KING SUCKERMAN by George Pelecanos

King Suckerman by George Pelecanos

Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company; 1st edition (August 1, 1997)

First sentence…

Wilton Cooper reached for the speaker, counterclockwised the volume.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Dimitri Karras and Marcus Clay are long-time buddies who still hang out and shoot hoops despite the fact that they’re no longer kids. Clay owns a record store and Karras makes a living doing odd jobs and selling a little weed from time to time.  After a session on the courts, Karras has a meeting lined up with Eddie Spags. Spags isn’t his usual source, but Karras’ contact has vouched for Spags.  Clay agrees to tag along.

When they get to the meeting, Spags is finishing up a deal with four strangers.  There’s a bag of money on the table.  Karras and Clay realize the thugs aren’t there for a little pot.  Wilton Cooper, the leader of the four men is an ex-con sociopath with a death wish.  Cooper’s crew consists of Bobby Roy Clagget (on the run after using a shotgun on his boss) and slow-witted brothers, Ronald and Russell Thomas.

Things get tense when Cooper makes a smart remark to Clay and he responds.  One thing leads to another and Clagget starts to bring his shotgun in to play.  Clay quickly disarms him and without thinking grabs the money on the table.  Karras and Clay then make a quick exit.

As they’re driving away, Clay is as shocked as Karras that he took the money.  They’re even more shocked when it turns out to be $20,000.  Clay figures he’ll return the cash once things cool down.  But there’s no cooling down a psycho who wants Karras and Clay dead and has a crew to back him up.

Pelecanos creates a great sense of time and place (Washington, D.C. in 1976).  His characters are authentic and if you’ve read some of his other books will see an overlap with characters from this one.  King Suckerman is another excellent Pelecanos crime novel and rates 4 of 5 stars.

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