In the Heat of the Night

Published in 1965, John Ball’s In the Heat of the Night is a crime novel set in Wells, South Carolina. The story focuses on the police department’s numerous struggles to solve a recent murder. Virgil Tibbs, a Black detective from Pasadena, California, lends a helping hand, but his interactions with the locals reveal the deep-seated racism of Wells. Through this murder mystery, the novel addresses issues of systemic racism and offers hope for a better, more compassionate future.

Upon its release, In the Heat of the Night won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel from the Mystery Writers of America. In 1967, it was adapted into an Academy Award-winning film starring Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. In 1988, it became a television series as well.

Note: This study guide quotes and obscures the author’s use of the n-word.

Plot Summary

Sam Wood, a police officer in Wells, South Carolina, discovers a dead body lying in the road while out on a night patrol. The deceased is Enrico Mantoli, an Italian man who was planning a music festival. Sam and Bill Gillespie, the gruff and demanding new chief of police, both lack formal training and are ill prepared to conduct a murder investigation.