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27th out of 157 books
—
66 voters
In the Heat of the Night (Virgil Tibbs #1)
It's the 1960s. A hot August night lies heavy over the Carolinas. The corpse -- legs sprawled, stomach down on the concrete pavement, arms above the head -- brings the patrol car to a halt. The local police pick up a black stranger named Virgil Tibbs, only to discover that their most likely suspect is a homicide detective from California -- and the racially tense community...more
Paperback, 192 pages
Published
May 16th 2001
by Carroll & Graf
(first published 1965)
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I saw the 1967 movie starring Sydney Poitier and Rod Steiger some time ago, but the movie is, IIRC, pretty faithful to the novel. I enjoyed reading it. Some of the racial prejudice seen in the small North Carolina city of Wells may seem a little dated, but I can remember it only too well. Virgil Tibbs a homicide cop who hails from Pasadena, CA, reminds me of Easy Rawlins also from CA. The identity of the killer had me fooled, so the mystery part is also solid. A fast read of a short novel, it mi...more
The best stories about race really aren't about race, but of loneliness. Man is without doubt the most successful heard animal on the planet. Just having a super sized brain can't accord for such global dominance. Using the power of that brain to communicate the lessons of failures and record victories does.
In The Heat of the Night is not a book about black and white relations in the South. Rather it is a story about two isolated men, one who happens to be black, the other white. White local pol...more
In The Heat of the Night is not a book about black and white relations in the South. Rather it is a story about two isolated men, one who happens to be black, the other white. White local pol...more
A body is found sprawled on the pavement in the middle of a street on an unbearably hot night.
This book was lots of fun. Written in the 1960s about a small town in Mississippi, racism plays a starring role in a murder mystery. A black homicide detective (Tibbs) from Pasadena passing through town on a train becomes first the prime suspect in the murder and then the only person competent enough to find the real killer. Gillespie is the new chief of police and while he's a big man and full of blus...more
This book was lots of fun. Written in the 1960s about a small town in Mississippi, racism plays a starring role in a murder mystery. A black homicide detective (Tibbs) from Pasadena passing through town on a train becomes first the prime suspect in the murder and then the only person competent enough to find the real killer. Gillespie is the new chief of police and while he's a big man and full of blus...more
In The Heat of the Night is not the kind of book that I would have ever considered picking up for my own casual reading pile. However, when this book was introduced to me as assigned reading for a Grade 9 English novel study I was trilled. This is the first book assigned to me that I have truly enjoyed reading. Maybe it was because the novel didn't take 200 pages for someone to die terribly, or maybe it was the fact that when writing up those cookie cutter study questions, this book actually gav...more
It's hard for me to put myself back in 1965 when this novel was first published. Goodreads doesn't even list the edition I checked out of the library, It was published by Harper & Row, a slim 184-page volume (as mysteries were slim back then), covered in finger prints, its binding loose, its back cracked. Obviously a book that has seen many readers. Obviously a book that broke barriers.
I read it out of curiosity, having just re-watched the movie. I wanted to compare. What I found is that the...more
I read it out of curiosity, having just re-watched the movie. I wanted to compare. What I found is that the...more
This book was quite different from the film starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. For starters, the size of the two men (Virgil Tibbs and Chief Bill Gillespie) is reversed. Steiger was around 5'10" but Gillespie is 6'4" in the book. His size is commented on at several points, and his size allows him to physically dominate and intimidate others in the book. In the film, it is Steiger's screen presence that works the magic. Poitier is 6'3" or so, but Virgil Tibbs is 5'9". In addition, his perso...more
This is a wonderful mystery rated on almost all 100 best mysteries near the top. Written in 1965 in a small town in a southern state it captures the feelings at that time, from separation of restaurants, bathrooms etc. the prejudice of white mates, especially lower socio-economic, is seen at its worst. A black detective, who just happens to be in this town when a murder is committed, quickly moves from accused to the exprt in solving the crime( he is a murder investigator in LA and is helping a...more
After seeing the movie I was expecting much more
First published in 1965.
If you've seen Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger tear into one another in the movie version of this book you may be expecting a few more fireworks than this book delivers. Heck, even if all you know of the story is the TV show with Carrol O'Connor and Howard Rollins than you have already seen more fireworks than this book delivers. And why is that? Because in the book, Virgil Tibbs is a proud man but he often fails to show the...more
First published in 1965.
