I just finished Freedomland by Richard Price. First thing I've read by him. I was expecting crime fiction, and it is, to a great respect, a police procedural. But it's very ambitious, and it fulfills its ambitions, too. Great, great stuff. It's closer to late-period Philip Roth than to Ian Rankin.
If you enjoy being depressed, pick up
Lush Life, by Richard Price. Even though it is set in the Lower East Side,
Lush Life, to me, is the
The Wire's lost 6th season.
If you didn't follow
The Wire, this was the season where Clay Davis sold 1,000 liquor licenses in a 10 block radius and
turned a community pool into a indie rock/dodgeball venue--thereby solidifying Baltimore's up-and-coming status.
It's also the season where Carcetti makes a run for president, using the revitalized Western District, as well as its impressive statistic of Most FWDs Per Upscale Hot Dog Restaurant, as proof of his ability to lead.