“Colson Whitehead continues his Harlem saga in a novel that summons 1970s New York in all its seedy glory.“

This, the second installment of Whitehead’s Ray Carney series, was such a fun ride.

Between the eccentric characters (actors, and comedians, and crooks, oh my!) the settings (from grotty to glitzy), and the slicing, (literal snicker-out-loud banter), I loved every minute of it.

Some readers might get bogged down by the character exposition, but it was exactly what my paint-a-picture brain needed to keep all the characters vibrant and straight in my head.

While I think the book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, I do think a reader would miss a lot by not reading the first in the series, but don’t let that stop you.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for this snappy ARC.

Read if you like: Civil Rights history
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The book follows its precursor, Harlem Shuffle. Ray tries not to be a crook anymore but gets dragged into it anyway.
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I enjoyed the setting of this book. We learn about the Black Liberation Army and the rise of the counterculture. I did find myself skimming a lot, and the plot wasn't as engaging as I hoped, but I think some would like it! I don't know if it was just bad timing as I love Whitehead as an author!

“There were a hundred ways to announce that you were crooked and a hundred ways to un-announce it. You can peacock it up like a pimp, hang your shingle in polyester plumage. Push the latest high on a street corner, signaling customers with a furtive yet defiant air. You can un-announce like a banker, tucked into a double-breasted suit, installed behind a desk with your name on a plaque. Establish a front: Outfit a bodega or stationery store to hide the dice game out back. Or a furniture store.”

Harlem is on fire. With crime and corruption and actual fire. It’s the 1970s and Ray Carney is still running his furniture shop on West 125th. His wife Elizabeth is in charge of a travel agency, the boss in all but name only, and his kids May and John are growing up. In three sections-1971, 1973, and 1976-we get glimpses of life in Carney’s world, from Jackson Five tickets to Blaxspoitation filmmaking to insurance fires and more. Whitehead continues to show us that it’s not just the criminals who are criminal and that once in, you’re never truly out. From politicians to the cops, business owners, to entertainers, and pillars of society, everyone’s working an angle. And oftener than not, that angle leads to things going up in flames.

Crook Manifesto is the follow up to Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Shuffle. I really enjoyed Harlem Shuffle when I read it two years ago and was excited to see where Carney’s story went next and Crook Manifesto didn’t disappoint. It did take a little adjusting when I discovered that the middle section was focussed on a different character, Pepper, and his experiences working security on the film production of Secret Agent: Nefertiti but it all comes together in the third part of the book.

As with Harlem Shuffle, Whitehead’s storytelling and prose are an absolute joy, so vivid that I was once again transported to the time and place. He tells the story using words and phrases that feel a part of the time rather than from the perspective of someone outside and with the distance of time. And yet, the issues of 1970s New York aren’t exclusive to that place or time. There continue to be corrupt police, backroom deals, and entanglements between politicians and developers and so, though firmly set in its time, Crook Manifesto still helps us to look at our own.

I understand that Whitehead has ultimately planned for this to be a trilogy and I’ll be eagerly anticipating the third book. I would also love to see this adapted as a series; it needs the time and space to build up the world, develop the characters, and let the story breathe so I’d rather see a series than to see it all stuffed into a single film.

Beautifully written with an interesting story and characters I liked, unfortunately I was unable to finish this book because of crisis in the family. I would love to recommend but don't feel that I got far enough in the book before it was archived and I was unable to access.

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead is the the second in the Ray Carney Harlem Saga.it is divided into three loosely interconnected novellas all set in Harlem a few years apart in the ‘70s.

1971 - Ray Carney owns a furniture store and has given up his life of crime…mostly. But when his daughter wants to see the Jackson 5, he gets in touch with an old contact in search of tickets and soon finds himself caught up in a whole world of trouble.

1973 - Times have changed and crime just ain’t what it used to be so Pepper, Carney’s dad’s old partner, has taken a security job on the set of a Blaxploitation film. When the leading lady goes missing, it is up to Pepper to find her.

1976 - As the country gets set for the Bicentennial celebration, someone is setting Harlem on fire. When the son of one of his tenants is injured in one of these fires, Carney hires Pepper to find the arsonist responsible.

I have to admit I have not read Harlem Shuffle, the first book in the series but it didn’t interfere with my enjoyment of Crooked Manifesto. And I did enjoy it a lot. By dividing the book into three parts, Whitehead shows the changes that affected New York and specifically Harlem during the ‘70s culturally as well as economically, politically, and generationally. The book is well-written and as always, Whitehead infuses the stories with a sly sense of black humour while never glossing over the hardships and struggles of his main characters making the reader root for them regardless of their actions. Overall, a very compelling read and one of my favourites so far this year.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review

It's 1971. After going straight for several years (it's a little boring, but it's safe), Ray Carney has grown his furniture business and even become a landlord. But when Carney needs to get some tickets to the upcoming Jackson 5 concert, he returns to his previous ways, meeting the replacement for his retired fence, and doing business with a dirty cop, Munson, he knew from his previous criminal life. Munson agrees to help, if Carney does him a favour.