If you've seen Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger tear into one another in the movie version of this book you may be expecting a few more fireworks than this book delivers. Heck, even if all you know of the story is the TV show with Carrol O'Connor and Howard Rollins than you have already seen more fireworks than this book delivers. And why is that? Because in the book, Virgil Tibbs is a proud man but he often fails to show the...more
#1 in the Virgil Tibbs series. This is a rare case where the book came up short of the movie - which benefitted from the presence of Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. An interesting note - in later books of the series (there are 7 in total), Detective Virgil Tibbs mentions the movie on a few occasions and is once told that he doesn't look like Sidney Poitier.
Virgil Tibbs series - It's the 1960s. A hot August night lies heavy over the Carolinas. The corpse -- legs sprawled, stomach down on the conc...more
Virgil Tibbs series - It's the 1960s. A hot August night lies heavy over the Carolinas. The corpse -- legs sprawled, stomach down on the conc...more
My husband and I watched the TV series.
In the Heat of the Night. Virgil Tibbs is waiting for a train connection, when he is spotted, after a body is found in the middle of the highway. Sam arrests him, and Virgil is locked up in the jail. Virgil is on the short side, and wieghs about 150 lbs. The new sheriff is a tall man in his early thirties. He doesn't have the training or experience needed to handle a serious crime. He doesn't think a nigger can be intelligent. He can't understand how a bla...more
In the Heat of the Night. Virgil Tibbs is waiting for a train connection, when he is spotted, after a body is found in the middle of the highway. Sam arrests him, and Virgil is locked up in the jail. Virgil is on the short side, and wieghs about 150 lbs. The new sheriff is a tall man in his early thirties. He doesn't have the training or experience needed to handle a serious crime. He doesn't think a nigger can be intelligent. He can't understand how a bla...more
Picked this up more or less for free, having never seen the multiple Oscar-winning film from the late '60s. Since then I had a look at some clips from the movie on YouTube and it looks like a total schlockfest. Worse, the slutty teenage girl character isn't nearly as, erm, well built as she is in the novel. If only they'd filmed the novel as it was written. Alas, it still would have been kinda schlocky. The part where the redneck sheriff and his deputy couldn't investigate a ham sandwich I can b...more
I read this novel this year in my English class. Upon finding out what novel we were to be reading, I was rather disappointed. When we first began, I knew right away that this was not my type of novel, but since it was to be read in class in preperation for a test I forced myself to continue. I'm glad now, that I did.
I finished this book happily surprised by the ending. The murderer was the last person I would've expected. Also, this novel gave me a better idea of how people were treated in the...more
I finished this book happily surprised by the ending. The murderer was the last person I would've expected. Also, this novel gave me a better idea of how people were treated in the...more
IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT by John Ball
I loved this book. Not only did I very much enjoy the character of Virgil Tibbs - he really makes this story shine, but the entire suspense of the crime was awesome. It kept my interest and had me intrigued from cover to cover trying to guess the outcome; it did not fail to impress. It's a great "whodunit" and so much more. This book was definitely an enjoyable read, it's short but it packs a punch. I recommend it. :)
"In a little while the daylight would come...more
I loved this book. Not only did I very much enjoy the character of Virgil Tibbs - he really makes this story shine, but the entire suspense of the crime was awesome. It kept my interest and had me intrigued from cover to cover trying to guess the outcome; it did not fail to impress. It's a great "whodunit" and so much more. This book was definitely an enjoyable read, it's short but it packs a punch. I recommend it. :)
"In a little while the daylight would come...more
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This one was a page turner! I started it when I went to bed, thinking I'd read a few pages until I dozed off. Instead, I ended up staying awake until 2am to finish it! It was amazing to me that Mr. Ball was able to actually make me feel warm, despite it being March in the Midwest! In fact, I was able to forget about the fact that it's winter entirely, which is no small feat.
And I finally learned where the quote "They call me Mr. Tibbs," came from!
I hope he wrote more books, because I'm going to...more
And I finally learned where the quote "They call me Mr. Tibbs," came from!
I hope he wrote more books, because I'm going to...more
December 2008
A murder occurs in a small Southern town of Wells, and the first suspect, a black man who just happens to be in the wrong place (the town of Wells) at the wrong time (after the body is found), turns out to be Virgil Tibbs, a homicide investigater from California. It's a small embarrassment for the police that's made only worse when the friends and family of the murder victim request his help to catch the killer. Virgil Tibbs is just the man Wells needs, but definitely not the man po...more
A murder occurs in a small Southern town of Wells, and the first suspect, a black man who just happens to be in the wrong place (the town of Wells) at the wrong time (after the body is found), turns out to be Virgil Tibbs, a homicide investigater from California. It's a small embarrassment for the police that's made only worse when the friends and family of the murder victim request his help to catch the killer. Virgil Tibbs is just the man Wells needs, but definitely not the man po...more
A quite entertaining, though not necessarily very ambitious, murder mystery. It is quite different from the Academy-Award-winning movie; for once, I prefer the movie.
