DRAMA CITY

Ironically, there's not much high drama in Pelecanos's 13th crime novel, but because of the rich character development and a more than competent reading, this mundane story hums along. After eight years in prison for drugs, Lorenzo Brown intends to stay clean. Other characters include Lorenzo's parole officer, a real piece of work, and a local drug dealer who goes on a rampage. There's a lot of meat here for J.D. Jackson. Pelecanos writes for the ear. The raw banter of the street, the curt character exchanges, the low-key storytelling of Narcotics Anonymous meetings--all are dead-on in Jackson's skilled reading. A.L.H. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 05]