Not Wire Worthy

I find it hard to believe that George Pelecanos was a writer for THE WIRE, since his book THE NIGHT GARDENER didn't reflect the same level of quality. There is definitely something reminiscent of The Wire in his book. The book, though, seems built on faulty foundation that makes it impossible for it reach its peak height.
THE NIGHT GARDENER offers an interesting premise, with the return of a serial killer that unites three cops from twenty years before. I was excited for this concept, which is usually the type of story less qualified writers embrace. The result was not nearly as satisfying as I thought it would be. (Spoiler Alert) My disappointment didn't stem from the fact the book jacket details are a red herring, but from the fact that in an attempt to be gritty and real the story is a corny and cringe-worthy.
The corniness is exemplified by the epilogue, which offers language you'd expect from CSI or the THE LOVELY BONES film adaptation. The characters are also phony, even as Pelecanos tries to describe layered characters. What he creates is are souffle characters that appear to have depth, but are easily cracked and lack real definition.
THere are moments that seem grounded in reality. At points I could imagine the world of The Wire. What I was struck with, though, is that the actors in The Wire can sell this world better than Pelecanos can in a book.
The whole thing just felt rushed, with the pacing not allowing for any believable sort of development. Everything just sort of falls into place and does so in a predictable manner. The only surprise isn't satisfying and makes the whole book seem like one of the secondary stories in THe Wire. That's fine, for an after thought, but if I'm going to make this kind of commitment I want a primary story.
Pelecanos takes a big swing with this book, but just fouled the pitch off.I really have no desire to try Pelecanos again. Maybe if I watch The Wire again I'll be motivated to give him a second chance.