The book is set in Wells, MS, and deals with the death of Maestro Mantolli, an Italian conductor who wants to set up a music festival in Wells. He is survived by his beautiful daughter Duena. Tibbs is from Pasadena rather than Philadelphia, and is not the viewpoint character (that's mostly Sam Wood, who is quite sympathetic, with a...more
The book is set in Wells, MS, and deals with the death of Maestro Mantolli, an Italian conductor who wants to set up a music festival in Wells. He is survived by his beautiful daughter Duena. Tibbs is from Pasadena rather than Philadelphia, and is not the viewpoint character (that's mostly Sam Wood, who is quite sympathetic, with a...more
I'll admit that I have not yet seen the movie based on this book ("They call me MISTER Tibbs!"), but that is a situation I will rectify shortly. This is another quick reading, page turning mystery that deals quite bluntly with the prejudice that existed in the southern US in the mid 1960's. It's a good book, but quite frankly probably makes a better movie, as you feel like you're watching the scenes play out in front of you. Glad I picked this one up.
A better mystery than the movie version, but not as fiery. Sydney Poitier's thundering line, "They call me Mister Tibbs!" is subdued, an offhand remark that comes across as more ironic than forceful. The pacing was slower and the action almost nil, but the plotting and characterization, particularly with regards to Virgil Tibbs and Sam Wood, make it stand above the Oscar-winning film.
A classic, this is my second reading. I think of it as a metaphor for the changing attitudes of this country on race. Two characters over the course of the book come to reflect on their views and begin to change, one more so, just from working with the black Virgil Tibbs. That's all it takes, being around folks enough one starts to realize there is more similarity than difference.
The movie is pretty close to the book. It's still worth reading because the inner thoughts of the local characters add much to the tension of the novel. The other men sharing the investigation with Virgil are constantly trying to square their prejudices with the reality of a smart, dedicated cop who is also african-american.
This novel is a great read with tons of underlying lessons and concepts. Ball does a excellent job not only with characterization, setting, plot, and dialog. It is an easy read with a powerful message about race relations, loneliness, humbleness, and of course ignorance. A must read on a hot sweltering summer night!
I found this on a bookshelf at my grandparents' house, and was pretty much just looking for a good read at the time. I've been looking for as good a mystery since.
This book was more than a mystery for me. It was pushed by character, history and politics. Not a long book, and not a tough read either.
This book was more than a mystery for me. It was pushed by character, history and politics. Not a long book, and not a tough read either.
I liked the sparse but trenchant writing. Well-developed characters with an intimate view of their internal lives. Compelling look at racist realities in the 1960s South. I read this for the Downtowners Book Group meeting today, part of Winter Reading 2013: http://www.kclibrary.org/reading2013.
We all know the story, even if we never read the book, having seen the movie. In fact, it was hard to read the book without seeing the actors. Ball's treatment of the racial tensions is tremendous, of course. That is the reason to read the book. The mystery itself is ok, but not really the point.
I only recently learned about about this book (written in the 1960's), and I am glad that I got to read it. "In the Heat of the Night" is an important book in that it provides a glimpse into race relations in a small southern town in the mid-1960's. The mystery is interesting, but of secondary importance (IMO).
I thought that this book was a great reference to racism in the fifties, before the civil rights movement, when segregation was the norm. I found the book intriguing, and the mystery was well written. But watch out, there's a plot twist at the end! (I wouldn't recommend watching the movie if you've read the book though.)
Some riveting moments, to be sure, but there was potential for much more with this book. It's a really good mystery that seems like it had potential to be a great book, making it no surprise that a movie/TV show evolved from it.
An oldie but goodie. Saw the movie years ago. I think we have come a long way since the 60's and the conflict between whites and blacks.
I saw the movie first and then bought and read the book.
The book--oh so pleasant and insightful a read. Very enjoyable.
The book--oh so pleasant and insightful a read. Very enjoyable.
My best one word description from junior high was "simple". This was assigned reading in Grade 9 English.
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| Alex Cross vs Virgil Tibbs | 1 | 1 | Feb 13, 2013 08:56pm |
John Dudley Ball (July 8, 1911 – October 15, 1988), writing as John Ball, was an American writer best known for mystery novels involving the African-American police detective Virgil Tibbs. He was introduced in the 1965 In the Heat of the Night where he solves a murder in a racist Southern small town. It won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America and was made into...more
More about John Dudley Ball...
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And in thinking over your post-lol again.
Jan 11, 2011 10:34pm
Jan 12, 2011 08:56am