Crook Manifesto

Crook Manifesto – Did Not Finish

Start of a bad streak with Colson Whitehead, unfortunately.

I 5-starred The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, but I was deeply unsatisfied with Harlem Shuffle. I hoped Crook Manifesto would be better—especially since its ratings seemed slightly higher—but it turned out to be the same fast-paced, confused nothingness.

I just can't listen to hours of something that doesn’t interest me at all. I’m definitely waiting for better work from this author.

Great, great, great writing and an outstanding audio production.

I love every single character Colson writes.

Crook Manifesto is the second book of the trilogy Ray Carney, which started with Harlem Shuffle.

In this book Colson Whitehead brings us back to Harlem in the 70's, which was at its violence peak. The story is centered around Ray's furniture store and, similarly with the first book, it is told in three interconnected tales.

Ray's furniture story is increasingly successful and has expanded. Everything appears to be on the right track for Ray to make it straight and leave his criminal past behind him. Unfortunately, his daughter's desire to see Jackson Five end up putting Carney on the wrong path again.

Colson is master storyteller, and he is able to tell us, in a beautiful and entertaining way, about African-American history. I'm expectant for the trilogy final book.

I would like to thank Little Brown Book Group UK, Fleet and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.