From the writer of the HBO series Treme and The Wire comes a brand new collection of short stories What really goes on beneath the surface of a city? There's the slum kid whose basketball skills earn him loyal friends and bitter rivals. The police informant grappling with his own sick conscience. A helpless young drug dealer watches as violence seeps into the lives of those who he cares about. And a writer on a TV cop show who finds drama and reality are colliding much too close to home. Corruption, revenge, honour, sacrifice and the fight to survive. Dark, fast-paced and crackling with energy, these stories expose the violence and darkness on the streets of any city. Gritty and hard-hitting, THE MARTINI SHOT is Pelecanos at his very best.