One-Shot Harry by Gary Phillips

Hardboiled but with hope, Black Korean War veteran–turned-photojournalist Harry Ingram gets the job done in this tangibly immersive historical noir. Jazz rhythms set the pace as the diverse communities of 1960s Los Angeles come to vibrant life, tensions rising ahead of a visit from Martin Luther King Jr, and Harry searches for the truth, maybe even justice, following the death of an old friend. An eminently satisfying start to a new, wholly original historical mystery series.  —Jocelyn