| Right as Rain | |
| Author: | George Pelecanos |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Series: | Strange and Quinn |
| Genre: | Crime novel |
| Publisher: | Little Brown |
| Pub Date: | February 2001 |
| Media Type: | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages: | 336 pp |
| Isbn: | 0316695262 |
| Isbn Note: | (Hardcover first edition) |
| Dewey: | 813/.54 21 |
| Congress: | PS3566.E354 R54 2001 |
| Oclc: | 44128318 |
| Followed By: | Hell to Pay |
Right as Rain is a 2001 crime novel by George Pelecanos. It is set in Washington DC and focuses on private investigator Derek Strange and his new partner Terry Quinn. It is the first novel to involve the characters and is followed by Hell to Pay (2002), Soul Circus (2003) and Hard Revolution (2004).
The novel follows private investigator Derek Strange as he works on several cases in Washington DC. Strange's main case is to investigate the death of Chris Wilson. Strange focuses on ex-cop Terry Quinn who shot Wilson. Both were police officers and the shooting led to Quinn's discharge from the police department. The shooting was high profile and characterised as racially motivated; Quinn is caucasian while Wilson was African American. Quinn becomes involved in the investigation himself as he is desperate to clear his conscience.[1]
The internal police investigation of Quinn's shooting of Wilson determined that Quinn was blameless, that the shooting was "right as rain."
Derek Strange is an ex-cop and current private investigator. Strange has a successful business and is a lifelong resident of Washington DC.
Terry Quinn is an ex police officer discharged after the fatal shooting of Chris Wilson, the victim in the case which brings Strange and Quinn together.
Race is a major theme of the novel.[2]