All Shot Up

I can't believe this weird, wonderful thriller is out of print; it's a scandal. This is my favourite of Himes' Harlem Cycle of thrillers. It's a fast-paced, surreal read, and thoroughly entertaining. It's also fascinating because it's set in part in and around the gay scene in Harlem of the 1940s/50s. Himes represents the gay characters with the same misanthropic zeal that he does all the other people in the novel, but is not homophobic - even having one gay character courageously outing himself to alibi his lover. Coffin Ed and Gravedigger were, Himes comments, 'not personal moralists.' Other than that, hardboiled fun laced with trenchant comments on the state of American race relations of the period.

This book captures the pulse of Harlem. I was captivated by thee tough as nails detectives and the twists this book takes in its 170 odd pages. The ending is fabulous and unexpected. I would also highly recommend reading "The Conjure Man dies" by Rudolph Fisher, another excellent murder mystery based in Harlem.

Lots of action, lots of laughs and the 2 toughest detectives since Spencer & Hawk. If you like Harlem, if you like detective novels, if you like action, this is the book for you. A very quick read. Fans of Walter Mosely should read this book. I wonder if good ol' Bill Clinton is up on Mr. Himes. My only thought is why were there only 2 movies made from Mr. Himes books. And why did I just discover him after I saw one of the movies (A Rage In Harlem)