The Blue Flame by George Pelecanos

Final power rotation author: George Pelecanos’ The Blue Flame

First, a word about Pelecanos. He has something like 24 novels/novellas/graphic novels/story books to his credit. All are based in and around Washington, DC. Want more? How’s this: he was one of the original writers and producers of what many critics say is the best crime series on TV . . . EVER: The Wire. Add to that writing/producing credits for streaming series Treme, The Pacific, The Deuce, We Own This City. IMDB notes 68 credits to his work. Nominated twice for Emmy awards (The Wire, Treme). Has quite the nod from none other than Stephan King who calls Pelecanos ‘The greatest living American crime writer.’

And I bet you aren’t reading his books. I’m borderline offended. 

The Blue Flame continues one of Pelecanos’ regular characters, Derek Strange of Strange Investigations, a black PI who owns and runs his own business right there in front of all who inhabit his corner of NE DC. A black business owner who is open dang near 24/7 to help out his neighborhood. Derek is a DC native, grew up in NE DC, was a DC cop until the 14th St. riots after the death of Martin Luther King, after which he quit and opened up a PI agency. He knows his limits. What he can do, what he should do, where he might gently step over the line, and importantly understand the relationship between a PI and DC Metro police. Nearing retirement, but still can get the job done. 

Billy Lake, a local defense lawyer known for his work mostly with drug dealers seeks Derek out. Antone Anthony sits in the DC Metro jail on a murder charge. Lake thinks the young man isn’t a killer (dealer: yes; killer: no). Wants Derek to talk to his friends for background information.

Background info: Nigel Walker, Cynthia Barnes, Ricardo Lennox, Antone, and Kenneth Norton were all childhood friends. Now in their 20s and trying to figure out their place in the DC world. Cynthia had an older brother they all looked up to, but he was cut down by a drunk driver. And her mother had died (or ran off, can’t remember to be truthful). The rest of the boys took in on themselves to look out for Cynthia. Which they did. Cynthia and Nigel had this occasional friends with benefits thing going on. But Nigel never parked outside of her house cuz he was afraid of her father, a retired DC cop. 

One night, Nigel told Cynthia that he was headed over to see Antone about a money beef. Something about cash flow in Antone’s dealing business. Only he never made it. A couple blocks removed from Cynthia’s, Nigel is shot in his car. When the police investigate, they check out the apts of all five friends and find the gun in Antone’s apartment. 

Derek talks to them all. Comes away with some observations, types up his report for Billy Lake, gets paid. Short story? He doesn’t think Antone killed Nigel. 

Maybe three weeks later, someone a few streets over from Antone’s calls in a foul odor from a junkyard. A body had been squeezed into an old freezer and the smell of decay was everywhere. It was Cynthia. 

The problem is that now one set of cops thinks the two crimes are connected and another thinks Cynthia was just wrong-place-wrong-time. A coincidence. Word gets to Derek and he approaches Lake asking for his contract in the Antone case extended so he can dig around a bit further . . . and not piss off the cops. 

Here’s the thing about Pelecanos. He has lived his life in Silver Spring, MD, a DC suburb. Grew up working in small local corner cafes listening to the ebb and flow of DC life. I seem to remember reading he volunteered with DC Metro juvenile counseling kids to get out of the life. The stories he writes are mostly about DC street crime. Nary a mention about the DC intrigue of guv’ment, politics, FBI, CIA, etc. His beat is the streets. Based on his history, he comes by his plots and, importantly, the dialogue of the DC streets honestly. His brilliant portrayal of the landscape, geography, neighborhoods, streets, local details, is, in my opinion, among the best in the crime business. He makes DC come alive. Hey, I grew up in Silver Spring, MD. He and I attended the same high school (albeit maybe 6-8 years apart). As a local, I am continually impressed with his attention to detail about DC and for me, that is an enormous selling point. 

Bottom line: Get off your lazy hindparts, head to your local library, Amazon, or wherever you get your books and get busy reading Pelecanos. Don’t trust me? See the quote from Stephan King above. 

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader copy. Expected publication date is August 4, 2026