Book reviews: In LA and Alaska mysteries, darkness descends in different ways

‘Ash Dark as Night’ by Gary Phillips. Soho Crime, 312 pages, $27.95 

Prolific author Gary Phillips again shows his considerable skills with historical fiction set in the Black community through the lens of Los Angeles freelance photographer and part-time private investigator Harry Ingram.

Phillips’ meticulous research opens a window into events of the mid-1960s, showing the politics, changing culture and attitudes of the day. Racism and the search for justice fuel Phillips’ series, of which “Ash Dark as Night” is the second novel.

Harry often is the only Black journalist at scenes, and this is certainly true in August 1965 during the Watts Riots, the setting for the tense “Ash Dark as Night.”

Harry focuses on the events surrounding him as he clicks off photograph after photograph of the fire and anger swirling around him. He is quite aware that at any moment the angry crowd or the police could turn on him. But he is a journalist, and this is his job. He calls on his military background in Korea to maneuver around the crowd. These freelance jobs have allowed him to spend more time behind his cameras and less time doing process serving.

Harry’s photograph of police shooting unarmed activist Faraday Zinum ends up in many newspapers, some running the gripping photo on the front page. The photograph makes Harry famous but also a police target. Harry begins to look into Faraday’s background, wanting the activist to “not be reduced to a photograph and a slogan.” As he begins his investigation, an acquaintance hires him to find a missing businessman who was well respected in the neighborhood.

Phillips vividly illustrates the frenzied chaos of the 1960s in this complex plot that constantly reevaluates the events journalistically. The first few chapters, set in the thrust of the riots, are so powerful one can almost smell the fires, hear the crashing of glass, feel the fear. Phillips also persuasively weaves in real people and events in “Ash Dark as Night,” as he did in “One-Shot Harry,” the first novel about Harry Ingram. Phillips again offers insight into racism, the Civil Rights Movement and politics of the 1960s.

“Ash as Dark as Night” is a showcase for Phillips’ strong storytelling skills and Harry’s camera work.

Secret village

‘Village in the Dark’ by Iris Yamashita. Berkley, 288 pages, $28

Isolated regions often seem safe, far from the madding crowd, away from the mean streets of urban areas. But these places are ripe for danger and outside influences, as screenwriter Iris Yamashita illustrates in her absorbing “Village in the Dark.”

Yamashita’s 2023 debut “City Under One Roof” was based on a real Alaskan city in which the entire population lived in one high rise. While the remote village Unity may be similar to many hamlets that dot the Alaskan landscape, its purpose is more fictional. Unity is comprised only of women and children seeking refuge from abusive men. This theme allows Yamashita to explore themes of survival, fresh starts, fear and grief.

The grief in “Village in the Dark” comes from the return of Anchorage Police Detective Cara Kennedy, who again must face the loss of her husband and son, who were believed to have died in an accident while on hike. But evidence has been uncovered that points to murder.

Cara takes a leave of absence from the police department to handle her own investigation and her grief. A photograph leads to a gang, all of whom are dead or vanished, and to Mia Upash, who recently left Unity to live in “the Man’s World.” Teaming up with her former police partner, Cara enters a world of secrecy and betrayal. Unity’s location must remain secret to protect the vulnerable residents, but Cara’s investigation compromises the village.

Breathtaking scenery and unusual characters punctuate the thrilling plot that moves briskly. Yamashita’s affinity for the nuances of Alaska opens a fascinating new frontier for readers.