--- description: Find out why "Crook Manifesto" by Colson Whitehead is on TIME's list of the must-read books of the year. title: 'Crook Manifesto' Is One of the 100 Must-Read Books of 2023 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4ee6a18f21ca5503/698a41fed07533688be6e90b/CrookManifesto.jpg?branch=production&width=1920&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 --- Nov 14, 2023 # Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close  In the sequel to his 2021 best seller [_Harlem Shuffle_](https://time.com/5935152/harlem-shuffle-colson-whitehead-cover/ "undefined"), two-time Pulitzer Prize winner [Colson Whitehead](https://time.com/5615610/colson-whitehead-the-nickel-boys-interview/ "undefined") revisits the world of Ray Carney, a full-time furniture salesman and part-time criminal. _Crook Manifesto_ picks up in 1971, when Ray’s attempt to stick to his store—and to stay away from all that crime he got caught up in before—is disrupted by his daughter’s desperate plea to see the Jackson 5 live. Ray decides he’ll do whatever it takes to make his kid happy, even if the risks he has to take to obtain the money for tickets turn deadly. Through brilliantly constructed twists and turns, set in a vibrantly detailed 1970s New York City, Whitehead once again demonstrates his prowess as an author whose work can stand out in any genre. His latest crime novel is simultaneously sharp, funny, and full of heart—and an elegant portrait of Harlem and its residents. —_Annabel Gutterman_ **Buy Now**: _Crook Manifesto_ on [Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/a/4973/9780385545150 "undefined") | [Amazon ](https://amzn.to/3Qwy6uK "undefined") --- **Looking for more book recommendations? Sign up for** [**_Worth Your Time_**](https://cloud.newsletters.time.com/signup?nln=worth-your-time "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https://time.com/collections/must-read-books-2023/6332215/crook-manifesto/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/collections/must-read-books-2023/6332215/crook-manifesto/"},"headline":"Crook Manifesto","datePublished":"2023-11-14T12:30:40.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-03T00:25:05.063Z","description":"","url":"https://time.com/collections/must-read-books-2023/6332215/crook-manifesto/","keywords":["Books","list","best books"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4ee6a18f21ca5503/698a41fed07533688be6e90b/CrookManifesto.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"creator":"TIME Staff","articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4ee6a18f21ca5503/698a41fed07533688be6e90b/CrookManifesto.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/collections/must-read-books-2023/6332215/crook-manifesto/","name":"Crook Manifesto"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME's 100 Must-Read Books of 2023","description":"","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/WppeqCEz/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2023-11-13T19:20:52.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/WppeqCEz.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/collections/must-read-books-2023/6332215/crook-manifesto/","duration":"PT1M28S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/collections/must-read-books-2023/6332215/crook-manifesto/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```