Ash Dark as Night

In the follow-up to One-Shot Harry, fearless crime photographer and occasional private eye Harry Ingram finds himself in the LAPD’s crosshairs after capturing damning evidence of police brutality. An atmospheric dive into a city on the brink that’s 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 involving two Black motorists. As the Watts riots erupt, crime photographer Harry Ingram snaps photos at the scene, including images of police unleashing batons, dogs, and water hoses on civilians. When he captures a photograph of an unarmed activist being shot by police, he ends up in the hospital—beaten and without his camera. Proof of the unjust killing appears lost until Ingram’s 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 Anita’s mother, who wants his help tracking down her business associate, Moses “Mose” Tolbert, last seen during the riots. Ingram follows the investigation down a rabbit hole of burglary rings, bank robberies, looted cash, and clandestine agendas, all while grappling with his newfound fame, which places him squarely in the sights of the LAPD’s secretive intelligence division.

Ash Dark as Night is a nail-biting ride through mid-century Los Angeles with a crime fiction legend in the driver’s seat.