Run Man Run - by Chester Himes (Paperback)

About the Book

"In this knockout standalone crime novel from the acclaimed author of the Harlem Detectives series, a white cop's murderous outburst leads to a pulse-pounding chase to silence a witness. A few days after Christmas, a white cop in New York is as drunk as he's ever been. And he's convinced his car has been stolen. He believes the thieves are the Black workers at a luncheonette on 37th and Fifth avenue, and when he staggers in, his .32 caliber goes off. But who would believe it was an accident? Now, two men are dead, and a witness has gotten away. What follows is a heart-stopping chase of epic proportions. A master of tension and a deft chronicler of racism in post-war America, Himes delivers here one of his most compelling, dramatic novels of suspense"--

Book Synopsis

In this knockout standalone crime novel from the acclaimed author of the Harlem Detectives series, a white cop's murderous outburst leads to a pulse-pounding chase to silence a witness

It's early morning in New York, a few days after Christmas and bitter cold. A white detective named Walker accuses the black workers at a luncheonette on 37th Street and Fifth Avenue of stealing his car. He's been drinking--a lot. By the time he corners Fat Sam in the refrigeration room, he's raving mad, and his .32-caliber revolver goes off. But who would believe it was an accident? Two other men work in the luncheonette, and in his fuming, psychotic state, Walker is determined to take out these witnesses. One of them, Luke, he kills in cold blood. But the other, Jimmy, gets away by the skin of his teeth. As Jimmy tries to stay one step ahead and desperately pleads with the authorities that the killer is on the force, Walker closes in until the chase culminates in an explosive conclusion.

Review Quotes

Praise for Chester Himes's Run Man Run

"A fine example of the author's skill. . . . The pace is terrific. If I had to recommend just one Himes title, this would be it." --Robert Nye, The Guardian

"A classic Himes novel. . . . Hard-hitting and tense until the very last scene." --New York Herald Tribune

"Himes is a master of the hardboiled school. . . . Taut. . . . Fast-paced." --Detroit Free Press

"[Himes has] a tremendous talent for packing a story with wild action." --St. Louis Post-Dispatch

About the Author

Chester Himes began his writing career while serving in the Ohio State Penitentiary for armed robbery from 1929 to 1936. From his first novel, If He Hollers Let Him Go (1945), Himes dealt with the social and psychological repercussions of being black in a white-dominated society. Beginning in 1953, Himes moved to Europe, where he met and was strongly influenced by Richard Wright. It was in France that he began his best-known series of crime novels--including Cotton Comes to Harlem (1965)--featuring two Harlem policemen. As with Himes's earlier work, the series is characterized by violence and grisly, sardonic humor. He died in Spain in 1984.