The Conjure-Man Dies: A Harlem Mystery
Detective Club Crime Classics
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The Conjure-Man Dies: A Harlem Mystery
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Narrated by:
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J. D. Jackson
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John Chancer
About this listen
One of Buzzfeed’s Most Anticipated Books of 2021.
When the body of N’Gana Frimbo, the African conjure-man, is discovered in his consultation room, Perry Dart, one of Harlem’s 10 Black police detectives, is called in to investigate. Together with Dr Archer, a physician from across the street, Dart is determined to solve the baffling mystery, helped and hindered by Bubber Brown and Jinx Jenkins, local boys keen to clear themselves of suspicion of murder and undertake their own investigations.
The Conjure-Man Dies was the very first detective novel written by an African American. A distinguished doctor and accomplished musician and dramatist, Rudolph Fisher was one of the principal writers of the Harlem Renaissance but died in 1934 aged only 37. With a gripping plot and vividly drawn characters, Fisher’s witty novel is a remarkable time capsule of one of the most exciting eras in the history of Black fiction.
This crime classic is introduced by New York crime Writer Stanley Ellin and includes Rudolph Fisher’s last published story, ‘John Archer’s Nose’, in which Perry Dart and Dr Archer return to solve the case of a young man murdered in his own bed.
©1932 Rudolph Fisher (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedCritic reviews
"A well-constructed thriller of a little-known side of Harlem life, with a Black detective to solve the crime and with just enough humour on the side." (Rumana McManis, New York Times)
"A detective story of the first class, written with adroitness, humor, and a clever plot." (Boston Transcript)
"Captures the historically induced unique qualities of Black people." (Oliver Henry, The Harlem Renaissance)