The Cut

Spero Lucas, Book 1

By: George Pelecanos

Narrated by: Dion Graham

Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Hard to finish

What a wonderful book. Great tone, characters, dialogue and I love the narrator. His silky slides into other voices are amazing. Each one is believable. My problem remains a big one, however. The architecture of the story is so predictable.

Once the story starts to talk up a character, such as, a young man in high school full of promise, we know he's going down. Another one: the brave and optimistic Iraq war vet, hobbling along on a metal leg and bringing realistic light into bad situations. Boom for him. And the fight between brothers? Saw it coming chapters back. Saw the misunderstanding.

Haven't finished and don't believe I will. For all the admirable qualities George Pelecanos possesses as a writer, there's something here I just don't buy. His vision of struggling urban life has a cartoon quality. He's bringing the comics to life and not quite able to shed the banality at the center of his enterprise. I don't believe him. He quotes Elmore Leonard, but he is far, far from Elmore Leonard.

Slightly off beat crime

I really liked this - good blend between crime solving, earning a living and dealing with family problems. very believable characters and a good plot line.

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.

What you see is what you get.

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Clever thriller with a believable protagonist - he's Black, he's Greek, he's adopted, it works.

Wouldn't change a thing.

If you’ve listened to books by George Pelecanos before, how does this one compare?

This is one of my favourite books by Pelecanos.

Which scene was your favorite?

Difficult to say which scene was my favourite. Probably him and his mom or the final shoot-out.

Do you think The Cut needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No doubt. Methinks there are plenty readers waiting for Spero Lucas to show up again.

Any additional comments?

Light, quick, plausible and well read.

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