The Cut

by George P. Pelecanos

First published 2011

Spero Lucas carved out his specialty after returning from Iraq to Washington, D.C. He works for a defense attorney doing special investigations, but his real talent lies in recovering stolen property without asking questions. Lucas takes forty percent of whatever he retrieves. When a prominent crime boss hires him for his biggest job yet, Lucas thinks he understands the assignment. Someone has been stealing from the boss's operation, and Lucas needs to find out who. He quickly gets a read on the situation and closes in on the thief. But Lucas soon discovers he has entered a world where violence and moral emptiness run deeper than he anticipated. The men he encounters operate by rules that shake him to his core. As the job spirals beyond his control, Lucas faces a brutal question about what matters most. No amount of money may be worth risking the people he loves.

Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, action

Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, moral-ambiguity

Setting: Iraq, Washington D.C.

Period: 21st-century

292 pages · Hardcover · Reagan Arthur Books

Content warnings: violence

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