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Aaron Gunner #1
Fear of the Dark
The shooting of two Black men by a white youth transforms pre-election Los Angeles into a powderkeg, and Aaron Gunner finds himself caught up in political intrigue, violence, and murder
185 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1988
36 people are currently reading
563 people want to read
About the author
Gar Anthony Haywood
40 books70 followersaka Ray Shannon.
Gar Anthony Harwood also writes as Ray Shannon. He has won the Shamus and Anthony Award for his mystery fiction. He writes stand-alone novels and short-stories as well as series. He has also written for the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, written scripts for television drama series (e.g. New York Undercover and the District) and Movies of the Week for ABC. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America.
Gar Anthony Harwood also writes as Ray Shannon. He has won the Shamus and Anthony Award for his mystery fiction. He writes stand-alone novels and short-stories as well as series. He has also written for the Los Angeles Times and the New York Times, written scripts for television drama series (e.g. New York Undercover and the District) and Movies of the Week for ABC. He is a member of the Mystery Writers of America.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
December 15, 2018
In an alternate universe, names like Gar Anthony Haywood and Walter Mosley are known in the same company as those of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. For they too write talented PI characters set in California locations that deal with social issues.
Fear of the Dark is Haywood’s freshman effort and it netted him multiple prestigious writing awards for best first novel, including the Anthony and Shamus awards respectively. He should be better known than he is and yet I hadn’t heard of him until I read his contribution to a round table of black mystery writers that was published in the LA Review of Books.
Of course, a lot of this is privilege. I’m a white guy who reads a lot of white authors. I feel like I’ve made a concerted effort to find more black mystery writers but after reading this, it’s clear I haven’t been trying hard enough. Because Haywood is a good writer. His prose is sharp for a first timer, the mystery was layered but not too much so, and the scenes were well described. Also, a note to other writers: you don’t need to make your books longer just for the sake of adding characters and subplots. This clocked in at a cool 188 pages and though I could guess parts of it, I was still fine with how it resolved itself.
This book is also perceptive on racism and how it affects the characters motivations. Haywood sets the story with an American backdrop of roiling black-white tension. This could very well have been set in the time of Ferguson and it somewhat accurately depicted the mood of Los Angeles leading up to the Rodney King riots, which would happen just four years after this book was published. Haywood’s finger is clearly on the pulse.
My only real problem is the physical treatment of women that Haywood’s lead character Aaron Gunner inflicts. Of course, the male-dominant private eye beating up on women is a tradition that long predates Haywood so it’d be hypocritical to go too hard on him considering Chandler, Hammett, Macdonald, et al. have all had issues with this. But it did affect my reading and while beating women is never necessary to any plot, it’s even worse because the scenes don’t make sense to the character’s motivations at all.
With that in mind, this is still a good novel that’s worth your time if you like LA Private Eye tales. I’ll be pursuing the rest of the series.
Fear of the Dark is Haywood’s freshman effort and it netted him multiple prestigious writing awards for best first novel, including the Anthony and Shamus awards respectively. He should be better known than he is and yet I hadn’t heard of him until I read his contribution to a round table of black mystery writers that was published in the LA Review of Books.
Of course, a lot of this is privilege. I’m a white guy who reads a lot of white authors. I feel like I’ve made a concerted effort to find more black mystery writers but after reading this, it’s clear I haven’t been trying hard enough. Because Haywood is a good writer. His prose is sharp for a first timer, the mystery was layered but not too much so, and the scenes were well described. Also, a note to other writers: you don’t need to make your books longer just for the sake of adding characters and subplots. This clocked in at a cool 188 pages and though I could guess parts of it, I was still fine with how it resolved itself.
This book is also perceptive on racism and how it affects the characters motivations. Haywood sets the story with an American backdrop of roiling black-white tension. This could very well have been set in the time of Ferguson and it somewhat accurately depicted the mood of Los Angeles leading up to the Rodney King riots, which would happen just four years after this book was published. Haywood’s finger is clearly on the pulse.
My only real problem is the physical treatment of women that Haywood’s lead character Aaron Gunner inflicts. Of course, the male-dominant private eye beating up on women is a tradition that long predates Haywood so it’d be hypocritical to go too hard on him considering Chandler, Hammett, Macdonald, et al. have all had issues with this. But it did affect my reading and while beating women is never necessary to any plot, it’s even worse because the scenes don’t make sense to the character’s motivations at all.
With that in mind, this is still a good novel that’s worth your time if you like LA Private Eye tales. I’ll be pursuing the rest of the series.
September 24, 2020
Good start to a series, but I didn't like Aaron's interactions with women. I'm going to withhold full judgement until I read the next book.
Where you can find me:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @monicaisreading
Instagram: @readermonica
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
Where you can find me:
•(♥).•*Monlatable Book Reviews*•.(♥)•
Twitter: @monicaisreading
Instagram: @readermonica
Goodreads Group: The Black Bookcase
October 5, 2022
Shades of Easy Rawlins. A black Vietnam veteran in South Los Angeles who has left private investigation work behind him and is working as an electrician with his cousin is lured back into the field by a racist killing in an all black bar. Aaron Gunner is a pretty perceptive man but even he is turned around and twisted/persuaded into abandoning his search for the killer and the men who ordered the hit. Aaron has been framed for murder. He’s all about justice even if it means pulling the trigger. An intriguing character.
