Harry is a good photographer and he is in the eye of the storm in 1965 downtown Chicago in the maelstrom of riots. He gets good photographs of police brutality very clear and concise, and then finds himself at odds with the local police force.

When recuperating he is approached to track down Tolbert which in turn takes Harry down the road of bank corruption, wheeling and dealing and robberies. All the while being in the crosshairs of LAPD intelligence.

Very reminiscent of current events and riots in cities across the world, with no sign of abating. Is this a sign of the breakdown of justice, fairplay all around?

The first half of the story is fast paced, the second part less so.

I loved this book. The setting of Watts during the rebellion is vivid and compelling, as is the mis of historical and fictional characters. However, the e-galley is severely defective. Groups of pages are left blank, tomthe extent that I eventually gave up.
Fortunately, this is the first time such a thing has happened on NetGalley!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

Ash Dark as Night by Gary Phillips is a riveting addition to the canon of Los Angeles noir, a genre that has been graced by the likes of Walter Mosley and James Ellroy. Set against the backdrop of the 1965 Watts riots, this novel not only tells a story but evokes a world teeming with tension, injustice, and the struggle for civil rights.

The protagonist, Harry Ingram, is a freelance news photographer who finds himself in the crosshairs of the LAPD after capturing a photo that becomes emblematic of police brutality. This image sets off a chain of events that sees Harry navigating a labyrinth of criminal malfeasance, where the lines between right and wrong are blurred by necessity and survival.

Phillips' writing is atmospheric, immersing the reader in the smoggy, charged streets of mid-century Los Angeles. His characters are complex and multifaceted, from Harry's lover Anita Claire, a field deputy who moonlights as a modern-day Robin Hood, to the various figures of the LAPD, whose corruption Harry inadvertently uncovers.

The narrative is a nail-biting ride-along that doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of its time. It's a story of contrasts, where acts of heroism and altruism exist alongside systemic oppression and violence. Phillips does an excellent job of folding real historical figures and events into the narrative, adding a layer of authenticity to the tale.

In essence, Ash Dark as Night is a historical snapshot and a social commentary, wrapped in the guise of a detective novel. It's a book that not only entertains but also prompts reflection on the ongoing issues of racial inequality and police brutality. With its rich historical detail and compelling storytelling, Gary Phillips' latest work is a must-read for fans of the genre and newcomers alike.

The comparisons to Ellroy are pretty superficial. This book is set in a similar place and era, but the writing style is a lot more straight forward. Ultimately this is a solid crime procedural novel that evokes LA in the 1960s - not a type of story that I'm personally that invested in anymore. The whole vibe feels exhausted to me - your mileage may vary.

Still, this book is well crafted and if you're a fan of Easy Rawlins in particular, I could see this being a good fit.

Garry Phillips to my delight returned with Harry Ingram, Anita Claire duo in Ash Dark Night. A gritty crime novel featuring Harry Ingram photographer and pretty darn good PI. Harry finds himself in the middle of a LA riot and he snaps a photo of a young man shot and killed. The police try to cover this up, of course, and Harry's photo is published showing the man clearly had to weapon.

Phillips has created two very good crime novels. Harry's a great character, but Anita Claire has a lot to be explored. Highly Recommended .

Gary Phillips' forthcoming novel, Ash Dark as Night (Scheduled for publication: April 2, 2024; ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C9ZDTB3R; Publisher ‏ : ‎ Soho Crime) is a follow-up to his earlier One-Shot Harry novel, which also features as the hero/amateur detective photographer Harry Ingram. That earlier novel was also set in South-Central Los Angeles, but in 1963, exploring racial tensions between the community and Captain Parker's LAPD.

Ash Dark as Night picks up Ingram's story in 1965 as the Watts Riots began and Ingram is right in the middle of the action. As looting and arson take over neighborhoods in South Central, Ingram is out with his camera, photographing what is going on, including a car pulled over and an altercation between the police and a community organizer, resulting in a death. Ingram captures the moment, showing that the man shot appeared to be unarmed and his photograph made the papers, resulting in a brief moment of fame for Ingram. Phillips' prose captures the mood of the moment, including both the lawlessness and the anger in South Central. You also get the sense that this moment in 1965 was different in tone and feel from the later Los Angeles riots in 1991 and 2020 and was more tied to the Civil Rights movement.

The story continues in the days following the outbreak of violence on the streets as Ingram is accosted by the police, his camera taken, his body beaten, and the story turns to his search for an acquaintance of his girlfriend's family who has been missing. Amidst the search for this person, Ingram navigates across the city as his home is bugged by Parker's Intelligence Division and Reverend King comes to the city to bring some peace and channel the energies in a positive way.

This novel is at its best in the first half, detailing the mood and activity as the city descends into chaos. The later half is a little less compact and takes a decided shift to a smaller story about the search for the missing friend. The characters are extremely well-developed, particularly Ingram and Anita Claire, who retrieves his missing film in the midst of looting and under the eyes of the police.

This reviewer received an advance reader's copy for purposes of review.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Ash Dark as Night. Set in another time but not so different than today. Racial tensions set in 1965 begin this novel and a man who sees something and captures it on film is the center of a mystery. Part 2 of the series.
Well written and a real gumshoe novel. 3 stars