One-Shot Harry

Since Harry Ingram came back from the Korean War, having served in an integrated unit, he has made his living in Los Angeles as a photographer and process server. He spends most of his time in Black neighborhoods and clubs, but stays in touch with White friends as well. When Ben Kinslow, a White buddy from the war, turns up dead following a very questionable accident, Harry gets some interesting pictures and decides to try to find out what really happened. Needless to say, it puts Harry in some difficult, dangerous positions.

Gary Phillips, with this first book in what will become a mystery series, takes readers to Los Angeles in the 1960s and into areas not often written about. He imbues the text with the slang of the time and place. There is an old adage in writing that if minor characters don’t have an impact on the story, they shouldn’t have names. Not only does every minor character have a name, but a backstory as well. This really slows down what should have been a fast-moving story. A round of good editing could solve this. If future books solve the writing problem, they should be good.