In the follow-up to One-Shot Harry, fearless crime photographer and occasional private eye Harry Ingram finds himself in the LAPDâs crosshairs after capturing damning evidence of police brutality.
An atmospheric dive into a city on the brink thatâs brimming with remarkable historical detail, Ash Dark as Night is perfect for fans of Walter Mosley and James Ellroy.
Los Angeles, August 1965. Anger and pent-up frustrations boil over in the Watts neighborhood after a traffic stop of two Black motorists. As the Watts riots explode, crime photographer Harry Ingram snaps photos at the scene, including images of the police as they unleash batons, dogs, and water hoses on civilians.
When he captures the image of an unarmed activist being shot down by the cops, he winds up in the hospital, beaten, his camera missing. Proof of the unjust killing seems lostâuntil Ingramâs girlfriend, Anita Claire, retrieves the hidden film in a daring rescue. The photo makes front-page news.
A recuperating Ingram is approached by Betty Payton, a comrade of Anitaâs mother, who wants Ingramâs help tracking down her business associate Moses âMoseâ Tolbert, last seen during the riots. Ingram follows the investigation down a rabbit hole of burglary rings, bank robberies, looted cash, and clandestine agendasâall the while grappling with his newfound fame, which puts him in the sightlines of LAPDâs secretive intelligence division.
Ash Dark as Night is a nail-biting ride-along through midcentury Los Angeles with a crime fiction legend in the driverâs seat.