To Funk and Die in LA

In this hard-boiled mystery, a Brooklyn bodyguard-turned-P.I. investigates a case involving funk, R&B, and his grandfather's murder.Ex-bodyguard D Hunter heads to the City of Angels on a very dark mission when his grandfather, businessman Daniel 'Big Danny' Hunter, is shot dead in a drive-by. Why would someone execute a grocery store owner? D soon finds there was more to Big Danny's life than selling loaves of bread. The old man was deeply involved with Dr. Funk, a legendary musical innovator who has become a mysterious recluse.To Funk and Die in L.A. is set largely in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Crenshaw, Koreatown, and Pico-Union-areas where Black, Asian, and Latino cultures intersect away from the glamour of Hollywood-and echoes of the 1992 riots play a significant role in D's investigation. In the tradition of Raymond Chandler and Walter Mosley, D Hunter rides through the mean streets of Los Angeles seeking truth and not always finding justice.Praise for To Funk and Die in L.A.'A supercharged spin through the dynamic, ever-changing neighborhoods of urban LA. Nelson George's new book is full of music, secrets, heart, and more than a little heartbreak.' -Nina Revoyr, author of A Student of History 'Inventive and well-written . . . I really enjoyed To Funk and Die in LA.' -Don Winslow, New York Times-bestselling author of City on Fire'George explores funk in his fine fourth novel featuring D Hunter, New York bodyguard and, by virtue of his jobs and interests, music historian . . . . As usual, George writes with knowledge and passion about the evolution of Black music.' -Publishers Weekly'Critic and journalist George knows the streets and his work has a gritty feel that will hold readers' attention. Name-dropping of 1970s and 1980s performers such as the Dazz Band, Shalamar, and Chaka Khan adds spice to this well-crafted mystery.' -Library Journal