Customer Reviews
Socially realistic crime - By: Damian Patrick Kelly, 22 Oct 2008 
The Night Gardener is not just a standard crime novel. It feels as though you are reading about real people & real crimes with real consequences. The lives of the cops are not simply backgrounds written to give a feeling of depth to the story. Their lives are the story. The neighbourhoods in which they live have complex social problems. This isn't simple good guys versus bad guys stuff. That's not to stay that Pelecanos drops the puzzle solving mystery aspect of standard crime novels. That is definitely there as well.
This is an extremely well written novel, which is why I have given it four stars.
There is a `but' though. Despite alll this I wouldn't say I enjoyed the novel. Reading it made me think about what it is I want out of a crime novel & I would probably say the main things are a good puzzle & an eccentric detective with rather unlikely & outlandish powers of detection. And a despicable villain.
So I would suggest that if you are thinking about getting this book then ask yourself what you want it for. If you want social realism then this is the perfect choice. But if you want fun & mystery then stick to Sherlock Holmes.
the butler did it - By: L. Giovnilli, 12 Sep 2008 
Pelecanos is a good, flowing writer & I enjoyed this book.
However, if he was trying to make a particular racial point I did not get it, this was perhaps because this trickled out as you read through the book? Our main man, a 'white' policeman, is in a mixed race marriage (this shows up half way through) & moves his son to a new, less troublesome school, where his son is then seen as 'black' by the new 'white' school - hence a troublemaker. There's irony.
Is this at the heart of the story? He does deal with the father/son thing well, albeit a bit "despite the neighbourhood, sons friends, other parents, the school" attitude, & I like both the characters.
There is not much location detail as it is unusuallly in Washington DC, but if there was I guess you would lose sight of the murder element.
The other main characters are almost believable if a bit stereotyped & the ending indicates more to follow from this bunch.
A good quick, one level read.
Not worth the postage - By: Frogman, 27 Jul 2008 
A random collection of shalllow characters framed by a dull pointless story line. The only purpose of the book seems to be to demonstrate a certain knowledge of the street map of Washington & schoolboy level crudity.
Perfect Pelecanos - By: nickyb, 03 Mar 2008 
I have to give this perfect novel five stars. It is Pelecanos at his best. Superb dialogue enveloping a fine mystery. And he has time for some moralising. I feel Pelecanos is right up there with Elmore Leonard for sheer atmosphere & grittiness.
First degree entertainment - By: Ichabod J, 21 Sep 2007 'The Night Gardener' tells the story of a police investigation into the death of a black youth in Washington DC. The apparent murder matches a series of unsolved killings that occurred 20 years previously. Gus Ramone & Dan Holiday, two cops who worked on the earlier cases, come together again to solve the latest crime. But their lives have diverged in the intervening two decades; family man Ramone remains a police officer, whereas the boozy, single Holiday had to leave the force under a cloud.
This straightforward premise is developed well by Pelecanos, who examines family relationships & racial issues in US society today along the way.
Aside from having a decent plot, a deal of reading pleasure can be had from Pelecanos's use of language, especiallly his dialogue, which is always snappy & authentic & often darkly humourous.
Overalll, this is a thoughtful & well-constructed crime novel, that delivers social comment without slowing the narrative. I've read that Pelecanos has contributed to the acclaimed US series 'The Wire' - anyone who likes this or its ilk, eg 'The Shield' would probably find this a worthwhile read. Readers who've already tried Pelecanos only need to know this maintains his usual high standard.
