One of Buzzfeedâs Most Anticipated Books of 2021.
âThis trailblazing work of fiction is notable for its depiction of Harlemâs African American society and culture in the 1930sâ âBookpage
When the body of NâGana Frimbo, the African conjure-man, is discovered in his consultation room, Perry Dart, one of Harlemâs 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.
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, Fisherâs 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 Fisherâs last published story, âJohn Archerâs Noseâ, in which Perry Dart and Dr Archer return to solve the case of a young man murdered in his own bed.
