An unmissable entry in the esteemed Library of Congress Crime Classics, an exciting new classic mystery series created in exclusive partnership with the Library of Congress to highlight the best of American crime fiction When the body of N'Gana Frimbo, the African conjure-man, is discovered in his consultation room, Perry Dart, one of Harlem's ten 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. This groundbreaking mystery is the first ever to feature a Black detective and all Black characters, written by Black author Rudolph Fisher, who was a principal writer of the Harlem Renaissance.

One of Buzzfeed’s Most Anticipated Books of 2021. “This trailblazing work of fiction is notable for its depiction of Harlem’s African American society and culture in the 1930s” –Bookpage

An African king with a degree from Harvard who set himself up as a "conjure-man", a fortune teller, is murdered in 1930s Harlem. This is the first known mystery novel written by an African American.

"Lawyer Ralph Merritt buys a house in a white neighborhood bordering Harlem. In their reactions to Merrit and to one another, Fisher's characters—including the prejudiced Miss Cramp, who "takes on causes the way sticky tape picks up lint," Merrit's housekeeper Linda, and Shine, his piano mover—provide an invaluable view of the social and philosophical milieu of the times. Thematically, Fisher focuses on the idea of black unity and the discovery of the self. The biblical tale of Joshua is evoked to illustrate his concern for the black person's search for a "true nature." it is in this spiritual battle that the divergent segments of Harlem are drawn together in order to battle the "establishment" inside the walls of Jericho"--Publisher's description (a later edition).

"Harlem Renaissance tales that deal with the problems faced by newcomers to Harlem, ancestor figures who struggle to instill a sense of integrity in the young, problems of violence and vengeance, and tensions of caste and class. This version is expanded to include seven previously unpublished stories"--Provided by publisher.

In Conjure wife, Norman Saylor learns that his wife is a sorceress. In Our Lady of Darkness, horror writer Franz Westen searches for the paranormal in San Francisco.

Screenwriter Nunn draws on her true-life experience growing up in Africa to create this darkly romantic crime novel set in 1950s apartheid South Africa. Detective Emmanuel Cooper is caught up in a time and place where racial tensions and the raw hunger for power make for dangerous times.

Harlem Renaissance author Nella Larsen (1891 –1964) published just two novels and three short stories in her lifetime, but achieved lasting literary acclaim. Her classic novel Passing first appeared in 1926.