The Big Blowdown

Set in 1930s and '40s Washington, DC, this novel harks back to the life and times of "Big Nick" Stefanos and Pete Karras, whose sons, Nick Stefanos and Dmitri Karras, fill the pages of George Pelecanos' series of hard-boiled crime books. "Big Nick" is a Greek-American restaurant owner who tangles a little too tightly with the mob. Pete Karras is a childhood friend of Nick's and a not-too-successful gangster. After Pete has his legs broken by his employers for being too soft on the guys he's supposed to shakedown, he takes a diner job and does small-time work for people who need a guy with contacts. An epic that covers 25 years, this is a story of friendship and the dynamic nature of loyalty as well as a candid look at the Greek immigrant experience in America.