Nightcrawling A Novel Leila Mottley

"Nightcrawling," Kiara and her brother Marcus navigate the challenges of life in East Oakland's Regal-Hi apartment complex. With their family fractured and both siblings having dropped out of high school, they struggle to make ends meet. While Marcus holds onto dreams of becoming a rap star, Kiara takes on the responsibility of finding work to support them and caring for a neglected neighbor boy.

A chance encounter one night leads Kiara into the dangerous world of nightcrawling, a job she never imagined herself doing but now desperately needs to pay their skyrocketing rent and provide for their young neighbor. However, her involvement in a drunken misunderstanding soon entangles her in a larger scandal within the Oakland Police Department, exposing her as a key witness.

As Kiara delves deeper into this scandal, her world is further shattered, forcing her to confront the harsh realities of her surroundings. With themes of resilience, survival, and the pursuit of justice, "Nightcrawling" offers a gripping portrayal of life on the margins and the lengths one woman will go to protect herself and those she cares about in a system plagued by corruption and injustice.