In the Heat of the Night vs Lightning men: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: African American police, African American, Race Relations, African Americans, Police Procedural, Mystery & Detective

Cover of In the Heat of the Night

In the Heat of the Night John Ball · 1981 ★★★★☆ 3.9 176 pages · ≈ 3 h 16 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

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Cover of Lightning men

Lightning men Thomas Mullen · 2017 ★★★★☆ 4.1 374 pages · ≈ 6 h 56 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 4.1 — either is a safe pick by score.
In the Heat of the Night is the quicker read — about 3 hours vs 6 for Lightning men.

Side by side