Right as Rain
Pelecanos, master of contemporary noir, introduces a new series hero: Derek Strange, a 50-ish African-American private eye. Strange is hired to investigate possible shady dealings on the Washington, D.C. police force, centering around the shooting death of an African-American cop. It turns out that the dealings are shadier than anyone could have imagined, with racism and corruption being just the tip of the iceberg.

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