Midnight Alley — Miles Corwin

LA Times best-selling author

A gritty, atmospheric glimpse into Los Angeles's noir underworld

Ash Levine, the top detective in the LAPD's elite Felony Special squad, is called out to solve the murder of two young black men found shot to death in a Venice alley. The case is a high priority because one of the victims is the son of City Councilman Isaac Pinkney, a frequent critic of the LAPD. Searching for the killer throws Levine into the world of Los Angeles's Russian Mafia, Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, and Middle Eastern archeologists.

Ash's history as a child of a Holocaust survivor gives him a unique perspective on murder, redemption, and justice. His background as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces, and his relentless, single-minded focus on his investigations make him a thoroughly absorbing character. As Ash closes in on the killer, the investigation becomes increasingly complex â€" and personal. Ash soon discovers that he is not just an investigator, but a target.

Corwin introduced Ash Levine in Kind of Blue, a Booklist Top 10 Crime Novel choice in 2011. In Midnight Alley Corwin again uses his hard-earned inside knowledge to provide the reader with a gritty, atmospheric glimpse into Los Angeles's noir underworld.

Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch

While the novels in the Ash Levine Crime Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

Kind of Blue
Midnight Alley