Book Review: "The Blue Flame" by George Pelecanos

George Pelecanos is one of my favorite crime writers of all time. He’s definitely an author that should be so much more of a household name because his books are really excellent. I was so excited that he had a new book come out and that it featured a familiar character, PI Derek Strange.

“Everything that used to be complicated and laborious was easy now. But an investigator still needed to know how to talk to people and do the job.”

Derek Strange is still working as a private investigator, still operating out of his office in Washington, DC. And he’s still as dogged as ever when trying to figure out a case. When he’s approached by a drug lawyer, asking him to help clear his client of a murder charge, Derek is ready to search for answers.

What Derek discovers is a series of crimes affecting young men who grew up together, playing football in high school. But now one is dead, one is accused of his murder, and the younger sister of another is the link between the two. He figures out what happened and tells the police, although he keeps some of the details to himself.

Shortly thereafter, another murder occurs, and Derek feels a responsibility to clear it up. Of course, the police have warned him about interfering, and he finds himself treading in some dangerous neighborhoods, but it’s all in a day’s work.

I love the amazing details Pelecanos brings to his books, both in setting and habits of his characters. This is a crime novel but it’s also about greed, family, protecting your own, and second chances. I hope we’ll see Derek back again—I’ve missed him!

Book Review: "Every Tom, Dick & Harry" by Elinor Lipman

What a fun, bighearted book this was! I think I might have had a smile on my face from start to finish.

“I’ve been estate-sale adjacent since I could add and give change, spending weekends at a table, wrapping and bagging purchases.”

Emma moved back to her small hometown of Harrow, Massachusetts, where her parents still live. She helps out with their estate-sale business, and when they decide to retire to Cape Cod, Emma takes over the business (which she renames “Estate of Mind”) and their house.

She hears about a large house being put on the market, so she quickly reaches out to see if the owners would let her handle the estate sale. It turns out that this wasn’t just any house—it was a bed and breakfast as well as a brothel. (The customers used different sets of stairs.) Given all of the furnishings and other tchotchkes in the house, Emma expects quite a windfall, but she doesn’t count on the stress that dealing with the madam, her ex-husband, and their daughter will bring.

There are many other things going on in Harrow. Emma begins a secret romance with Luke, the chief of police, whom she went to high school with. Her boarder, Frank, a retired high school teacher, begins dating Luke’s widowed mother. And then there’s all the craziness related to Frank’s late wife…

Elinor Lipman’s books always have complex and memorable characters, and often are quite humorous. There’s a lot going on here but it’s just such a sweet, fun read. And boy, given all that’s going on in the U.S., it’s exactly what I needed!

The book will publish 2/11/2025.