In 1963 Los Angeles, Harry Ingram is a Korean War veteran working as a news photographer. Shortly after bumping in to an old buddy, Harry learns his friend has been killed in a car crash. Suspecting this was no ordinary accident, Harry begins an investigation in to his friend's death. This investigation will expose Harry to blatant racism, corruption and the politics of the era, including the red scare. This interesting crime/historical fiction had an ending that left me hanging. It makes me wonder if this will be the beginning of a series. There were characters that I would be interested in seeing in future stories. I enjoyed the narration of this audiobook.
I was given an ARC of the audiobook by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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#oneshotharry

This is a good historical crime novel with a lot of authentic period details. In 1963, African American Korean War veteran Harry Ingram is a news photographer and sometime writer in Los Angeles. When an army buddy dies in a car crash, Harry suspects that it wasn’t an accident. With the help of a new girlfriend he begins to investigate. The book links together Martin Luther King Jr., civic corruption, prostitution, communist sympathizers, a series of bank robberies and pervasive racism. There is a good bit of violence and a little sex. Pretty much what you would expect from gritty detective fiction.

I liked Harry and his girlfriend, but this book introduces a lot of interesting characters. The book had an extremely abrupt ending, leaving loose ends and causing a slightly unsatisfied feeling. I assume that this is the start of a new series. Since events and characters were not tidily linked up at the end of this book, maybe that will happen in the next one. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Leon Nixon. He had a lovely deep voice and did an excellent job with the narration.

I received free copies of the ebook and audio book from the publisher.

When it comes to mysteries, I like when an author comes at it from an unusual angle or time period, which is why I jumped at the chance to listen to One-Shot Harry. A mystery based in 1960s L.A. with a black protagonist who's also a news photographer?! Sign me up for that.

The author, Gary Phillips, does an excellent job portraying 1960s L.A. with details and events that actually happened. Actually, maybe he did too good of a job with all the extra details - it often felt like the mystery took a backseat to the setting. The time period details and the mystery weren't balanced to let each shine.

For the mystery itself, the reveal was great, but the lead-up to it was bogged down by a red herring that made no sense for the story. Throughout much of the book I questioned why things were even happening. The reveal, though, was so on-point for the story that I actually let out a long, surprised "Ohhhhhh!" I wish Phillips would have spent more time leaving the reader tidbits for that than the nonsensical red herring.

One area I was relatively pleased was Phillips writing of a photographer. Authors often get this wrong or go too poetic about how a photographer gets a photo (coming from a photographer, it's more about angles and technical aspects than anything poetic). I really enjoyed seeing how Harry Ingram navigated this field of work.

When I first started listening to One-Shot Harry, I thought Leon Nixon had been the perfect choice for the time period. But as it went along, I began to realize that it all felt a little off - not to mention that he hardly ever differentiated between the characters. It became a struggle when multiple people were talking.

Overall, not a bad change of pace for a mystery, but maybe not something I'd immediately suggest to someone.

One Shot Harry by Gary Phillips is an interesting read. It has a lot of good historical information about life in the United States after the Korean War. It also gives good perspective about what it was like to be a black person in the early sixties, when Martin Luther King Jr was at his best, giving speeches and rallying the country. In a world that is still struggling with equality, it was eye opening to see some of the things that people of color have endured. The story itself is about Harry, a photographer for a local paper, and his friend dies. The police say it was an accident, but Harry doesn't think so. As he investigates, he is pulled into different places and confronts different people and prejudices. I did enjoy the book, particularly the historical significance of it. I just didn't realize it was ending. And then the narrator said "the end" and I was so confused. I kept thinking there should be more. Other than that, I liked the book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to listen to the audiobook. All opinions are my own.

This book was well written and laid out and I liked the narrator but for some reason, I couldn't really get into it. I did, not enjoy, but appreciate, I guess is the word, the real-life experiences of the flagrant, disgusting, and pervasive racism of the times. I feel that those truths need to be told by those that have experienced them often, loudly, and honestly, so that those of us that have had the privilege to grow up w/out being a victim of it truly get a sense and feeling of how it harmed those affected.

