Because the Night (novel)

This article is about the novel. For the song, see Because the Night.

Because the Night

Author	James Ellroy
Language	English
Series	Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy
Genre	Novel, crime fiction
Publisher	The Mysterious Press
Publication date	October 1986
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback), audio cassette and audio CD
Pages	280 pp (first edition, hardcover)
ISBN	978-0-89296-071-2 (first edition, hardcover)
OCLC	11696202
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 20
LC Class	PS3555.L6274 B4 1984
Preceded by	Blood on the Moon (1984)
Followed by	Suicide Hill (1985)

Because the Night is a crime fiction novel written by James Ellroy.

Released in 1984, it is the second installment of a trilogy that is either titled "Lloyd Hopkins Trilogy" after its main character, or "L.A Noir", after the hardcover omnibus that was released in 1998 containing all three books in the trilogy. Like Blood on the Moon (first book) and Suicide Hill (third and final book), it follows Lloyd Hopkins an LAPD robbery-homicide detective in the 1980s.

Plot summary

Because the Night features Hopkins investigating a triple murder at a liquor store. Nothing was stolen, leading Hopkins to suspect that the crime was a thrill killing. His investigation crosses paths with psychiatrist John Havilland, who uses drugs and professional expertise to manipulate a small group of followers into crime and debauchery.