Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead delivers a masterful narrative set against the backdrop of a New York City grappling with its own identity amidst social upheaval, rampant crime, and a looming fiscal crisis. Through the eyes of Ray Carney, a furniture store owner with a past intertwined with the city's underworld, Whitehead paints the picture of 1970s Harlem—a world where survival demands cunning, resilience, and, at times, a return to the shadows one hoped to escape. Carney's journey, marked by his attempts to secure a mundane life for his family while being pulled back into the depths of criminal enterprise, is rendered with such authenticity and detail that the reader can't help but be transported to the gritty streets of New York. Whitehead's prose, stunning and evocative, captures the essence of an era and its people, from the strife between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army to the eccentric and dangerous characters populating Hollywood's fringe as it intersects with Harlem's underworld.

What sets Crook Manifesto apart is Whitehead's unparalleled ability to weave these elements into a compelling narrative about family, ambition, and the quest for a better life amidst chaos. The novel is more than a crime story; it's a deep dive into the soul of Harlem, exploring the complexities of community, loyalty, and the lengths to which people will go to protect what they love. The characters, especially Carney and his volatile partner Pepper, are crafted with depth and a sense of humanity that makes their struggles and moral dilemmas resonate with the reader. Whitehead’s narrative is a triumph of storytelling, bringing to life a period of history with such clarity and imagination that one can't help but feel a part of it. For those seeking a book that combines brilliant writing with a story that captures the heart of a tumultuous time, Crook Manifesto is an unequivocal recommendation. It’s a testament to Whitehead’s genius, proving once again that he can indeed do no wrong.

Can Colson Whitehead spin a tale that you can turn away from? I think not. I was happy to delve back into Ray Carney's Harlem, check in with Pepper and various other characters from Harlem Shuffle and buckle in. I found the subject matter of Crook Manifesto an appropriate bridge between some of Whitehead's heavier hitting work and the pure criminal joy of the heist in Harlem Shuffle.

Crook Manifesto is another beautifully written novel which evokes the breath of Harlem. A good sequel that definitely makes me want to read the final book in the trilogy.

Like Harlem Shuffle, the sense of setting is the strongest thing here. Whitehead brings '70s New York to life, and he has a lot of interesting insights into the culture of the time. Overall though, there's something a bit underwhelming about it. Plenty of fun and interesting moments, but a little disappointing as a whole.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead.
Crook Manifesto is book two of a trilogy. This book didn't work for me as well as Harlem Shuffle. I found there to be too many characters and too much prose to get into the meat of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback.

In many ways, Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto feel like drastic departures for anyone who knows Colson Whitehead for his Pulitzer Prize-winning novels The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys. On the surface, you couldn't get further away from those historical fiction explorations of racism and violence--but underneath the glossy crime drama you will find in Harlem Shuffle and Crook Manifesto you will find sharp social commentary and stakes that will feel more familiar to you.

I didn't get to review this for print, but it's a brilliant book, as typical for Whitehead. I would read any5hing Whitehead writes, and probably recommend it sight unseen.

Did I foresee that I'd get to read another Ray Carney book? Nope. (Mostly because it took me until the second book to realize this is a part of a trilogy) Am I now ready for the eventual third book in this trilogy? YES.
Colson Whitehead, I'll read anything and everything you write.

Ray Carney is back to his old shenanigans in 1970s Harlem. Whether they are trying to get Jackson 5 tickets, working security detail on a Blaxploitation movie shoot, or playing detective on various arsons in town, Ray and his partners always seem to find their way into seedy deals. And it never gets old reading all about it. 

You really don't need to have read Harlem Shuffle, Whitehead's first Ray Carney book from last year, but you sure do have some Easter eggs and little memories that come up as you read. I'm one of those people that forget details in books pretty quickly and even though it had been a year since I read Harlem Shuffle, I picked up on a lot of the references. So don't feel like you have to re-read HS before this one either.

I wasn't around in the 1970s or in Harlem so I can't completely speak to the accuracy, but Whitehead paints the most perfect picture of that place and time period. Things feel tense and hard but then Whitehead hits us with a funny observation that sets the tone. And his CHARACTERS. They're all unforgettable. 

This book consists of 3 separate incidents in different years in the 70s and I liked the jumps in time. Even though each part is mostly standalone, it all still feels connected, so it didn't feel awkward moving onto the next story.

So let's just say I'm ready for the third installment now!

What can I say about Colson Whitehead that you don't already know. He's brilliant, the characters are perfectly imperfect and I can't wait for the next book in this series!