#OneShotHarry #NetGalley

One-Shot Harry is a compelling mystery that places you deep into the late 50's, early 60's. Harry is a Korean War veteran, a photographer, and a journalist. The mystery in the book kept me interested and I enjoyed spending time with the main character. As I mentioned, the book takes you deep into the time period, particularly as it was experienced by African Americans. The only drawback that I experienced was the constant "name dropping" of the historical era. The author had obviously done extensive research but novel may have been more natural without the constant, specific references to the time period. Despite that, I found the book to be an enjoyable foray into a time, place and experience that I knew little about.

A good story, which I love. I like the One-Shot reference title (no spoiling. The story is set while MLK is alive and seeking no violence. With respect to history, the US had a positive role model, and the author uses smart characters during this period to tell his story. I was all-in. The story provoked every emotion in me.

This is a smart mystery during a historical period not used as the backdrop. Kudos to the author.

I do believe this will be a series. If so, I hope narrator Leon Nixon is not forgotten.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for accepting my request to read and review One-Shot Harry.

#NetGalley
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#OneShotHenry
#RBBooks

Harry Ingram is a solid protagonist. This definitely feels like the start of a series. Gritty story but the mystery aspect could of been more enthralling. Overall some great character work and I will check out book 2 when it releases to see what Harry is up to.

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for sending me an audiobook arc of this title.

One-Shot Harry was a throwback to 1960's LA in the midst of racism, jazz, blackmailers, and love. Harry Ingram was a character that was easy to vibe with as he navigated his world. Gary Phillips does an amazing job world-building and building characters that left you wanting to know more about them and of course what happened to Ben Kingslow. This book reminded me of the Eary Rawlins series by Walter Mosley. If you are looking for a good old-school BIOPIC mystery... this is the book for you!

Los Angeles, 1963: African American Korean War veteran Harry Ingram earns a living as a news photographer and occasional process server: chasing police radio calls and dodging baseball bats. With racial tensions running high on the eve of Martin Luther King's Freedom Rally, Ingram risks ending up one of the victims at every crime scene he photographs. When Ingram hears a call over the police scanner to the scene of a deadly automobile accident, he recognizes the vehicle described as belonging to his good friend and old army buddy, the white jazz trumpeter Ben Kingslow, with whom he'd only just reconnected. The LAPD declares the car crash an accident, but when Ingram develops his photos there are signs of foul play. Ingram feels no choice but to play detective, even if it means putting his own life on the line. Armed with his wits, his camera, and occasionally his Colt .45, Harry Ingram plunges head-first into the seamier underbelly of LA society, tangling with racists, leftists, blackmailers, gangsters, zealots and lovers, all in the hope of finding something resembling justice for a friend.

I am assuming that this is the beginning of a series? The premise is great & as a history nerd there were enough details to transport me back to the time in question. Very slow mid book. I mean, lots and lots of detail and backstory that wasn’t always needed. I would probably continue with the series- especially if some of the minutiae is skipped in the next book. Solid 3 🌟 book- but too many questions left unanswered for it to be a standalone.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook. My participation with NetGalley in no way influenced my review of this book.

This was the first Gary Phillips novel I have read. It definitely won't be the last. I really enjoyed the pieces of history that were woven into the narrative of this book. They provided a great backdrop for the investigation that Harry takes up. The accuracy was appreciated and at times I felt as if the story could be nonfiction. Harry is a Korean War vet who is now working as a photographer and process server. Harry ends up photographing the deadly wreck of an old Army friend. The details of this image are the beginning of the mystery. Harry works to uncover what happened to his friend from years ago. The racial tensions of the time are present in the writing. Harry must be conscious of what being a Black man in LA in the 1960s means and in turn how the police will treat him.

The narrative is well paced and kept my attention. Through the writing we meet interesting people both fictional and real. Having Harry be a photographer and that helping drive the narrative was a clever approach. His work definitely helped keep the story moving. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a crime mystery novel. 4/5.

Thanks to #NetGalley, #SohoPublishing, and #RecordedBooks for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.