I had heard good things about George Pelecanos as a writer, due to his TV writing success on productions such as The Wire, so I was excited to get an advanced review copy of this book.

The story focuses on a young man called Michael Hudson who is in prison, for taking part as a getaway driver in a mugging gone wrong. Michael has taken the fall for friends, who used a gun, when he in fact had the least involvement in the crime.

In prison Michael tries to spend his time wisely and visits the prison librarian Anna, who shows him that through books he can find an escape and hope in that because life has dealt him a rough hand, he can still come out good.

One day Anna notices Michael hasn't been at the library and realises he must have been released and this is where the story gets interesting. Michael is actually released early due to a private detective threatening a key witness. The private detective (whose a bit murkier than most) than uses Michael to carry out his own ill gotten deeds. Thrusting Michael into a life torn between wanting to do good and being forced to do bad.

The book was a compelling read, moments of high tension and characters you really got drawn into watching carry out their lives. I loved the moments of tenderness between Michael his mum and the family dog and his toughness to endure whatever was thrown at him.

I have always thought of Pelecanos as one helluva crime writer, his books never disappoint, and this one is no exception. An intriguing, descriptive and immersive plot, I cannot see how anyone could fail to love this novel. The writing, as always, is of superb quality, and you feel you know the characters as well as the city. A thriller with an air of authenticity to it - everything felt so realistic and believable. Despite many of the characters being criminals, I still felt I could relate to them on some level, it definitely takes a talented writer to make that possible. Admittedly, the pace is rather pedestrian, but this in no way affected my overall enjoyment. Loved this, as will many fans of the crime genre. Excellent!

Many thanks to Orion for an ARC. I was not required to post a review, and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

George Pelecanos writes a movingly profound homage to the joys of reading, the horizons that books open up, and their transformative power to change lives. Those who are committed and obsessive readers, who can envisage the possibilities that reading offers, will truly appreciate this gritty urban offering, set in the city of Washington DC, once presided over by the first black mayor, Marion Barry, a flawed man but who played an important part in ensuring the black community were offered employment opportunities. The extaordinary Anna Kaplan/Byrne, book lover, is the jailhouse librarian who spends time trying to ensure the inmates, many who would be deemed to be very bad men, get books that meet their needs. She organises and runs a bookclub where the men discuss a particular novel. She does not look down on the prison population nor judges the men. She chooses from a wide selection of reading material, such as Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men and John D MacDonald's The Deep Blue Goodbye. Much of the literature is complex, covering themes like the nature of masculinity, understanding women, sexuality, friendships, tarnished angels and so much more.

The protagonists in this story could be deemed tarnished angels. Michael Hudson has a strong family, but has fallen under bad influences, making poor choices that have ended up with him being arrested and charged. He is in prison, and for the first time in his life has the time and space to think, and starts to read books. He finds his eyes opened as he recognises the freedom that novels provide to mentally escape prison. Anna's book suggestions sow the seeds for Michael to turn his life around as the two of them develop a deep personal connection. Michael is released when for some strange reason the main witness testifying against him withdraws his testimony. Michael secures a minimum wage position in a restaurant that he commits to, becomes a voracious reader following up Anna's book recommendations, joining the library, startled at how much it offers, and beginning to realise his dream of starting up his own personal library of books. Phil Ornaizon is a struggling PI who takes on the case of corporate lawyer, Leonard Weitzman, who home was trashed, valuables stolen and whose daughter, Lisa, was brutally raped at a party. Phil runs a criminal sideline that he thinks can be defended because he and Thaddeus Ward only target bad guys. Michael is uneasy as he finds himself in a quandry that threatens the life he has begun to establish, for it turns out there is a price to be paid for his prison release.

Pelecanos writes of characters who have slipped through the cracks, who will do anything to ensure that their beloved families survive, who do not always make the right choices but who are never less than compelling, and in whom I invested in as a reader. In this narrative of love, loss, tragedy, grief, redemption and hope, the author held me spellbound with his storytelling. As a lifelong reader, I identified with and admired Anna, working a tough but priceless gig in a prison with men who need and could appreciate what Anna did for them. The proof of this is primarily embodied in Michael. I highly recommend this to anyone who reads and loves books. A superb read. Many thanks to Orion for an ARC.

I loved this book.

So easy to read which demonstrates the quality of the writing, this thriller drew me in from the first page.

Well drawn characters who were fascinating and interesting ensured my attention and the plot felt authentic and realistic.

The guy can write.

Highly recommended.