The Turnaround

Lance Corporal Philip Johnson (3rd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force) was killed outside Bagdad on Labor Day weekend 2006. The memory of his life and service is honored with the dedication in this week's release of the new George Pelecanos novel, The Turnaround. As a bookseller I'm thrilled the book is finally out-I read the ARC (that's Advance Reader's Copy to you non bookstore types) months ago and as always happens had several encounters where this novel would have been perfect recommendation. As a fan I am also thrilled to have a new one from my author crush to recommend unreservedly, as regular bleaders may remember I was seemingly the one fan who wasn't completely in love with the last book. (I gotta call them the way I see them.)

Not so with The Turnaround, a compelling exploration of the fallout, over years and generations, of one explosive incident in the lives of the participants. It's a story of consequences, of fathers and sons and what it means to be a man. It's a nice combo of old and new, the classic Pelecanos notes are sounded-you never have to wonder what the car looked like or what song was on the radio-but the book is also suffused with new warmth. Warmth in a crime novel might seem an odd juxtiposition but it actually makes a lot of sense. If a novel only dwells with the baddies you might like it but chances are you won't see yourself in it but one that reminds us crime can reach out and touch us at any time? That actions have consequences for ourselves and the ones we love? Yeah, that warmth holds a mirror up to us and in doing so adds to the novel's power considerably.

The Turnaround's structure also adds power-after the original stone is cast the ripples still for a long time which builds tension and gets the readers invested in the people. Then the second stone comes. Because of that tension, its themes and the inevitability of showdown this reads as Pelecanos most "Western" book to date. (I say saddle up and bring on the real horses-a Pelecanos Western would totally kick ass!) It also makes me think of the oft misquoted Hemingway line, "The world breaks us all. Afterward, some are stronger in the broken places." The broken places are Pelecanos' beat and with this new book he nails them. Corporal Johnson could not have asked for a better tribute.