Harlem Nocturne

In New York in 1939 the World's Fair is in full swing, a Joe Louis title fight is coming up, and there are hot times in Harlem every night. Harlem is home to Daniel Leland, a small-time private detective, retired from the NYPD when he was shot during a gunfight with robbers. When an industrial corporation offers Daniel a temptingly large fee he takes the job and is soon over his head in murder and mayhem - and espionage. With war in Europe looming he tangles with Nazi sympathizers. And on top of all this, everywhere he goes Daniel has to confront racism because he is black while most of those he encounters during his investigation - the good and the bad - are white.

My published work includes some 16 crime novels and 16 non-fiction books, mainly on cinema and popular music. I have written for television and the stage, and my play, ＂The Colors Of Your Life＂, has now been published in book form. Additionally, I write articles and review records for the magazine, ＂Jazz Journal＂, and on my website: www.jazzmostly.com. Recently returning to my first love, crime fiction, I have published four new novels: ＂Dead Man Running＂, ＂Dark Echoes＂, ＂Penitence＂ and now ＂Harlem Nocturne＂. For most of these books I use my real name, Bruce Crowther, although some of my early fiction is under the pseudonym James Grant, one of which, ＂The Rose Medallion＂, was serialized by BBC TV. There is also an early book published under the pseudonym Michael Ansara. For all of my non-fiction books I use my real name and one of these books, ＂Film Noir: Reflections in a Dark Mirror＂, was nominated for an Edgar Award. Well, that’s the personal trumpet-blowing out of the way; so what else is there? It would be nice if I could say I sailed single-handed around the world, or tended bar, or worked as a lumberjack, or mined for silver, or climbed mountains, or . . . well, why go on. I did none of these things. The reality is that before becoming a writer, I led a pretty boring life: as an industrial designer, as manager of a manufacturing company, in financial services. During all these years, I spent much of my time day-dreaming plots for stories that eventually just had to be put down on paper. And that’s where it all began. On reflection, I’m glad I didn’t have any of those exciting careers. If I had, I’d probably never have started writing books, which is, for me, the most exciting thing in the world.