Listen to a sample
The Blue Flame
- Author
- George Pelecanos
- Narrator
- Dion Graham
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Publish Date
- 4 August 2026
- Run Time
- 5 hours 12 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
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.
Critics Review
-
PRAISE FOR GEORGE PELECANOS
“A modern storytelling master.”—NPR.org -
“Like his hero Elmore Leonard, Pelecanos finds the humanity in the lowest of lowlifes…Pelecanos’s peppery dialogue energizes every page.”—Lloyd Sachs, Chicago Tribune
-
“If I were in jail, George Pelecanos would be on my reading list, right up there with James Lee Burke and Elmore Leonard…Pelecanos’s characters are so human and so doomed. This is an author who writes with the steady hand of a man who knows he’s driving a cool set of wheels and respects his own mechanical skills.”—Marilyn Stasio, New York Times Book Review
-
“Every time I read one of George Pelecanos’s novels, I’m left a little awed…The guy’s a national treasure.”—Dennis Lehane
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
“Using his customary knowing dialogue and stripped-down, soulful prose, Pelecanos skillfully, sensitively works the urban frontier where the problems and stresses of everyday life cross the line into the sort of criminal behavior that could tempt anyone—anyone at all.”—Kirkus Reviews
-
“Here we see what makes Pelecanos’s best writing so resonant: the sense of longing, of miscommunication, the way love does not enlarge us but rather makes us small.”—David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times
-
“The writing is taut, the violence is graphic, and the characters are so well-drawn that they step off the page and into your life…As good as it gets.”—Bruce DeSilva, Associated Press
-
“Crackles with energy.”—Dan DeLuca, Philadelphia Inquirer
-
“The characters—good-hearted, ill-intentioned, or in between—are shown by Mr. Pelecanos with loving clarity, free of cliché, condescension, or illusion…Delivers the thrills of an action movie and the poignancy of fine storytelling.”—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- George Pelecanos
- Narrator
- Dion Graham
- Duration
- 5 hours 12 minutes
- Release Date
- 4 August 2026
- ISBN
- 9781668655580
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Hachette Audio
- Genre
- Thriller / suspense fiction, Crime and mystery fiction, Crime and mystery: hard-boiled crime, noir fiction, Crime and mystery: private investigator / amateur detectives
Synopsis
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.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.