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.