What It Was - Hardcover

George Pelecanos is an independent film producer, an essayist, the recipient of numerous international writing awards, a producer and an EMMY-nominated writer on the HBO hit series THE WIRE. He is the author of a bestselling series of crime novels set in and around Washington, D.C.

What It Was is a vividly imagined period piece, a latter-day Bonnie and Clyde account of two lovers on a murderous rampage ... As aficionados of The Wire will attest, Pelecanos is a peerless chronicler of the black urban underclass and his book is rich in detail about fashion and music and American muscle cars. ... The authors skilful evocation of a crucial moment in American history as seen from the street, rather than a more historical account, is entertainingly rewarding. SUNDAY EXPRESS 20120219 A sizzling flashback to the Watergate summer of 1972 ... What It Was features plenty of tough talk, hot cars, hotter women and keenly crafted social and racial observation, all set to a pumping funk and soul soundtrack. -- David Roy IRISH NEWS 20120210 This week we're grabbing a copy of George Pelecanos's thriller What It Was ... if only for it's cool-as-flip cover. Given Pelecanos worked on The Wire and has written some of the greatest American crime novels of the last two decades, we're confident this 1970s slice of noir will live up to it. THE HERALD 20120218 A lean but lethal thriller ... the world of muscle cars, teetering afros and scratchy soul records proves so intoxicating you'll devour it in one sitting. SHORTLIST 20120223 The Wire writer George Pelecanos has a way with words that only seems to be getting meaner and swankier -- Henry Sutton THE MIRROR 20120224 a well-written potboiler about vicious criminals and virtuous investigators in seventies Washington DC ... it's a mind-blowing trip SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 20120305 If you like your book fast and gritty, What It Was will be a real thrill ride/read. RTE GUIDE 20120324 Author of over 18 critically-lauded novels ... his reputation rests on a bedrock of tight, fast-paced prose, meticulous plotting, finely tuned characters and an incredible authenticity in depicting time and place. ... What It Was does not disappoint.This is a writer in full control of his material and fully understanding of his strengths. Lovers of crime fiction should not miss what he has to say. IRISH EXAMINER 20120317 i pretty much loved every sentance of this novel, both for the pacy, hard-boiled plot and for Pelecanos's non-stop grab bag of pop-cultural references. As Befits one of the leading wrietrs on The Wire, his descriptive prose is endlessly quotable. IRISH TIMES 20120324 A complex tale of drug-dealing and detection in Washington DC ... it manages to combine a fond trip down memory lane - dig those groovy clothes and classic hits - with an equally fond tribute to pulp noir. it moves so fast there is no time for schmaltz. -- Mark Sanderson EVENING STANDARD 20120705