In the Heat of the Night: The Original Virgil Tibbs Novel (Penguin Classics) - Softcover

John Ball

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0143107747 ISBN 13: 9780143107743

Publisher: Penguin Books, 2015

Synopsis

A 50TH-ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF THE CLASSIC CRIME NOVEL FEATURING AFRICAN AMERICAN POLICE DETECTIVE VIRGIL TIBBS

A classic crime novel that examines race relations and the inspiration for the Oscar-winning film starring Sidney Poitier.

A small southern town in the 1960s. A musician found dead on the highway. It's no surprise when white detectives arrest a black man for the murder. What is a surprise is that the black man - Virgil Tibbs - is himself a skilled homicide detective, passing through racially tense Wells, South Carolina, on his way back to Pasadena. Even more surprising, when Tibbs overhears the interrogation of another suspect and steps in to help the investigators, his natural instincts and obvious intelligence inspire Chief Gillespie, Wells's new police chief, to phone California; he needs Tibbs on the case.

While the police force adjusts to its temporary hire, Tibbs delves into the murder, uncovering secrets about the dead man's family that incriminate the very people he's come to work with. But the case isn't the only challenge Tibbs faces; his rigid integrity and urban sophistication are making some of the locals uncomfortable, and it won't be long before Tibbs - trained in karate and aikido - will have to fight not just for justice, but also for his own safety.

The inspiration for the Academy Award-winning film starring Sidney Poitier that made the phrase 'They call me Mr. Tibbs' a mainstay in popular culture, this iconic crime novel is a groundbreaking examination of the complexities of racial tension, an important cultural artefact of the 1960s, and, best of all, a brilliant, suspense-filled read.

About this title

Review:

"A landmark among expressions of racial justice that retains its power today . . . A resonant take on southern justice . . . that has had more lasting impact than works many times its size." --John Ridley, from the Foreword

"[Virgil Tibbs is] a remarkable individual who may well end up in the great detective category." --The New York Times

About the Author:

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 30 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. John Ridley (foreword) is an award-winning screenwriter, film director, and novelist. The creator of the acclaimed television series American Crime, he won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for 12 Years a Slave. He lives in Los Angeles.

About this edition

• Publisher: Penguin Books
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0143107747
• ISBN 13: 9780143107743
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176