Petrie’s Ash stories are always a great read, looking forward to the next one. ( )

June Cassidy sees how restless Peter Ash of Tear It Down has become and sends him of to Memphis to help her friend Wanda Wyatt who is being harassed. When Ash arrives in Memphis, he finds a dump truck driven into Wyatt's house severely damaging the antebellum home. He also meets Wanda who is a photojournalist and conflict photographer suffering from PTSD. Ash takes it upon himself to repair the house and to find and deal with the harassers. Before he can begin to work, his pickup truck with his tools is jacked by young Ellison Bell an orphan in a great deal of trouble.
What develops are two unrelated stories one involving "a blue-faced devil" who wants the Wyatt house and will go to violent extremes to get it, and the other, as Ash's friend Lewis points out " 'After four hundred years of slavery, plus a hundred-fifty years of Jim Crow and lynchings and red-lining and endless fucking discrimination of all kinds, you come to darktown Memphis to do some good and you're feeling guilty.'
'Yes,' said Peter."
nota bene: Petrie showcases a local beer in each of the Peter Ash novels. This one is Beale Street's "Ghost River Gold."

I have definitely been enjoying the Peter Ash novels, and while this is a good one -- with a nice mix of characters -- it gets a bit too unrealistic and violent in dealing with race issues in Memphis/South. Hoping the emotion of part of the subject matter is what drove this novel to be a little too far off the mark. ( )

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
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Outside, the air was thick and threatening rain. Spring in Tennessee. Peter strode across the wide concrete apron toward the road.

Go to Memphis, June had said. Eat some barbecue, listen to music, have some fun.

So far there had been no barbecue and no music.

Was it wrong that he might be having fun?

WHAT'S TEAR IT DOWN ABOUT?
Peter's been recuperating and rehabbing from his injuries from Light It Up at June's—he's about as recovered as he can be and is spending his time doing some upkeep and repairs on some of the buildings. But being in one place for so long is getting to him. He doesn't see it, but June does.

June has a friend, Nadine, in Memphis. She's a photographer who's done a few tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, embedded with various groups. She's back home in Memphis and has recently purchased a house at auction. Since then, she's been harassed and could use some help. So June sends Peter off to lend a hand.

The morning before he arrives at Nadine's, someone had driven a dump truck through the front of her house and then ran off. The truck is still there, which is what's keeping some of the walls from falling. Clearly, he's got his work cut out for him.

The work gets complicated the next day when Peter's carjacked. No, really. A teenager with a pistol sticks Peter up, stealing his truck (with all his tools, food, and weapons) in the back. Peter likely could've stopped him, but chooses to let the kid get away with it for some pretty good reasons.

So now, he has to try to stop further attacks on Nadine, help her rebuild the house that she's determined not to leave, and get his truck back. Oh, and immediately following the carjacking, Peter offended the drug lord who runs most of the crime in that part of Memphis—but you'll want to read all that for yourself.

A MAN CALLED LEWIS
Lewis decides that Peter needs help (with a little input from June) and shows up just when things are getting hairy.

If I've noticed it before, I don't remember—but Lewis here is essentially Robert B. Parker's Hawk. There's one conversation between Lewis and Peter that could've been lifted straight from a Hawk and Spenser conversation by Parker/Atkins, too.

It works, too, don't get me wrong. I am kicking myself a little for not having seen it before, but I don't think it was as strong—maybe that's because of the themes/circumstances in this book that it stands out so much.

SO, WHAT DID I THINK ABOUT TEAR IT DOWN?
There's a significant racial component to the events and circumstances of this book. This added a little depth to the novel, it's about more than people trying to get money and power, as is usual for these books. Sure, there's money and power at the root of a lot of what's going on here—but there's a degree of hate that wasn't around either.

There are also two characters who are just trying to survive in a world that seems hostile—and increasingly so—to them. They just need a break, a chance to do something, but it's taken from them at every turn. The question for them is what they do in these circumstances—and what the results of their choices will be for those around them.

There is a significant toll on those who just happen to be near Peter and Lewis when things get ugly between them and those who are harassing Nadine. Peter notices this and it bothers him—it's one thing in war for there to be collateral damage, but there was no reason for anyone injured (or worse) here to be in danger. It will be interesting to see if this experience has an impact on how he deals with things in the future.

This one had it all—great action, a compelling story, some good social commentary, and some time with characters I'm really growing attached to. Nick Petrie and Peter Ash continue to be a winning combination. ( )

This was a decent read. There were parts I liked as well as parts I felt were filler. 3 stars

Peter Ash is a likable guy, a former Marine with PTSD. He experiences white static, he's restless and as he said need for motion and go kinetic and he sure as hell did. He seems to do better when his Marine buddy, Lewis, joined in on the action. "Rise and shine, Jarhead. The motherfucking cavalry has arrived." The book really picked up from that point forward.

Another notable character; Wanda, she once was a war photographer covering Syria, also with PTSD, she relies on vodka and lots of prescription pills. Their story tied in nicely and the dialogs were natural between them.

I've never been to Memphis nor Iraq. The way the story and violence portrayed here makes you think they're similar.... without the sand.

(PTSD, drugs, gang wars, race) ( )