Private investigator Spero Lucas returns in The Double, George Pelecanos's powerful follow-up to 2011's The Cut. The Afghanistan veteran who recovers stolen goods, no questions asked, is in search of a painting: after being swindled by a Casanova, Grace Kincaid has hired Lucas to reclaim what is rightfully hers. The art thief, however, has no plans to give up the piece--and is prepared to take Lucas down to keep it.
As Lucas works the case, he also finds himself in a new predicament: he's falling in love with a married woman. They've initiated a passionate affair, sneaking off to hotel rooms whenever she summons him. The affair is completely on her terms; she calls Lucas to satisfy her needs and despite his frustration with the arrangement, he can't tell her no.
Through his interactions with the art thief and his mistress, as well as his continuing struggles to reintegrate into civilian life, Lucas questions who he is. The answer isn't an easy one; Pelecanos smudges the lines between right and wrong, and good intentions count for little, if anything.
Pelecanos's characters dwell in the dark, underside of Washington, D.C., and his tone mimics their environment. In the melodic beauty and strength of his writing, readers can practically hear the soulful rhythms that form the soundtracks to his characters' complicated lives. The Double is complex, gritty crime fiction at its best. Pelecanos shines again. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts