Violent Spring (Deluxe Edition)

The mystery that launched Gary Phillips’s career follows Black private investigator Ivan Monk as he investigates the murder of a Korean shop owner in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

This reissued edition features an introduction by Walter Mosley.

In 1992, Los Angeles was burning. Following the Rodney King beating and the unrest that erupted across the city, a groundbreaking ceremony at the infamous intersection of Florence and Normandie uncovers the body of a Korean shop owner. Ivan Monk is hired to find the killer. Many believe the murder was racially motivated, but the case quickly becomes far more complicated.

When another body is discovered, Monk finds himself caught between the FBI, the Rolling Daltons—the largest gang in the city—and a growing web of secrets. As the investigation deepens, he begins to question how many people are connected to the crime and how many more may die before the truth finally comes to light.