{"product_id":"perdition-u-s-a-gary-phillips-ivan-monk-2","title":"Perdition, U.S.A. * Gary Phillips * Ivan Monk #2","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen the bodies of several young Black men wash ashore along the foggy coast of a quiet Pacific Northwest town, a tough Los Angeles private eye travels north, stumbling into a dangerous hornets' nest of white supremacists, militia movements, and small-town secrets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Story: Written by prominent crime fiction writer and L.A. native Gary Phillips, this high-octane 1996 sequel expands the boundaries of traditional urban crime fiction. The narrative steps cleanly away from the comfortable, puzzle-box setups of traditional mysteries. Instead, Phillips constructs a substantial, hard-hitting investigation that shifts his signature street-level grit from the pavement of South Central to an isolated logging town in Oregon, exploring how deep-seated hate groups and survivalist militias manipulate local economies and local politics.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe plot follows Ivan Monk, the independent Black private investigator who is still mentally processing the lingering trauma of the Los Angeles riots. His routine takes a sharp turn when he answers a desperate plea for help regarding a string of suspicious drownings in a remote, rain-swept timber town called Perdition. The local authorities are quick to rule the deaths as accidental, a low-effort explanation designed to protect the town's tourist metrics and bury any racial motivations under a thick layer of silence, turning every outsider into an immediate target for suspicion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRather than backing down from the small-town warning signs, Monk digs straight into a dangerous maze of rural extremism. His investigation brings him face-to-face with a heavily armed shadow group hiding deep within the mountain wilderness. He enters a high-stakes arena where crooked local deputies, radical survivalists, and corporate landowners use absolute intimidation to keep him off the trail. Moving smoothly from mist-shrouded piers to remote paramilitary survival camps, this pacy page-turner delivers an excellent countdown of high-tension suspense. Published as a standout second installment by John Brown Books, this atmosphere-drenched mystery highlights Monk's unmatched resilience in a hostile world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: Devotees of traditional, atmospheric private eye fiction, hard-boiled urban noir, and diverse crime thrillers like the works of Walter Mosley, Chester Himes, or Raymond Chandler; readers continuing Ivan Monk's classic investigative series; and book clubs exploring race, extremism, and political suspense in American fiction.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished 1996 by John Brown Books.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFiction \/ Mystery \u0026amp; Thriller \/ Hard-Boiled Noir \/ African American Crime Fiction \/ PI Whodunits \/ Southern California Noir \/ Social Justice Thrillers\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Diane Middleton","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67696360259827,"sku":"202610100007","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0840\/5722\/7507\/files\/1000018123.jpg?v=1791671019","url":"https:\/\/purpleslothmedia.com\/products\/perdition-u-s-a-gary-phillips-ivan-monk-2","provider":"Purple Sloth Media","version":"1.0","type":"link"}