Harlem by Eric Jerome Dickey
A Review By: LL
People called me Harlem. I dubbed myself after that dangerous neighborhood that I’d never seen. I read life is rough in Harlem, and a Black man isn’t expected to live to see 25. I was 23. The clock was ticking.”
When Harlem gets off on a murder charge due to insanity, the asylum he’s sent to feels worse than death, with one exception: the beautiful Nurse Daphane. As their relationship grows, so do the stakes: She has the ability to help him escape, and he has the ability to set her free from her abusive relationship. Yet Harlem has one big secret: He was perfectly sane when he committed his crime. But in the end, Daphane’s own secret may be the deadliest of all....
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2020
An installment in a Series? No
Narrator (s): J.D. Jackson
After a robbery goes bad, Harlem pleads insanity to avoid going to prison for the rest of his life. He feels like the walls are closing in on him and he is miserable. His time with Nurse Daphane is the only time he feels alive. As their relationship crosses the line, Harlem has to figure out a way to be with Daphane and save her from the monster at home.
Although short stories are not my favorite, this one kept me engaged. It was fast paced and had a few surprises that I didn't see coming. The narrator was wonderful and performed each character brilliantly.
I have issues with short stories because I always want more as a reader. That is not the author or narrator's fault. I'm greedy, lol.
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: 4 (It's lit!)
Content Warnings? Human or animal loss, Physical abuse/violence, Sexual abuse/violence
