The Night Gardener, George Pelecanos

Nothing ever turns out rose-colored in his books because that’s life. The story of three cops – one good, one bad, one broken… who are reunited 20+ years after the body of a teenager is found in a community garden. This brings back memories for detective Gus Ramone on a case he’d worked on back in 1985 assisting legendary detective TC Cook. Dan Holliday – an ex-cop taunted by his dreams after leaving the force under a cloud of morals charges. Now he’s a limo driver. Cook still agonizes over the unsolved case of the man who’d committed the murders back in 85’ dubbed, The Night Gardener, because all 3 victims were found in various gardens around D.C. The lines of good police and bad police have always been negotiable.Regret, anger, the lack of purpose, and wanting to retain it… all demons we have buried within us. Pelecanos is superb at bringing you into the character’s lives and making you want to sit down and have a beer with them. They’re all just working through muddy waters, hills and valleys, streams and raging rivers. This is 10+ books I’ve read of his, and it never gets boring. Just looking forward to another on that library shelf.