Harlem is changing, and there is a new frustration amongst some Blacks about the inequality and injustice in society. Carney can't be bothered, as he has his own concerns with his return to crime. Working with Munson brings Carny back into his former life, and we see him from makes Carney's life increasingly complicated over the five years this novel treats us to (1971-1976).

In 1973, Colson Whitehead shows us what Pepper, Carney's father's partner is up to, and we meet a variety of fascinating characters, from a director (and guy who loves setting fires) who sets his next movie in the neighbourhood. It's a Blaxpoitation movie; Pepper is employed as security for the movie shoot, and meets actors, comedians, drug dealers for the celebs, and a variety of criminals. Carney's furniture showroom us used as one of the settings for the shoot. Pepper is his usual violent, straightforward self who finds this movie crowd weird, and deals with things in his usual way.

In 1976, and there are many fires deliberately set around the city for insurance fraud. When a kid of one of Carney's tenants ends up in the hospital, Carney sets Pepper to track down the arsonist. Meanwhile, Carney's wife Elizabeth and daughter May are working on a former Black Prosecutor's election campaign. Pepper's questions lead to sudden violence and Carney's initial altruistic impulse has personal implications.

This is wonderfully textured picture of Harlem in the early to mid-1970s, with a look at the crooks who populate this part of New York City. Whitehead's dialogue is fantastic, as we meet fences, hit men, arsonists, drug dealers, politicians, and ordinary people just trying to get by amidst the injustice of racist institutions, raising their families, and occasionally dreaming of getting a new sectional sofa or ottoman.

I liked Carney's laid back, ironic commentary in book one, and it continues here. He's dry, observant, knows things are stacked against African Americans, but he's got more immediate concerns: taking care of his family, including Freddie's son, while keeping his criminal activities away from these people.

Carney is also older, and less interested in getting involved in certain activities. He also sees so many around him on the take, gaming systems, and screwing others over, and it's the less well off, and the poor who invariably pay, whether from corrupt landlords, crooked developers, police, organizations aplenty......

Colson Whitehead does it again, giving us a bit of Harlem's history through Carney's eyes, but also commenting on how injustice runs deep in New York City. The pacing is a little rough in places, but I still really enjoyed this installment.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed this book and will definitely be picking up the next book when it comes out. This one definitely has that book two of a trilogy energy - which is fine but it leaves a little something to be desired.
This book felt like it was more Pepper's book than Ray's because of the focus on him in stories two and three but still felt anchored to Ray. It will be interesting to see how it all comes together in a final book.

The format feels like a miniseries in a book - this is amplified by listening to the audio (which is really well narrated.) The setting feels alive with vivid descriptions, making you feel like you're right there with the characters. The author's attention to detail brings authenticity to the story. Where the book falls short for me is in developing secondary pretty much any female characters. Like in the first book, they lack depth and presence, which takes away from the overall impact for me.

A solid book with a solid four stars - it held my attention and got me thinking. Looking forward to see where the story goes next.

Colson Whitehead does such a brilliant job at introducing a reader to histories they likely don’t know much about. He did it in the first instalment of the series, Harlem Shuffle, and maybe even more-so in this second book. While you’re being entertained with the adventures of a small time crook, you’re learning about red lining, the impact of white flight, and institutionalized racism. I should also add: Whitehead’s gift for writing banter is unmatched. Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday books for this advanced copy.

Delighted to include this much-anticipated sequel in the July edition of Novel Encounters, my regular column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)
*Also featuring a longread interview feature with the author.

We’re back in Ray Carney’s world and this time we’re in the 70’s. America is just about to celebrate its bicentennial, racial tension is high, and Ray is just trying to stay clean and sell some furniture.

The Harlem Saga is an interesting story and Colson Whitehead is truly an amazing writer. He is able to create all these characters that feel so real and human. This second novel in the series also follows the same format of book one which I did find to be quite jarring. It’s three stories in one and I found them to jump around too much from story to story and they seemed to end right when things start heating up.

There is something so fascinating about this time in history and the complexities at play, and Colson Whitehead captures this moment wonderfully. I just wish we had stuck with one consistent story line and had it fully realized. That would have really knocked it out of the park for me.

Ray Carney is back after deciding to go on the straight and narrow. When his daughter exclaims that she wants tickets to Jackson 5, he reaches out to a police contact to help him secure tickets. However, he wants a favour in exchange that causes him to fall back into old habits.

Set in the 1970s in Harlem, the setting is the best part of this book. There is a lot of historical context that is very culturally significant that is explored. I just didn’t connect with the writing style at all, and I didn’t like Ray that much, which made it a boring read for me. The artwork on the cover is really cool

Thank you Penguin Randomhouse Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Poignant and thought-provoking book.

