“Every time he struggled to get out, he went in deeper.”

Good first chapter, even though I have no idea how that counterfeiting process (The Blow) works! Neither does Jackson, who the story is about. He gets taken by that con, and then gets bounced about the city, trying to get his money back.

Grave Digger and Coffin Ed enter the story on page 44 (of the copy I read). They “…weren’t crooked detectives, but they were tough. They had to be to work in Harlem.”

The “Sisters of Mercy” are humorous throughout! As is Imabelle’s “trunk full of gold ore”! It's a really enjoyable read, very well written! I definitely will check out the next one in the series! Now, to get MY ashes hauled…!

“Don’t make graves.” ( )

Really strong sentences and creation of atmosphere. ( )

Awesome imaging. Himes lets you taste, smell and see Harlem. ( )

outrageously good fun.

the only problem is that they use "mother-raping" as a regular swearword. I thought I was immune to all swearing, but this made me feel really uncomfortable every time it was used. ( )

A couple of summers ago, several characters in a Walter Mosley book began arguing about who was the greatest African American author. They decided it was Chester Himes. So, of course, I had to read some. Himes is a bit crude for my tastes, but this is a sort of pulp fiction from the 1950s, and pretty well done.

We have a poor schmoe named Jackson, who is trying to get rich with some kind of special machine that multiplies $100 bills. Hank and Slim set him up with the scheme, but it is Jackson's beloved, Imabelle who had introduced him to those guys. Well, naturally, they run off with Jackson's money, which allegedly fleeing an FBI agent who comes in on them as they're working. For some reason, Jackson is the only one who doesn't get away. The special agent lets him off the hook, for a fee, a fee Jackson steals from his undertaker employer.

Jackson would like to get his money back, but even more he would like to get Imabelle back. He's sure she's straight, she has a trunk full of gold, and he "knows" she was kidnapped by the con men and is in peril. Something like that.

So two tough, Harlem cops, Grave Digger Jones and Coffin Ed Johnson get involved. People get beat up and shot and so forth. All very exciting (well sort of). Overall, not a bad book for whiling away a few hours beside a lake in Maine. ( )