SUMMARY:

The second volume of the Lloyd Hopkins' trilogy — Ellroy's contemporary (re: 1980s) treatment of an L.A.P.D. detective.

In this outing, Hopkins is investigating the disappearance of legendary L.A. cop Jacob Herzog and a "multiple murder committed with a pre-Civil War revolver." The two investigations begin to overlap and lead Hopkins into battle with a deranged psychologist known as "The Night Tripper."

PUBLISHER'S TEASER:

"Because The Night is an American crime suspense novel with its own star: Detective Sergeant Lloyd Hopkins — at the same time cop and living legend.

"Files regarding the disappearance of Jacob Herzog, also a hero cop, and a multiple murder committed with a pre-Civil War revolver are both on Hopkins desk. With his usual tenacity, he pieces the puzzle together and the picture which emerges is a frightening one: the two cases are related, but the motivating force behind them is cloaked in darkness.

"Within that darkness lurks John Havilland. Known as the Night Tripper, he is a psychiatrist who derives pleasure from manipulating the weak and lonely. Power for Dr. John comes from knowing as much as he can about as many as he can, and then using such information for whatever end suits his purposes...even if that end is murder.

"As Hopkins closes in, the doctor uses his patients as a buffer — until the detective breaks through the circle, causing Havilland's madness to rage uncontrolled towards a shattering confrontation."

—© Mysterious Press/Century

POINTS:

The novel was first published in hardback by Mysterious Press (ISBN: 0-89296-071-X) in the U.S. in 1984 and remains Ellroy's most collectible book published in the U.S. The British edition came from Mysterious Press/Century in 1987. Current value runs between $200-250. Page count totals 280. Cover design by Philippa Bramson/jacket photograph by John Shaw. ISBN: 0-7126-1169-X. Black boards with silver lettering.

The novel was collected with the other two Hopkins' novels "Blood on the Moon" and "Suicide Hill" in hardcovers under the title, "L.A. Noir" in the U.S. and the U.K.

Order the hardcover version of L.A. Noir

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Order the book on tape L. A. Noir Part 1 Of 2

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