The Cut

Spero Lucas, Book 1

De: George Pelecanos

Narrado por: Dion Graham

Spero Lucas has a new line of work. Since he returned home after serving in Iraq, he has been doing special investigations for a defense attorney. He's good at it, and he has carved out a niche: recovering stolen property, no questions asked. His cut is 40 percent.

A high-profile crime boss who has heard of Lucas's specialty hires him to find out who has been stealing from his operation. It's the biggest job Lucas has ever been offered, and he quickly gets a sense of what's going on. But before he can close in on what's been taken, he tangles with a world of men whose amorality and violence leave him reeling. Is any cut worth your family, your lover, your life?

Spero Lucas is George Pelecanos's greatest creation, a young man making his place in the world one battle and one mission at a time. The first in a new series of thrillers featuring Spero Lucas, The Cut is the latest confirmation of why George Pelecanos is "perhaps America's greatest living crime writer" (Stephen King).

©2011 George Pelecanos (P)2011 Hachette

Great Book

Great story, moving, captivating. The narrator was perfection. Must listen. This was my first crime novel. Am hooked.

Great writer

Great writer of terse prose but plot is not all that exciting. Strange Pelecanos does everything well except plot which was just kind of boring

So entertaining and surprising!

A good old popcorn kinda story but with a new age kinda sensibility. We have a complex and unusual lead character to follow here. And, with crime fiction, I think if you can say you were in suspense, but intrigued, and entertained all at once, the novel is a success. I can say that here. And it is.The narrator, is perfectly suited to the material. He takes us on this journey and subtly navigates along with us through the plot twists and turns. Really great work! Really enjoyable! Highly recommended!!!

Really, Really Solid

Spero Lucas is a great character! He is the best part of this story but it moves fast and is satisfying from start to finish. Not complicated, this pays homage to the old guard of noir sleuths while being modern. I'm more than a little upset there are (so far) only two instalments in this series.

Solid Pelecanos

Unique and interesting plot as usual from Pelecanos. Wrapped around lots of local DC color - street names, restaurants, clubs. With detailed descriptions of food.

Narration is excellent as Spero Lucas dives into the seedy underworld. Interesting character development, too. Some admirable characters, some not so much.

This book is not a mystery but it’s a compelling story worth the listen.

Strong, typical Pelecanos.

What made the experience of listening to The Cut the most enjoyable?

Pelecanos' characters are always good - believable, lively, unpredictable.

What does Dion Graham bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Good reading. Best readers are those who do such a good job you don't notive them, and Mr. Graham met that criterion.

Great Story

I love story's wit blood in it. I don't mean that in the sense of the word, but about the people in the story. if I feel that I could meet them in real life if such a thing exists, I'm in! I am there. Comitted involved, I love this story Spero is a great lifelike character some one I like to know his family values, faith, and internal struggles make him I man I want to meet over and over again reading about him, or in my case listening, is like having a old buddy coming to visit and he will always be welcome In my world.

thanks George for a great experience and a new member of my family.
It's a great book and I can recommend it to anyone

Loved it

I happened to listen to this book after just failing to finish a disappointing audible download. This was just what I was looking for: quick, smart, and entertaining. I was into the story from the get go, and REALLY enjoyed it.

I live in the DC area and loved the authentic, DC-centric setting. Pelecanos doesn't just name drop all of the local bars, streets, schools, etc; he actually gets them right. He even nails the changing atmosphere of the city today. The narrator is an excellent, giving easily recognizable and distinct voices to the characters.

As to the story, the Spero Lucas character is a good one, as is his interesting family and background. I'll be looking forward to checking out the next book.

Something different, something good

Pellecanos' entry into this growing genre - Iraq or Afghanistan vets returning to the US - is excellent. Don Winslow's "Savages" was another example of this type of novel.

The moral relativism, the tension between the brothers and the unforeseen consequences of one bad decision are themes well explored.

It is not Jack Reacher, although both protagonists were in the military. If anything it reminds me of the excellent movie "Four Brothers."

I look forward to the next in this series.

Outstanding fiction and compelling characters

George Pelecanos is a terrific writer, and this novel is an outstanding example of his work. Readers like me who live in the D.C. area may have extra reasons to enjoy his fiction, because it offers an intensely personal peek into a variety of Washington-area locales. Only a few of these are likely to be well known, even to long-time residents. Heck, I also enjoy closely observed fiction about cities I know much less well, such as L.A. and New York. My suspicion is that readers who like close-up and realistic introductions to city jails, law offices, neighborhoods on the upswing, and obscure neighborhoods on the road to abandonment will be fascinated by Pelecanos's presentation of D.C.

The story is an interesting one. Much of its interest flows out of the compelling and believable characters Pelecanos creates. Many of the characters occupy a grey area between lawlessness and loyalty to a kind of basically moral code. A principal character is drawn, through his lawful but somewhat shady profession, into D.C.'s drug trade. A fairly straightforward recovery job turns complicated when murder intrudes. If other readers are like me they will care about the sometimes unlikeable characters who get killed or threatened as a result of the main character's persistence.

The narrator, Dion Graham, does a terrific job with the range of voices in Pelecanos's Washington. As is usual in Pelecanos stories, we meet all kinds of folks, both African-American and white, who will be recognizable to long-time D.C. residents. The narrator speaks easily and without condescension all of the voices in this wonderful novel.