Streetwhys - by Christopher Chambers (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Washington, DC's notorious detective, former drug-addled street denizen Dickie Cornish, faces off with bloodthirsty cops and the justice department in the latest thrilling release by award-winning noir author Christopher Chambers.

In StreetWhys, underground detective Dickie Cornish faces a vindictive murder rap from his past if he doesn't agree to help prove that the fentanyl ravaging the streets of DC is bankrolled by shadowy donors of a certain former president. Broke and desperate, Cornish soon finds himself on a collision course with shady public defenders and corrupt police officers, forcing him to use his street connections to flip their plan. Or die.

Chambers's Dickie Cornish series has met with widespread critical acclaim. Publishers Weekly dubbed the series debut, Scavenger, "[A] no-holds-barred crime novel...a 21st-century twist on traditional hardboiled noir." The Strand Magazine selected Standalone, the second book in the series, as one of the "Top 25 Mystery Novels of the Year," adding "It's apparent that the modern heir to Chandler, Woolrich, and Cain is Christopher Chambers, enough said." And renowned crime author George Pelecanos raves that the series "really nails Washington, DC in the current environment."

Chambers is an award winning author of mystery, noir, pulp, and graphic novels. He sits on the board of the Bouchercon World Mystery Writers Convention and is a judge for Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Awards. He lives in Washington, DC.

Review Quotes

High Praise for Previous Books in the Dickie Cornish Series

For Scavenger

"Dickie Cornish's world is far from most readers' lived experience, and it is his compelling voice and the dialogue of a vast cast of memorable street characters that helps immerse the intrepid armchair traveler in a world that's mostly invisible but just around the corner and down the alley from DC's halls of power." --Reviewing the Evidence

"Novels written from the perspective of homeless substance users don't come along every day. When they do, it's a good idea to pay attention...Like Hammett with San Francisco or Chandler with Los Angeles, Chambers' mystery is as much about Washington as it is about the amoral monsters who prey on ordinary people and the lone gumshoe who takes them on." --Washington City Paper

"Christopher Chambers brings to life not only an unforgettable character but also the gritty DC streets he inhabits. ... A deeply realistic noir mystery with a social conscience." --Hill Rag Magazine

For Standalone

"In his melding of classic detective fiction with modern day street level scandal Chambers crafts a truly unique and compelling sequel to his best selling book Scavenger and in the process creates a truly unique brand of storytelling." --Jesse Ventura's Die First Then Quit

"For those who like their crime served up raw, gritty and grimy . . . Comparisons to George Pelecanos, S.A. Cosby and Andrew Vachss and TV shows like The Wire abound." --Thrilling Detective

"Chambers makes the smell and harrowing vibe of the mean streets of the nation's capital come alive. Readers searching for a grittier version of Joe Ide's Isaiah Quintabe will find him in Cornish." --Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Critically-acclaimed, award-winning author Christopher Chambers is the creator of the Dickie Cornish detective series, including Scavenger, Standalone, and Streetwhys, as well as the Angela Bivens thriller series, including Sympathy for the Devil and A Prayer for Deliverance. His short fiction has appeared in numerous award-winning anthologies. He's been nominated for a PEN/Malamud and is an accomplished pulp and graphic novel collaborative author. He sits on the Bouchercon World Mystery Writers Convention Board and is a judge for the Mystery Writers of America Edgars Awards. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife and German Shepherd, Max.