A follow-up to Whitehead's Harlem Shuffle, we are met again with Ray Carney - a man trying to make an honest life, but the not-so-honest lifestyle finding ways to rope him in.

We follow both Carney and his partner Pepper as they navigate through the 1970s.

This certainly had a lot to live up to being a sequel to such a fantastic book, but somehow Whitehead manages to pull off giving us a book that does not pale when compared to its predecessor. Since this series is a planned trilogy, it would be too easy to put out a book with a lazy plot and its main purpose being to set up the events for the final installment.

Definitely worth the read!

Crook Manifesto
Colson Whitehead continues his Harlem saga, taking his readers through Carney's doings in 1971, 1973, and 1976. We get glimpses of The Black Liberation Army and corruption within the government. The concept of blaxploitation in film is presented while searching for a missing starlet. And we get to standby as apartments all over Harlem are set on fire by pyromaniacs, criminals, and governments pretending to be doing good.

Colson Whitehead's writing transports you back to Harlem in the 70s. His writing is so descriptive that you can picture the scenes on the pages. He is a true wordsmith. Deciding on my favourite quotes was challenging because there were so many incredible options.

Let's talk about some of the different plot points. I particularly enjoyed reading about the search for Lucinda. Based on others ' accounts of her, it was a great way to weave several characters together and paint a picture of a character we haven't met yet. The concept of blaxploitation is also discussed in this section, and it was a term that I was unfamiliar with. Colson Whitehead did a great job explaining and showing blaxploitation and its potential consequences.

The last part about the fires read very fast to me. I enjoyed seeing how involved the politics are with these apartment fires and how many people are involved with the targets. Carney features primarily in this section and the first, and I can't help but root for him. After reading Harlem Shuffle, he was the character that stuck with me the most, so I was happy to see his story revisited.

Some chunks of this book were a little slow to read. I think it's because there were sections that didn't have a lot of dialogue, so it felt like they were taking a long time. I think this was only an issue for me because I was craving something fast-paced.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Crook Manifesto is available July 18, 2023!

Colson Whitehead can do it all, and do it very very well. His voice is there, whether you're reading the 'Underground Railway', 'Zone One', or this series.
'Crook Manifesto' is broken up into three novellas of a sort. By making each of these stories shorter than a full novel, Whitehead allows the action and intimacy of the plot and characters run.
Personally, I have really enjoyed the series, and am looking forward to the third book. To be transported back to Harlem in the 1970s is envigorating. Whitehead obviously did his research and the people and places feel incredibly alive.
I would highly recommend this book if you're interested in crime fiction that is well written, characters who are fully formed, and plots that move so relentlessly forward that it's difficult to ever put the book down.

The sequel to Harlem Shuffle, Crime Manifesto revisits Ray Carney — son of a notorious criminal, trying to make it straight with his increasingly successful furniture store — and as with the previous novel, this one is divided into three sections: set in the years 1971, 1973, and the big Bicentennial year, 1976. As NYC, and Harlem in particular, get ever seedier — with corruption, murder, and arson out of control and the Mayor responding by laying off first responders — Carney watches as it churns, seeking out stability and opportunity. Once again, Colson Whitehead has written a highly entertaining piece of social commentary — African-American history disguised as a crime novel — and once again, I was thoroughly immersed in the setting, cared about the characters, and recognised the truth of the story Whitehead was telling. You really couldn’t ask for more.

I love Colson Whitehead's writing and I especially loved Harlem Shuffle, and it's anti-hero Ray Carney. When I saw that Colson has written a sequel, I had to have it. I was lucky to get an early review copy from NetGalley, and I would like to thank the author and the publisher for giving me a chance to read and review this book.
Right off the bat, I suggest that if you are new to Ray Carney, that you read Harlem Shuffle first, as that is where we get to know and love (with some reservations) Ray Carney. This book is actually three separate stories.The book revolves around 1970's New York City right in the middle of Harlem. New York is heating up with gang wars, fire bombings, and lots of dead bodies piling up.. The Black Liberation Army is in the news every day. The first story is in 1971, and Ray is trying to scoop Jackson 5 tickets for his daughter, May. Of course he gets into trouble right away and has to call on his old friend Pepper to help him get out of it. If you are a new reader, you will love Pepper. He's an older generation, New York City hoodlum who seems to take everything in his side, but keeps a running tally of who he owes and how severe that beating should be. The second story is 1973, and it's all Pepper, He's making a few bucks working as security for a Hollywood B-movie in his old hood. When the star goes missing Pepper sets out to find her, and stirs up trouble everywhere. Next we jump into 1976, and Pepper and Carney are teamed up again trying to stop a corrupt politician, and they both get into a whole pile of trouble. This is noir crime at it's best. And you will be introduced to two of the most loveable crooks out there. Highly recommend for lovers of noir-crime which is loaded with black-humour.