“He is among the finest ten or twelve novelists working in the U.S. today. . . . [a] Balzacian figure so intent upon rendering this nation's whole ramshackle, impossible urban life over the past half-century.” —James Sallis, from his introduction

“Pelecanos writes hard-boiled prose full of music and pain, like he just might be in charge of saving his characters' souls. The Big Blowdown is his `Once Upon a Time in D.C.'---a big book with drive and savagery, and elegance too.” —Jonathan Lethem, author of Motherless Brooklyn

“A charged page-turner . . . With stylistic panache and forceful conviction, Pelecanos delivers a darkly powerful story of the American city.” —Publishers Weekly [starred review]

“Pelecanos's books get into your blood like a shot and a beer after a third shift. Definitely my favorite writer working today.” —Peter Farrelly, author of Outside Providence

“A snazzy Lincoln Zephyr of a novel.” —Les Whitten, Washington Post Book World

“Bold and broad-shouldered, a crime epic filled with passionate characters and the gritty life of the street. . . . Pelecanos lifted me from my chair and hurled me right into the mean D.C. streets of the 1950s. Bravo!” —T. Jefferson Parker, author of The Blue Hour

“One of those writers whose books I would never miss.” —Harlan Ellison, author of Mephisto in Onyx

“To miss out on Pelecanos would be criminal.” —Barry Gifford, author of Wild at Heart