The man who came uptown

Title:

Author:

Summary:

Michael Hudson spends the long days in prison devouring books given to him by the prison's librarian, a young woman named Anna who develops a soft spot for her best student. Anna keeps passing Michael books until one day he disappears, suddenly released after a private detective manipulated a witness in Michael's trial. Outside, Michael encounters a Washington, D.C. that has changed a lot during his time locked up. Once shady storefronts are now trendy beer gardens and flower shops. But what hasn't changed is the hard choice between the temptation of crime and doing what's right. Trying to balance his new job, his love of reading, and the debt he owes to the man who got him released, Michael struggles to figure out his place in this new world before he loses control.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

263 pages ; 25 cm

Genre:

Thrillers (Fiction)

Detective and mystery fiction.

Subject Term:

Ex-convicts -- Fiction.

Private investigators -- Fiction.

Geographic Term:

Washington (D.C.) -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company,

Publication Date:

2018

ISBN:

9780316479820

Publication Information:

New York : Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, 2018.

Call Number:

PELECAN

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003335885	Adult Fiction	PELECAN	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

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Summary

In bestselling and Emmy-nominated writer George Pelecanos' novel, one of the best mysteries of 2018 ( Publishers Weekly ), an ex-offender must choose between the man who got him out and the woman who showed him another path.

Michael Hudson spends the long days in prison devouring books given to him by the prison's librarian, a young woman named Anna who develops a soft spot for her best student. Anna keeps passing Michael books until one day he disappears, suddenly released after a private detective manipulated a witness in Michael's trial.

Outside, Michael encounters a Washington, D.C. that has changed a lot during his time locked up. Once shady storefronts are now trendy beer gardens and flower shops. But what hasn't changed is the hard choice between the temptation of crime and doing what's right. Trying to balance his new job, his love of reading, and the debt he owes to the man who got him released, Michael struggles to figure out his place in this new world before he loses control.

Smart and fast-paced, The Man Who Came Uptown brings Washington, D.C. to life in a high-stakes story of tough choices.

Author Notes

George P. Pelecanos was born in Washington, D.C. on February 18, 1957. Before becoming an author, he worked as a line cook, dishwasher, bartender, and woman's shoe salesman. His first novel, A Firing Offense, was published in 1992. His other books include Nick's Trip, Shoedog, King Suckerman, Right as Rain, Hard Revolution, Drama City, The Night Gardener, and What It Was. He has received numerous awards including the Raymond Chandler award in Italy, the Falcon award in Japan, and the Grand Prix Du Roman Noir in France. Hell to Pay and Soul Circus were awarded the 2003 and 2004 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes.

He has served as producer on the feature films Caught (1996), Whatever (1998) and BlackMale (1999). He was a producer, writer, and story editor for the HBO series, The Wire, which won the Peabody Award and the AFI Award. He was also a writer and co-producer on the HBO World War II miniseries The Pacific and an executive producer and writer on the HBO series Treme.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (2)

Publisher's Weekly Review

Michael Hudson, the hero of this unforgettable novel of crime, redemption, and the transformative power of the written word from Edgar-finalist Pelecanos (The Double), awaits trial in a Washington, D.C., jail for armed robbery. Like many of his fellow inmates, Hudson has taken to reading as a way to pass the time. He looks forward to the books carefully chosen for him by jail librarian Anna Byrne, who leads regular book discussion groups. As Hudson devours novels, he begins to catch a glimpse of a larger world outside, one that he didn't realize was available to him. Meanwhile, Phil Orzanian, an investigator for Hudson's defense attorney, dissuades a witness from testifying, and Hudson is suddenly out free. Orzanian turns out to run a side business robbing drug dealers and other criminals of their ill-gotten gains, and he reminds Hudson of the debt the former inmate owes him. As the fates of Hudson, Orzanian, and Byrne collide, Pelecanos shows that doing the right thing isn't always the easiest option. Inspired by the author's own experience with prison literacy programs, this is the work of a master storyteller at the top of his game. Agent: Sloan Harris, ICM Partners. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Library Journal Review

A love letter to the power of reading and small acts of kindness, this novel focuses on Michael Hudson, a young man who discovers his passion for reading while awaiting sentencing on a gun charge. The charges are eventually dropped, and Michael returns to his Washington, DC, home, resolved to stay out of prison and build a better life. The private detective who helped with his case has other ideas, and the tension of the novel is whether Michael can extricate himself from the crooked path the detective is planning for him. A quick read, but not slight, this story deftly touches on issues of friendship, gentrification, human trafficking, the resurgence of white supremacy, and what it means to cross a moral line. As with all novels by Pelecanos (The Cut; Right as Rain), the characters, even the minor ones, are intriguing and could be spun off into their own novels. As a bonus, through the actions of prison librarian Anna, the book also serves to provide excellent readers' advisory on a wide variety of fiction. VERDICT For readers who enjoy mysteries for their atmosphere and social commentary, this work does not disappoint.-Julie Elliott, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.