(CNN) -- Horror-meister, Stephen King calls George Pelecanos "perhaps the greatest living American crime writer." His stories are set in Pelecanos' hometown of Washington, D.C., but this is not the side of the U.S. capitol that you see portrayed on TV with white marble monuments, lawyers and lobbyists. Pelecanos is more interested in working families struggling to get by, the racial tensions in its ethnic neighborhoods and the low-lifes on the edges. His crime-writing peers call Pelecanos the "undisputed poet" of Washington's gritty side. The best-selling and award-winning author is out this week with his 17th and latest novel, "The Cut." It's the first in a new series featuring Iraq war veteran and private investigator Spero Lucas. When he's not working for a Washington defense attorney, Lucas recovers stolen property for a 40% cut. Now, a high-profile crime boss hires Lucas to find out who's been stealing from him, and it could turn out to be Lucas' biggest payday or an untimely end. While Pelecanos made his bones in the noir tradition, there's a definite "Western" feel to "The Cut." The new novel takes place in a morally gray and often violent world. It's peppered with pitch-perfect dialogue and captures the sights, sounds and taste of Washington in rich detail. In short, Pelecanos reads like the real deal. Pelecanos knows a thing or two about capturing the authenticity of urban America with an ethnically and socially diverse cast. In addition to his success as a novelist, Pelecanos is a producer and writer for HBO's New Orleans-set, "Treme." He was previously a producer and Emmy-nominated writer on the hit series "The Wire" and the miniseries "The Pacific." Read an excerpt from "The Cut" CNN recently spoke to Pelecanos about his new novel. The following is an edited transcript. CNN: Tell me more about your new character, Spero Lucas.

Question: "George Pelecanos' latest novel "The Cut" features which character?"

OPTIONS:
- no
- yes

Answer: "Stephen King"

Response: no

My father was named James Page Jackson because he was born on the old Jackson plantation in Lancaster county, Virginia. He named one of his daughters Lancaster for a middle name in memory of his old home. Clarice Lancaster Jackson was her full name. A man named Galloway bought my father and brought him to Arkansas. Some called him by the name of Galloway, but my father always had all his children keep the name Jackson. There were fourteen of us, but only ten lived to grow up. He belonged to Mr. Galloway at the time of my birth, but even at that, I did not take the name Galloway as it would seem like I should. My father was a good carpenter; he was a fine cook, too; learned that back in Virginia. I'll tell you something interesting. The first cook stove ever brought to this town was one my father had his master to bring. He was cook at the Anthony House. You know about that, don't you? It was the first real fine hotel in Little Rock. When father went there to be head cook, all they had to cook on was big fireplaces and the big old Dutch ovens. Father just kept on telling about the stoves they had in Virginia, and at last they sent and got him one; it had to come by boat and took a long time. My father was proud that he was the one who set the first table ever spread in the Anthony House.

Question: "Whose daughter had the middle name Lancaster?"

OPTIONS:
- no
- yes

Answer: "James Page Jackson's"

Response: yes

As food is pushed along, it undergoes digestion. Digestion is the process of breaking down food into nutrients. There are two types of digestion: mechanical digestion and chemical digestion. Mechanical digestion occurs when large chunks are turned into smaller chucks. Perhaps not surprisingly, this happens when you chew your food. Once you swallow the food, your stomach also does some of this work. Chemical digestion occurs when food is broken down into useful nutrients. This is a chemical process that begins as you start to chew your food. The saliva in your mouth starts this process. Once you swallow, the acid in your stomach further breaks down food. From the stomach, the foods moves into the small intestine. In the small intestines, another set of chemicals goes to work. Are you surprised? Your small intestine, and not your stomach, does most of the work!

Question: "At what point does chemical digestion start?"

OPTIONS:
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- yes

Answer: "When it enters the stomach"

Response: no

Breathing is the process of moving air into and out of the lungs. The process depends on a muscle called the diaphragm. This is a large, sheet-like muscle below the lungs. Inhaling, or breathing in, occurs when the diaphragm muscle tightens. This increases the size of the chest. This too decreases air pressure inside the lungs. This action allows air and gases to enter the lungs. Exhaling, or breathing out, occurs when the diaphragm muscle relaxes. This decreases the size of the chest. This increases air pressure inside the lungs. This action allows for air to leave the lungs. When you inhale, air enters the respiratory system through your nose and ends up in your lungs, where gas exchange with the blood takes place. What happens to the air along the way? In the nose, mucus and hairs trap any dust or other particles in the air. The air is also warmed and moistened. Next, air passes through a passageway that is connected to the windpipe. The air then finds its way to the lungs. In the chest, the windpipe splits so that air enters both the right and left lung.

Question: "What happens to the air pressure inside your lungs when you inhale?"

OPTIONS:
- no
- yes

Answer: "It decreases"

Response:
yes