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 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. 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.

Originally published in 1932, this book is the first known mystery novel written by an African-American. Rudolph Fisher, one of the principal writers of the Harlem Renaissance, becomes a 'conjure-man', a fortune teller, a mysterious figure who remains shrouded in darkness while his clients sit directly across from him, singly bathed in light. It is in this configuration that one of these seekers of the revelation of fate discovers he is speaking to a dead man.

The first novel by one of the legends of the Harlem Renaissance, a classic in the annals of Black fiction. When Black lawyer Fred Merrit purchases a house in the most exclusive white neighbourhood bordering Harlem, he has to hire the toughest removal firm in the area to help him get his belongings past the hostile neighbours. The removal men are Jinx Jenkins and Bubber Brown, who make the move anything but straightforward. This hilarious satire of jazz-age Harlem derides the walls people build around themselves-colour and class being chief among them. In their reactions to Merrit and to one another, the characters provide an invaluable view of the social and philosophical scene of the times. First published in 1928, The Walls of Jericho is the first novel by Rudolph Fisher, author of The Conjure-Man Dies, whom Langston Hughes called 'the wittiest of the Harlem Renaissance writers, whose tongue was flavoured with the sharpest and saltiest humour'. This new edition includes Fisher's short story 'One Month's Wages', which revisits Jinx and Bubber during the Depression when, down on their luck, one seeks to win money by gambling, the other by taking a job in a mortuary.

Despite the fact that a number of Rudolph Fisher's works appeared in national magazines such as Atlantic Monthly and McClure's, little critical attention has been devoted to his short fiction over the years. This collection brings together, for the first time, fifteen of Fisher's general adult stories, detective stories, and his stories for children, accompanied by an introduction, brief biography, and a chronology of his published work. The introductory essay explores the short story as a genre and examines Fisher's place in American short fiction.

One of the premier writers of the Harlem Renaissance, Rudolph Fisher wrote short stories depicting the multifaceted black urban experience that are still acclaimed today for their humor, grace, and objective view of Harlem life. Through his words, wrote the "New York Times Book Review," "one feels, smells, and tastes his Harlem; its people come alive and one cares about them."

A definitive collection of Fisher's short stories, "The""City of Refuge" offers vibrant tales that deal with the problems faced by newcomers to the city, 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 anthology has now been expanded to include seven previously unpublished stories that take up such themes as marital infidelity and passing for black and also relate the further adventures of Jinx and Bubber, the comic duo who appeared in Fisher's two novels.

This new edition also includes two unpublished speeches and the popular article "The Caucasian Storms Harlem," describing the craze for black music and dance. John McCluskey's introduction has been updated to place the additional works within the context of Fisher's career while situating his oeuvre within the broader context of American writing during the twenties.

Fisher recognized the dramatic and comic power in African American folklore and music and frequented Harlem's many cabarets, speakeasies, and nightclubs, and at the core of his work is a strong regard for music as context and counterpoint. "The City of Refuge" now better captures the sounds of the city experience by presenting all of Fisher's known stories. It offers a portrait of Harlem unmatched in depth and range by Fisher's contemporaries or successors, celebrating, as "Booklist "noted, "the complexity of black urban life in its encounter with the dangers and delights of the city." This expanded edition adds new perspectives to that experience and will enhance Fisher's status for a new generation of readers.

Lawyer Ralph Merritt buys a house in a white neighborhood bordering Harlem. In their reactions to Merritt and to one another, Fishers' characters--including the prejudiced Miss Cramp who 'takes on causes the way sticky tape picks up lint, ' Merritt'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 discovery of the self.