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Content snapshot
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Violence
Very heavy
Mass shootings, race war violence, and numerous deaths depicted graphically; among the most violent of Himes's novels
Language
A lot
Profanity throughout; racially charged language of the era
Sexual Content
Barely any
Brief sexual references
Substance Use
Barely any
Some substance use
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Racial anger and political despair; the novel imagines violent revolution as the logical response to systemic racism
What this book is about
Chester Himes's unfinished, posthumously published final novel in his Harlem Detective series. Tomsson Black, a mysterious figure, distributes weapons for a planned Black uprising while Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones are caught between their duty and their community. The novel escalates to apocalyptic violence — mass shootings, race war in the streets of Harlem. Raw, politically radical, and brutally violent.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Mass shooting and race war depicted graphically
Racial violence and political radicalism
Unfinished posthumous work with raw edges
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