HARLEM RHAPSODY

Grift, greed, corruption, and jazz swirl together in this reimagining of New York City’s Roaring ’20s.

In this second installment of Nuckel’s Volunteers series, characters with origin stories linking to several key international events—World War I, the Easter Rebellion, the rise of the labor movement—hustle to define their legacies. The historical novel primarily follows Owney Madden, the owner of the legendary Cotton Club in West Harlem. Besides curating a music program and managing a speak-easy, Madden is looking for ways to move up in the underworld. Unbeknown to him, some shadowy robber barons have other plans. They enlist Charles Merritt—war hero and veteran of the Harlem Hellfighters—to enact their designs for rooting out local corruption. Their schemes to consolidate influence are aided by an infamous Irish rebel but complicated by labor union power and local gangsters. The way the artfully crafted novel builds tension by mashing together disparate backroom dealings is one of its strengths. But eventually, each added layer makes the tale a little more far-fetched. At least Merritt acknowledges his wildly ambitious undertaking (“Mr. Jack Morgan and Mr. John Rockefeller are going to listen to my suggestions about fighting corruption at the highest level of city government? I’m sorry, Mr. Morgan, but I find that hard to believe”) and thus invites readers along for the thrilling ride. Madden’s authority is usurped in favor of an arrangement between Merritt, the robber barons, and Belle Turner, a dancer deemed “the Belle of Broadway.” It does not take long for the deal to sour. From there, the energetic plot thickens as Madden murderously seeks to reassert himself.

A well-written historical thriller filled with smoky backrooms, crime, sex, and iconic music.