First published 2018
Ron Stallworth sees a newspaper ad seeking Ku Klux Klan recruits in 1978 Colorado Springs. As the police department's first black detective, he responds using his real name while pretending to be white. What starts as a simple intelligence gathering effort becomes something far more complex when the Klan calls back asking if he wants to join their cause. Stallworth says yes, launching an unprecedented undercover operation. He handles all phone conversations himself while his white partner Chuck appears in person as the fake Ron Stallworth. Over months of investigation, Stallworth disrupts cross burnings, uncovers white supremacists in the military, and even develops a friendship with Grand Wizard David Duke. The detective walks a dangerous line between his true identity and his fabricated persona while the Klan grows bolder across America. This true story reveals how one man's audacious plan exposed a terrorist organization from within.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-american, mystery, crime, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Colorado Springs, America
Period: 1978
208 pages · Paperback · Flatiron Books
Content warnings: racism