Soul Circus (novel)
First edition cover
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| Author | George Pelecanos |
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| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
| Series | Strange and Quinn |
| Genre | Crime |
| Publisher | Little Brown |
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Publication date
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March 2003 (First edition) |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 336 |
| ISBN | (Hardcover first edition) |
| OCLC | 49332886 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3566.E354 S68 2003 |
| Preceded by | Hell to Pay |
| Followed by | Hard Revolution |
Soul Circus is a 2003 crime novel by George Pelecanos. It is set in Washington DC and focuses on private investigators Derek Strange and Terry Quinn. The title refers to dialogue from within the novel where two young drug dealers discuss their lives. It is the third novel to involve Strange and Quinn, following Right as Rain (2001) and Hell to Pay (2002).
The novel follows private investigators Derek Strange and Terry Quinn as they work on several cases in Washington DC. Strange's main case is to provide evidence for the defense lawyers of drug lord Granville Oliver. Two secondary cases involve the disappearance of women.
Derek Strange is an ex-cop and current private investigator. He is recently married to his secretary Janine and lives with her and her son, Lionel. Strange is working on gathering evidence for the defence of drug trafficker Granville Oliver and is searching for a young woman named Devra Stokes.
Dewayne Durham is a notorious drug dealer and controls his own small organization. Durham's right-hand man is Bernard "Zulu" Walker. The dealers who work for him include Jerome Long (aka Nutjob) and Alante Jones (aka Lil J). Dewayne's older brother Mario commands none of the same respect and is eager to prove himself. Mario is searching for Olivia Elliot who recently stole from him. He associates with Donut, a sometime drug dealer who frequently sells fake narcotics.
Horace McKinley has inherited some of Oliver's drug trade and is a rival to Durham. His drug dealing crew includes Michael Montgomery and the volatile young Coates cousins, James and Jeremy. Both McKinley and Durham use the same out-of-town gun dealer for their weapons, retired police officer Ulysses Foreman. Foreman lives with his girlfriend Ashley Swann.
Strange is working on the defence of Granville Oliver. Oliver has been charged with the murder of his uncle and faces the death penalty. Strange is trying to locate Devra Stokes who can discredit the testimony of the prosecution's witness Phillip Wood. He learns that Stokes is working in a beauty salon paid for by Wood's successor Horace McKinley. She refuses to testify. Quinn is working on a separate case for his girlfriend. He believes a group of young men have the information he needs but is unable to get them to talk to him.
Dewayne Durham and Horace McKinley are considering eliminating one another's organizations to cut down on competition. McKinley's enforcers James and Jeremy Coates perform a drive-by shooting on Jerome Long and Alante Jones as they deal drugs for Durham. Durham is forced to respond and instructs Long to kill the Coates brothers. McKinley learns that Stokes talked to Strange and tries to intimidate her by sexually assaulting her. Stokes is enraged by his actions and decides to testify.
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