Hell to Pay (novel)
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 First edition cover | |
| Author | George Pelecanos |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Strange and Quinn |
| Genre | Crime novel |
| Publisher | Little Brown |
Publication date | March 2002 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 288 pp |
| ISBN | 0-316-69506-8 (Hardcover first edition) |
| OCLC | 47120402 |
| 813/.54 21 | |
| LC Class | PS3566.E354 H45 2002 |
| Preceded by | Right as Rain |
| Followed by | Soul Circus |
Hell to Pay is a 2002 crime novel by George Pelecanos. It is set in Washington DC and focuses on private investigator Derek Strange and his partner Terry Quinn. It is the second novel to involve the characters and is preceded by Right as Rain (2001) and followed by Soul Circus (2003), and Hard Revolution (2004).
In 2003, Hell to Pay was a finalist for the Anthony Award for Best Mystery, Barry Award for Best Novel, Shamus Award for Best Novel, and Dilys Award.[1]
The novel's central plotline concerns the murder by drug dealers of a no-account deadbeat over an unpaid debt and the incidental killing of the intended victim's nephew, starting with the killers’ efforts to locate the victim and continuing through Strange's investigation of the murders and the killings’ repercussions in the world of the DC drug trade. Secondary plotlines involve efforts by Strange's white associate, Terry Quinn, to locate a young girl who has disappeared into prostitution, as well as Strange's background investigation of a potentially shady young man who is engaged to marry the beautiful daughter of Strange's wealthy friend.[2]
Major themes
The novel addresses broader themes relating to crime and the status of the African-American community in DC, frequently drawing contrasts between elements of hip-hop and gangster culture today that are portrayed as destructive, and the positive, uplifting cultural expressions of the past, such as R&B and soul music of the 1960s and 1970s. Characters also exhibit an acute awareness of gentrification, racism, and economic inequality, and these issues are the subject of comment by both the characters and the narrator, as are the history of Washington, DC and the fortunes of its various sports franchises.
