The Heat’s On by Chester Himes
Review by Matt B. (buffalosavage)
This 1966 novel was re-published under the title Come Back, Charleston Blue, after the movie adaptation of the same name.
Two dope dealers, Sister Heavenly and Uncle Saint, are after a load of heroin stuffed into a string of eels. Their quest for this elusive stash results in a dozen murders and a bombing. Series heroes Grave Digger and Coffin Ed have to bend the law to get the job done.
This is a disturbing novel: Himes’ unrelenting vision posits a USA where thug and police lawlessness and violence are out of control, both fuel and exhaust of social breakdown. James Baldwin said of Himes’ Harlem novels, ”this web of ambiguity, paradox, this hunger, danger, darkness.”
Tags: book review, Mystery, mystery monday
