Rashad Harrison

This is a solidly written, solidly plotted noir that varies from the usual by it's setting, Atlanta in 1964. John Estem is an accountant working for the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) where he occasionally encounters Martin Luther King, Jr. Estem had polio as a child, leaving him with a heavy brace on his leg and an inability to fit in with the men he works with. He spends his free time drinking and hoping for a little attention from Candace, a not very good singer in a club owned by a man with his fingers in many pies. Desperate to feel better, Estem embezzles money from the SCLC, which lands him the attention of the FBI and his actions from this point forward careen between reactions to realizing that he's about to be caught and his plans to manipulate his circumstances to his benefit.

There's something so perversely entertaining about watching a character utterly destroy his own life. Harrison expertly juggles the different elements of a good noir, delivering a fast-paced story about a very flawed character doing some very bad things that this reader was unable to refrain from rooting for.… (mehr)

I'm a huuuuuuuge fangirl for Harrison's first novel, Our Man in the Dark and I've been on pins-and-needles for his next release. I inhaled this read -- it's a dramatic, plotty, swashbuckling-ish yarn -- but am a little conflicted about how I feel!

Set just after the Civil War has ended, the novel follows Jupiter Archer, a former slave who fought for the Union Army, now living as a "crimper" in San Francisco. A crimper, as it turns out, is someone who essentially kidnaps -- or Shanghais -- men to work on ships. It's not the job he wanted, but he's frantically searching for his wife. He's also being pursued by Archer Smith, the son of his former owner; Archer also happens to be his half-brother. Theirs is a complicated relationship (no surprise, right?) made even more complicated when they both are crimped themselves and tossed onto a ship with the cagey, charismatic Captain Barrett. From there, the novel goes on a dramatic, action-filled journey halfway around the world while Jupiter and Archer struggle to get what they each desire.

As with his previous novel, the characters are evocative and compelling. Jupiter is a deeply sympathetic figure, but everyone in this book is complicated and shaded in gray. Archer seems, on the surface, to be one-note -- simply after revenge -- but as the novel goes on, we see the damage he suffered at the hand of his parents. Even the bombastic Captain Barrett, who has shades of Ahab and the Terminator to him, is a fascinating figure.

Harrison perfectly balances the adventurous plot with lovely ruminations; my copy is dogeared from all the delightful quotes I wanted to remember and note.

"I'm going to fight for my freedom," said Jupiter. So earnest, he was. Did he believe it? What did he know about fighting? Honor. Valor. Those were things he overheard the sons of plantation owners talk about as they played soldier with their wooden swords. What did he know of it? He was simply a mockingbird with his wings clipped, singing a song in which he mimicked the sounds but couldn't grasp their context. (p40)

My only complaint about the book is that it had an episodic feel, almost like a screenplay that had been filled out. A character might think of something -- a memory, for example -- and then Harrison would immediately whoosh to that scene in a slightly awkward way. Occasionally, events happened so quickly I felt like I was being rushed out the door, and I wouldn't have minded a longer novel to spend more time with Harrison's intriguing cast.

I'm once more excited for Harrison's next offering (if there is one, I don't know!). A quick read that has the sort of feel of a "rip-roaring yarn" with a contemporary understanding of slavery, servitude, and family, this novel is worth picking up this summer for those who enjoy historical fiction, nautical tales, and stories that touch on what happens after war and other bloody conflicts.… (mehr)

The Abduction of Smith and Smith is Rashad Harrison's second novel.

1868. The Civil War has ended. Jupiter Smith a former slave, is a free man. But he's now making his living by selling others into servitude - he shanghais unsuspecting men from the brothels, bars and opium dens of San Francisco and sells them to ship captains in need of a crew. Jupiter is also looking for his wife - it's been seven long years since he has seen her. But , someone else is looking for Jupiter as well - Archer, the son of his former master, the Colonel, - and his half brother. For you see, Jupiter killed the Colonel. The tables are turned when both Jupiter and Archer are 'crimped'onto a ship with a captain of questionable standards.

That's the backbone of the story, but there is so much more. Rollicking is word that comes to mind. Pirates, magicians, convicts, gun runners and more - everyone has their own agenda and their own pockets to fill. But amongst all that, it is the relationship between Jupiter and Archer that is the constant. Can they keep each other alive? Come to terms with their relationship? Harrison explores slavery, love, hate, loyalty, family and more with his characters. The time frame and multiple settings also allows Harrison to also explore the changing and growing nation in many facets, as well as farther afield.

I quite enjoyed Jupiter as a character, with Captain Barrett a close second. (He's got more lives than a cat, a finger in every pie and a deal in every port) The Abduction of Smith and Smith is a busy book. The plot is wide and far reaching, sometimes stretching credibility, but always entertaining. Things slow down a bit in the last few chapters with a more serious tone as memories and resolution come together for Jupiter. I did find the timeline of some of these final chapters a bit confusing.

The Abduction of Smith and Smith fell outside of my regular reading tastes, but I really enjoyed it. It's refreshing to not be able to predict what is going to happen in a book.… (mehr)

The Civil War is over. Jupiter Smith had been a slave in Georgia on Colonel Smith’s plantation. Jupiter returns after the war in order to reunite with Sonya, another slave on the plantation. They had considered themselves married in the eyes of God. But, she’s not there. She had been told Jupiter died in the war so she set off with her son, Jacob, to the west with the intention of crossing to Liberia. What Jupiter finds at the plantation is his old master who is suffering from syphilitic madness. Jupiter kills him. Out of compassion? When the Colonel’s son, Archer, returns home and finds his father has been killed, he instinctively knows it was by Jupiter’s hand and sets off after him.

When the story opens, Jupiter is in San Francisco. He’s working for some pretty rough people shanghaiing men to sell to shipmasters. When Archer shows up, they get ready to sell him off. Jupiter tries to intercede on Archer’s behalf; then they are both shanghaied and sold to Capt. Barrett, a gun runner. The two, archenemies since childhood, now must learn to work together to ever hope to regain their freedom.

This story jolts one right out of their comfort zone. There is a lot of grit so it’s not for the weak hearted. The high seas are tough; the captains even tougher. The chapters are short, making for a somewhat quick read. The first half of the book was very fast-paced. There were a few drawn pictures included in the hardback version which made it seem as if the book may be intended for middle graders, but clearly with the language, violence, and sexual situations it is not a book for children. Rating: 3 out of 5.… (mehr)