I enjoyed the writing and the character but the plot was strange with black militancy, terrorism, homophobia, and white supremacy all competing for the motive.
I enjoyed the writing and the character but the plot was strange with black militancy, terrorism, homophobia, and white supremacy all competing for the motive.
January 4, 2021
I read Gar Anthony Haywood's Cemetery Road and his Joe and Dottie Loudermilk series several years ago. I enjoyed those books very much, so I was glad to kick off 2021 with the first of his Aaron Gunner series. While Fear of the Dark may have been one of Haywood's earliest attempts at crime fiction, it was obvious to me why he won awards for it. This was a fast-paced and very engaging story. Aaron Gunner, a private detective not entirely by his own doing (read the book and you'll understand), has been described by some readers as a not particularly skilled investigator. While that may be true, it was a quality that I found likeable and endearing. I especially enjoyed the smart dialogue and the story's setting, primarily Central and South Los Angeles, but with occasional forays into the West Side and to Hollywood, all places those of us who call ourselves Angelenos know very well. I highly recommend this book and I look forward to reading the rest of this series.
September 27, 2024
This is my reread.
June 27, 2021
I had heard good things about Gar Anthony Haywood but this book was disappointing. I felt like I couldn't follow what was going on. The parts that seemed fundamentally crucial to the story just left me confused.
And there were so many characters that seemed to be the same I couldn't distinguish one from the other.
And there were so many characters that seemed to be the same I couldn't distinguish one from the other.
May 7, 2023
I only read this book because my bookgroup chose it. The book is badly written and uninteresting. "Amenities" is used when the author means pleasantries, for example. The message of the book is pretty simple, that anti-black racism was alive and well in 1987 is relentless. I got that the first twelve times it was described in the book.
May 30, 2022
I decided to read Gar Anthony Haywood's first title in his P.I. series. It's a winner. Aaron Gunner gets involved in a violent race war, and in the end, he decides to become a full-time private eye. If you like hardboiled gumshoe tales, give this one a try.
March 8, 2020
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this African American mysteries class so far:
99% of the time, female characters are only there to be sexy or for sex.
99% of the time, female characters are only there to be sexy or for sex.
March 29, 2021
Fast moving, gritty murder mystery that introduces Aaron Gunner. Aaron is a washed up private eye who gets one more chance to ply his trade.
October 27, 2021
Outdated but a good read if you like Black history
March 9, 2022
It was an enjoyable read. The PI Gunner is a smart guy and tough. I like the ending. Never forget your friends and your calling.
November 15, 2025
3.5/5 Like the grittiness of the story but some aspects weren’t fully fleshed out. The writing was a little rough at parts. I will read more of this series. It seems to improve.
March 15, 2021
Ugh! Fair warning- the main character hits 2 women in the first few pages and gets aroused after hitting the first at which point he exposes himself to her and she kinda likes it.
May 23, 2012
A bit dated, a bit raw
Not the most competent P.I. He's scrapping by like most of them, only he lacks the wise guy gum shoe talk and he's a bit of a fumbler. You might say he's tough but lacks confidence.
It's L.A. in the days of riots, black panthers and get whitey. Aaron can't decide between life as an electrician, crawling under houses, stuffing wires into conduits for a weekly pay check or a life of following somebody's matrimony problem while dealing with small time hoods and an occasional murder or two while getting beaten on a regular basis for little or no compensation.
Well the prose is good, the plot's not bad, but the book winds down to the standard funeral pyre finish. You know, where the author throws all the bodies on one big blazing pyre looking for the big finish. Unfortunately, it becomes another case of too much being too much.
On the other hand, it does shows promise. It's his first book, it's my first read. My guess is this guy grew up to be a pretty decent writer. He certainly showed enough talent for me to invest my time and few bucks in another read.
Not the most competent P.I. He's scrapping by like most of them, only he lacks the wise guy gum shoe talk and he's a bit of a fumbler. You might say he's tough but lacks confidence.
It's L.A. in the days of riots, black panthers and get whitey. Aaron can't decide between life as an electrician, crawling under houses, stuffing wires into conduits for a weekly pay check or a life of following somebody's matrimony problem while dealing with small time hoods and an occasional murder or two while getting beaten on a regular basis for little or no compensation.
Well the prose is good, the plot's not bad, but the book winds down to the standard funeral pyre finish. You know, where the author throws all the bodies on one big blazing pyre looking for the big finish. Unfortunately, it becomes another case of too much being too much.
On the other hand, it does shows promise. It's his first book, it's my first read. My guess is this guy grew up to be a pretty decent writer. He certainly showed enough talent for me to invest my time and few bucks in another read.
April 12, 2014
I usually stay away from detective hero series. The first few are good but then fall prey to Rambo syndrome. You know, where one guy somehow saves the world with his pinky? Aaron Gunner, however, is one cool customer. Not Long for this World is still my all-time favorite, but this one is still a solid step in the right direction. It will make for a quick and pleasant weekend read into a world of racial tensions and backroom deals. I read the series out of order, so if you like this first title, you’ll enjoy the rest.
March 23, 2013
Although this won awards for best first novel, I honestly found of clumsy and overwritten. Trust me, Haywood improved.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews