Ep8: Today at Elaine’s Literary Salon you’ll discover the gritty work of Christopher Chambers, author of “Street Whys” — the third novel in his Detective Dickie Cornish series

May 2025: In “Street Whys,” the newest novel by award-winning noir author Christopher Chambers, we again meet Washington, DC’s notorious detective, former street denizen Dickie Cornish, who faces off with bloodthirsty cops and the justice department. 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 Magazineselected 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.” Click here to buy the book.

About the author: Chris Chambers is a Washington, D.C. native, a lecturer at Georgetown University, Chair of the International Conflict Resolution Center and is General Counsel to a not-for-profit benefitting HBCUs: Student Housing of America. He is the author of the Angela Bivens thriller series for Random House, The Rocket Crockett pulp noir series and Black Pulp for Prose-Press, and editor along with Gary Phillips of The Darker Mask graphic short story collection, the Bronze Buckaroo Rides Again: Honoring Harlem’s Herb Jeffries. He was a finalist in 2008 for the PEN/Malamud Short Story Award for “Leviathan.” He’s contributed short stories to The Obama Inheritance: 15 Stores of Conspiracy Noir (Three Rooms Press) and winner of the Anthony Award. The Black Panther: Tales Of Wakanda, The Faking of the President and Midnight Hour, Witnesses for the Dead with Gar Anthony Haywood–all major award-winning collections and bestsellers. His noir hardboiled mystery Scavenger (2020) won a starred review and profile in Publisher’s Weekly; the sequel Standalone sees the return of the indestructible homeless addict turned PI Dickie Cornish, patrolling the unforgiving city streets ravaged by COVID, with the third in the trilogy Streetwhys in 2025. His next Marvel contribution is in Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson.

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Elaine’s Literary Salon

About Elaine’s: Elaine’s modern Mediterranean cuisine is based on exquisite food found in Alexandria, Egypt. The unique style is best described as Middle Eastern with French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine’s is located at 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. The 1880 building, the previous home of Bilbo Baggins for 38 years, has been completely renovated with a new look and feel. The restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town’s Historic District within sight of the Potomac River. Founders Park, The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront are only blocks away. Elaine’s is named after the owner’s grandmother. When the owner was twelve years old in Cairo, Egypt, she promised her grandmother that one day she would own a restaurant and name it after her. The owner is proud to share her family’s recipes with the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.