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A review by bookladyreads
Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Over the last few years, I've become a Colson Whitehead fan. He is incredibly talented and always gives us something different to read.
Today is the book birthday for Crook Manifesto, the second book in the Ray Carney series. Crook Manifesto, set in the 1970's, is a snapshot in time that reads in such an authentic manner you can reach out and touch it. Time and place play such a major role in this book, even more so than in Harlem Shuffle (the first book in the series) in my opinion, you feel like you've received a history lesson that is both cinematic and gripping. We get many references of The Jackson 5, The Black Panthers, The Black Liberation Army, and all the senses of a 1970's Harlem. It's truly glorious! One of the other things that's done so well in this book is the very detailed look at the neighborhood that has experienced such a major shift that it has disrupted what was once peaceful—stable and is at the brink of toppling over. Through this shift you get to see how people and law enforcement respond in order to survive, maintain power, and regain the sense of community the once had. If you didn't know this book was fiction, it could very easily be read as narrative non-fiction. Ray Carney in such a great character—a complicated character - a family man and furniture salesman who teeters the edge of being an upright businessman and seedy criminal.
If you haven't read Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto, I highly recommend you do. This is crime fiction on another level and you're missing out on something really fantastic if you choose to skip it.
Today is the book birthday for Crook Manifesto, the second book in the Ray Carney series. Crook Manifesto, set in the 1970's, is a snapshot in time that reads in such an authentic manner you can reach out and touch it. Time and place play such a major role in this book, even more so than in Harlem Shuffle (the first book in the series) in my opinion, you feel like you've received a history lesson that is both cinematic and gripping. We get many references of The Jackson 5, The Black Panthers, The Black Liberation Army, and all the senses of a 1970's Harlem. It's truly glorious! One of the other things that's done so well in this book is the very detailed look at the neighborhood that has experienced such a major shift that it has disrupted what was once peaceful—stable and is at the brink of toppling over. Through this shift you get to see how people and law enforcement respond in order to survive, maintain power, and regain the sense of community the once had. If you didn't know this book was fiction, it could very easily be read as narrative non-fiction. Ray Carney in such a great character—a complicated character - a family man and furniture salesman who teeters the edge of being an upright businessman and seedy criminal.
If you haven't read Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto, I highly recommend you do. This is crime fiction on another level and you're missing out on something really fantastic if you choose to skip it.