Shame the Devil [Paperback]

Several things I liked about this book include:

**SPOILERS**

The group meetings of the survivors of the victims who were killed in May's.

The family atmosphere of The Spot including Phil, James, Maria, Mai, Anna, Darnell, Ramon, Dan Boyle and Happy. I could feel the past books coming off the pages when I first entered the Spot in this book.

Nick offering Dimitri a job so he can feel some sort of routine and structure in his life after the death of his child. VERY WELL DONE.

Both Nick and Dimitri's struggle with faith and a higher being.

Loved hearing how well Marcus and Elaine Clay are doing.

The tie-in to the masterpiece, THE BIG BLOWDOWN, which I always considered to be Pelecanos' best work. This one competes so well I'm not sure which one I would choose to be the best.

I know George P. thinks his Derek Strange books are his best but the three Stefanos books and the D.C. quartet are equally as good. I like the Strange series but the Stefanos character both old and young tip the scales for me.

In the end Nick leaves the Spot(as do two other characters) to try to control his drinking. Change is inevitable. It will be interesting to see where that goes should George P. continue this series. (I certainly hope so).

It is definitely beneficial to read these books in order because you really do get the big pay off when you read SHAME THE DEVIL last.

Highly recommended. A MUST READ.

P.S. the William Bell song YOU DON'T MISS YOUR WATER is mentioned here while Dimitri is sitting at the bar and he enjoys listening to it. It's on the HARD REVOLUTION CD. I enjoyed reading about it because the song jumped out me while listening to the CD. I could hear it clear as a bell. I also really enjoy A FOOL FOR YOU, I'VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG, DON'T FIGHT IT and TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT.

You outdid yourself on this one, G.P.

'Shame the Devil' is very well-written, complete with excellent characterizations. While it doesn't have much of the drug culture found in the author's other novels it does contain more than its fair share of violence, extreme sadistic violence. The book drips with evil. Simply put, the story is about revenge and redemption. Certainly not in the same league as 'Crime & Punishment' but nonetheless a fine story. My only criticism is that at times, especially towards the end, the author gets a bit soppy. The good guy characters start hugging and snivelling. Why the author chose to insert "Kodak moments" into this hard-hitting novel is anyone's guess.

Bottom line: George Pelecanos is really a terrific crime writer. Enjoy.