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John Ball (1911-1988) was born in Schenectady, New York, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A part-time police officer in Los Angeles for a time, he wrote more than thirty novels including mysteries, war novels, and adventure stories; his Virgil Tibbs series remains his best-known work. Despite considerable pressure from his editor, Ball insisted on making Tibbs a black man, garnering him praise for progressive thinking and a keen understanding of racial prejudice.
Penguin has picked the perfect time to re-issue John Ball's brilliant debut story ... This is a psychologically astute examination of racial prejudice, an atmospheric depiction of the times and a brilliant, suspense-filled read ... If you haven't read it, do so Crime Review Compelling The Times Literary Supplement