After finding Harlem Shuffle to be just okay, I really enjoyed Crook Manifesto - ironically because reading Harlem Shuffle gave me some familiarity with how this book would be laid out, and the attention to detail needed. As expected from a Colson Whitehead book, the writing is exquisite. Who knew violence could be so smooth and poetic.

Whitehead is exceptional at setting readers into a time and place and community. An excellent entry into this series.

Revisiting the territory of Harlem Shuffle, Whitehead brings back the world of furniture salesman and sometimes fence man Ray Carney. However, rather than have Carney as the central focus, Whitehead follows in the footsteps of some of Carney’s friends and associates, spending significant time not only fleshing out these characters and their backgrounds, but also re-creating the world of 1970s New York City. I initially read this book thinking it would be a sequel to Harlem Shuffle and was a little disappointed when the focus was completely on Carney. However, that soon changed as the stories started to delve into the backgrounds and experiences of the other characters and other events of 1970s NYC. It ended up being a thoroughly engaging read, at times humorous and highly entertaining, but also featuring the kind of realism and crime writing not always associated with “literature”. If anything, Whitehead helps to elevate the genre and yet make high art more relatable to the experiences of those often working underground, whether they are fence men, boudoir photographers, pyromaniacs, fixer-tough-guys, exploitation film actresses, radical activists. There are 3 stories taking place at various times in the 70s, and Carney is like the center of these stories, serving as the liaison or central hub connecting the various characters. I really enjoyed revisiting the world of Ray Carney and spending more time around his colleagues and associates. Whitehead makes these stories fun and also relevant to today’s society, while offering us a descriptive view of 1970s New York

anyone reading this book can tell why colson whitehead's prose and ability at handling plots and characters got him two pulitzers. crook manifesto evades the second book curse (not as fresh as the first book but not that exciting as the third) with razor sharp dialogue and whitehead's signature brilliant lines. i would quite literally read whitehead's grocery lists, so there's that. that being said, harlem shuffle and crook manifesto are not my favorite books of his.

I have never read this author's work before and have always wanted to. I truly enjoyed this book-it was fun, the characters were great, and the plot moved quickly. I didn't realize it was the second book in a series, and now I have to go back and read the first one.

fun summer read set in new york which i loved!!! This is a sequel and I have enjoyed book one and book two so far. You can tell the author thoroughly does his research and creates amazing stories for us to devour. I could hardly put this down.

Crook Manifesto turns out to be less compelling than Harlem Shuffle because the details are too similar, which decreases the reader’s fascination with the unfamiliar milieu. And the plot, too, is less interesting. Still, it’s a well-written, interesting book.

“It was a glorious June morning. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the ambulances were screaming, and the daylight falling on last night’s crime scenes made the blood twinkle like dew in a green heaven.”

As a Whitehead fan, I will dive into anything he writes. I did so without even reading the summary… which is why I always read the summary. I didn’t know this was a Harlem Shuffle sequel. I wouldn’t have picked up a continuation so quickly. Slightly disappointed to be reading more of the same, I was a bit more critical than I should have been while reading.

The storytelling style that Whitehead has chosen for these works is what gets me. The way he depicts the time, location, and social environment of Harlem is exquisite, as if the real main character is the city itself. However, this does mean that the characters and plot take a backseat. The main storyline gets diluted by setting descriptions and then again by flashbacks that are longer than the primary goal. If this work were boiled down, it might be a solid short story rather than a novel.

There is a lot to like about this novel as well. The motif of characters constantly searching is wonderfully done, whether it’s for Jackson 5 tickets, a missing actress, or what freedom means in 1970s America. There are readers who love character- and setting-based stories. Those readers will enjoy this novel much more than I, who looks for plot first.

Rating: Liked it

So, overall, I liked this. I didn't realize going in that it's 3 interconnected stories so that was a bit jarring. I would say I liked the second one, featuring Pepper, the most. It did take me almost 3 weeks to get through which is more 3x longer than it normally takes me to read a book of this length. I would blame having moved in the middle, and not having time to read, but that wasn't always the case. I just struggled a lot with it at times, for no real reason.

Colson Whitehead is one of those writers. His prose is so gorgeously yet irreverently, easily woven, it's like listening to a perfectly-crafted symphony. I will read literally anything he writes. The plot of Crook Manifesto didn't leave me frantically turning pages in the same way that Harlem Shuffle did, but the writing is every bit as enviably engrossing. It's impossible to give anything by Whitehead less than five stars.