About this item
From the New York Times bestselling and internationally acclaimed author comes a Hollywood crime drama set in the 1940s and present day that tackles racism, sexism, and murder. Karissa Glover is a movie producer who moves into a decrepit but functional old mansion in the West Adams Heights area of Los Angeles, where black celebrities of yesteryear - Hattie McDaniel, Louise Beavers, and others - once resided. The former owner was a white actress, Blair Kendrick, who often starred as the "bad girl" - a femme fatale - in films noir of the 1940s. However, Blair's career was cut short when she was tragically killed by the mob after allegedly witnessing the slaying of a corrupt studio head in 1949. As Karissa and her producing partner decide to develop a modern film noir about Blair Kendrick, malevolent forces from the past attempt to stop them - first with intimidation, and then with the thread of murder. Is this because Karissa has learned that Blair was involved in a then-taboo interracial relationship with jazz musician Hank Marley? What really happened on the night that death struck in a dimly lit studio mogul's office? The consequences of Blair and Hank's doomed love affair still resonate in the present day as Karissa attempts to unravel Blair's secrets. Seeping with mystery, intrigue, Hollywood history, and forbidden romance, Blues in the Dark is Raymond Benson at his most insightful and page-turning best.
About the Author
Raymond Benson is the author of nearly forty published titles. These include his newest suspense novel, IN THE HUSH OF THE NIGHT (May 2018) , THE SECRETS ON CHICORY LANE (October 2017) , and the BLACK STILETTO serial (www.theblackstiletto.net) featuring a 1950s costumed female vigilante: THE BLACK STILETTO (2011) ; THE BLACK STILETTO: BLACK & WHITE (2012) ; THE BLACK STILETTO: STARS & STRIPES (2013) ; THE BLACK STILETTO: SECRETS & LIES (2014) ; and the finale, THE BLACK STILETTO: ENDINGS & BEGINNINGS (2014) . He also wrote six original JAMES BOND novels (now collected in the recent anthologies THE UNION TRILOGY and CHOICE OF WEAPONS and available separately as Kindle books) . His backlist of original thrillers are available as Kindle books: EVIL HOURS, FACE BLIND, TORMENT--A LOVE STORY, ARTIFACT OF EVIL, and others. A collection of short stores, 12 1--TWELVE SHORT THRILLERS AND A PLAY, was published in 2015. His classic reference book from 1984, THE JAMES BOND BEDSIDE COMPANION, is now a revised Kindle book. Raymond is also a prolific tie-in writer: he penned three James Bond film novelizations, the first two best-selling TOM CLANCY'S SPLINTER CELL novels (for the latter he used the pseudonym of "David Michaels") , and with John Milius he wrote HOMEFRONT: THE VOICE OF FREEDOM. He also produced novelizations of other popular videogames--METAL GEAR SOLID and METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY, HITMAN (HITMAN: DAMNATION, and DYING LIGHT (DYING LIGHT--NIGHTMARE ROW) . There's a lot more, so if you want the full story visit the author at his website... www.raymondbenson.com!
