"[Himes] put a spin on crime fiction–emphasizing urban atmosphere, street smarts and uptown carryings-on–unlike anything the genre had previously seen."
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The Boston Globe "One of the most important American writers of the 20th century. . . . A quirky American genius."
–Walter Mosley
"A perverse blend of sordid realism and macabre fantasy-humor."
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The New York Times "For sheer toughness it's hard to beat the black detectives Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones. Himes never received the recognition he deserved for his books–they combine elements of George V. Higgins, Elmore Leonard, and Richard Stark, with a bleak vision all their own."
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The Washington Post