting and heartfelt characters who are working against the odds. I recommend this book to all mystery and thriller fans.