To be square in Harlem is to risk your life. And Jackson is so square he can't see through the lovely Imabelle, even when she introduces him to a man who knows the 'secret' of turning $10 bills into $100s. Soon Jackson is losing his life-savings to this con man, stealing money from his boss and then blowing this 'borrowed' money on the crap tables.

So begins Chester Himes' first foray into crime fiction, the novel which was to win him massive international acclaim.

A Rage In Harlem introduces readers to Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, Harlem's toughest cops and Himes' most memorable fictional creations. Renowned for their meanness and always armed with their legendary nickel-plated Colts, they patrol the streets of the ghetto trying to keep some semblance of order.