Pelecanos, George. The night gardener.

PELECANOS, George. The night gardener. Read by Richard M. Davidson. 9 cds. 11.5 hrs. BBC Audiobooks America. 2006.0-7927-4482-9. $64.95. Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes. A

This dark mystery features Gus Ramone, respected as "good police" by his colleagues and people on the street. The case of a teenaged boy found dead in one of Washington's community gardens is similar to a series of unsolved murders of children a decade before. Now a homicide detective, Ramone was in uniform and taking orders from a legendary detective, T.C. Cook, when the murders happened. In the intervening years, Ramone did a stint in Internal Affairs and had to bust his onetime partner, Dan "Doc" Holiday, for impropriety. The three men reunite over the new case, looking for links to the previous murders. Cook is disabled by a stroke, Holiday is an alcoholic, and each is haunted by the unsolved murders. Pelecanos skillfully details the gritty culture of homicide cops and the toll their job can take on their personal lives. Ramone is a model of balance, a good father and husband. An Italian-American man married to an African-American woman, Ramone is sensitive to the subtlest forms of racism. Although the novel frustrates by leaving some unanswered questions, it satisfies as a portrait of a tough man in tough job in a tough city. Davidson narrates in a low, Bogart-like growl that complements the prose. Nancy Crowder Chaplin, Libn., VCCW, Goochland, VA

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.