Derek Strange & Terry Quinn: Book 6
Publication Date: August 4, 2026
Private investigator Derek Strange returns in a riveting drama about revenge, greed, and redemption-from bestselling author and Emmy-nominated writer for HBO’s The Wire and Treme, George Pelecanos.
He was curious. It was the cop in him. That flame was still alive.
The neon “Strange Investigations” sign may be flickering in disrepair outside his office, but private investigator Derek Strange is still accepting new cases. When a flashy drug lawyer hires him to prove an alibi for an accused murderer, Strange can’t help getting drawn into the darkness.
In his hunt for answers, he stands his ground against some of Washington, D.C.’s most dangerous criminals, and a police department that doesn’t entirely welcome his interference. As the violence escalates and claims another victim, the raised stakes force Strange to question his own moves. Are his instincts still intact?
The Blue Flame is signature Pelecanos: tough, smart, rich with details of a time and place-and at its core, exposing the good and bad that exist side by side in so-called heroes and villains alike.
It may have been more than a decade since author George Pelecanos delivered an installment featuring private investigator Derek Strange, but the wait is over.
Now in his 70s, the retired cop takes on an intriguing case in The Blue Flame. He’s supposed to help a defense attorney clear his client in a murder investigation.
What makes this story unique is that, unlike a typical police procedural full of high-tech equipment and advanced forensic analysis, Derek relies on the techniques that have underpinned his career—asking questions and critical thinking.
Although the police think they have a tidy case against Antone Anthony, Derek pokes around enough to get results. Curiosity has a way of making him the most dangerous person in the game.
The Blue Flame brings Washington, DC, to life through a private investigator who proves that age is simply a number.
George Pelecanos is the bestselling author of twenty-four novels and story collections set in and around Washington, D.C. He was a writer and producer on HBO’s The Wire, The Pacific, Treme, The Deuce, We Own This City, and the feature film D.C. Noir,. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.
