The Quality of the Informant
First edition
AuthorGerald Petievich
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreCrime fiction
PublisherArbor House[1]
Publication date
January 1, 1985
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages240
ISBN978-0877956198
Preceded byTo Live and Die in L.A. 

The Quality of the Informant is a 1985 crime novel by Gerald Petievich.[2][3] It is the fourth novel in the author's "Charles Carr" series, about the exploits of a federal agent in Southern California.[4][5] The other novels in the series include Money Men, One-Shot Deal, and To Die in Beverly Hills.

Plot

After a tipoff by an informant, a Treasury agent pursues a wanted counterfeiter.[6]

Critical reception

The novel received strong reviews. Kirkus Reviews called it "strong on seedy backgrounds, credible legwork, and terse violence."[7] The New Yorker wrote that "the pace ... approaches the speed of light, and Mr. Petievich's way with the slimiest of slimy people in the seediest of seedy settings is fully up to standard."[8]

The San Diego Union-Tribune determined that "Petievich reveals some of the fascinating scams generated in underworld circles and does it within the context of a precisely planned, tightly executed plot."[9] The Philadelphia Inquirer stated: "One of the most observant writers in the trade, he can make any criminal setting quicken to life, from a sleazy underworld bar in Ensenada to a corporate board room in Houston."[10]

Influence

The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English co-credited The Quality of the Informant with helping to popularize the phrase hang paper, which describes the passing of counterfeit money.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "The Quality of the Informant (Book)". Library Journal. 110 (1): 104. January 7, 1985 – via EBSCOhost.
  2. ↑ "The Quality of the Informant – Gerald Petievich – Secret Service Agent and Novelist".
  3. ↑ Petievich, Gerald (August 7, 1990). "The Quality of the Informant". Gerald Petievich – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "About The Author – Gerald Petievich – Secret Service Agent and Novelist".
  5. ↑ Callendar, New Gate (May 12, 1985). "Crime". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  6. ↑ Wade, Robert (February 17, 1985). "Spadework". Books. The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. 6.
  7. ↑ "THE QUALITY OF THE INFORMANT by Gerald Petievich | Kirkus Reviews" – via www.kirkusreviews.com.
  8. ↑ "The New Yorker Digital Edition : Apr 01, 1985". archives.newyorker.com.
  9. ↑ Jarvis-Prokop, Kay (February 1, 1985). "If you'd like a rather seamy little tour through Ensenada...". The San Diego Union-Tribune. p. D3.
  10. ↑ Stasio, Marilyn (20 Jan 1985). "MYSTERIES". The Philadelphia Inquirer. p. L6.
  11. ↑ Dalzell, Tom (May 11, 2018). The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English. Routledge. ISBN 9781351765206 – via Google Books.
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