Harlem Shuffle

Back in May of this year, I came upon a list of  the 9 Books you Must Read in 2023. Although I was unfamiliar with six of the nine writers, I was determined to read those books - I would not read exclusively from the list however; I'd venture off to other books as the feeling struck me.

So far, I've read seven of the nine books with  Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead coming in at #7. I had already placed the book into the queue for upcoming books when another of Whitehead's novels made the "Commentary Recommends" list on an episode of the Commentary Magazine podcast. In that episode, Whitehead's most recent novel, Crook Manifesto was given a thumbs up. Naturally, I had to bump up Harlem Shuffle and then download his newest work.

The wikipedia article covering the novel describes the novel as "a work of crime fiction and a family saga that takes place in Harlem between 1959 and 1964".

The Wikipedia synopsis:
In 1959, Ray Carney lives in Harlem with his wife Elizabeth, with whom he is expecting a second child. Although descending from a criminal family, Ray makes his living working as an upstanding furniture salesman on 125th Street. However, he occasionally fences stolen goods through his furniture store, including those from his cousin Freddie. Whereas Ray has steered his way toward an honest living, Freddie is descending into Harlem's criminal underworld. Freddie orchestrates a robbery of the Hotel Theresa with his associates and volunteers Ray to fence what is stolen. The heist goes wrong and a cast of criminal figures enter Ray's life, forcing him into a personal struggle between aspects of his fractured self. The novel is divided in three parts and covers three separate capers, set in 1959, 1961 and 1964. It culminates with the Harlem riot of 1964.

Harlem Shuffle most definitely belongs on a list of books to read this year. It is one of the best novels I've read in the past few months - only being surpassed by the works of Patricia Highsmith or Donna Leon.

I'll be going on to Crook Manifesto before going on to the final two books on the "nine books" list.