The Real Cool Killers Audiobook By Chester Himes cover art

The Real Cool Killers

A Grave Digger & Coffin Ed Novel

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The Real Cool Killers

By: Chester Himes
Narrated by: Dion Graham
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To detectives Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, it looked like an open and shut case. After all, Sonny Pickens was still standing over the body of Ulysses Galen, smoking gun hanging from his hand. Only one problem: Sonny's gun was loaded with blanks.

There were plenty of people who wanted Galen dead, but who was responsible? Sonny? A jealous husband? Or one of the street toughs from a gang calling themselves the Real Cool Moslems? Coffin Ed and Grave Digger pound the mean streets of 1950s Harlem in search of the Real Cool Killer.

©1959 Chester Himes, copyright renewed 1987 by Lesley Himes (P)2011 Audible, Inc. African American Detective Fiction Hard-Boiled Mystery Private Investigators Suspense Thriller & Suspense

Critic reviews

".... Real Cool Killers is a picturesque story to which Graham gives expert treatment. " ( Audiofile)

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Gritty story with many interesting characters! The narrator did a marvelous job capturing the accents and speech rhythms. Will listen again!

SUPERB NARRATOR!

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I love this story Coffin Ed and Grave digger are very good at what they do!

Great Story!!!!

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This story is so rich with characters and dialogue. The plot keeps developing with twists that are not expected. Mr. Graham’s voicing of the characters is spot on and adds to the color. Tremendous!

Masterful storytelling

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this story was tightly woven ans exhibited considerable depth to interconnect the various characters. The ending was a surprise that suddenly revealed itself. the use of language was rich and quite literary.

carefully woven story

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Himes' novels are gritty yet simple and captures the essence of Harlem. 👮🏾🌆🔫
Narration was cool!

It's what I expected from Chester Himes

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I really liked this book along with the narrator. Chester Himes was a great story teller. I plan to read the rest of this series.

One of my favorites

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What made the experience of listening to The Real Cool Killers the most enjoyable?

Chester Himes.

What did you like best about this story?

Coffin Ed and Gravedigger Jones.

What about Dion Graham’s performance did you like?

You really forget its a book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

All of it.

Any additional comments?

I WANT MORE!

WOW!

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This was my first book by this author but it won't be my last. it is a fast fun fairly easy read. There are great characters lots of action and it's definitely written from another era. It can be rough in some of the language and action it's not PC by todays standards but it's a product of its time and worth the time I have half a dozen other books on my to read list from this author. The narrator is great too throughout.

A fun fast read

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If you could sum up The Real Cool Killers in three words, what would they be?

Enjoyable, haunting, true

What did you like best about this story?

The ability to truthfully characterize people in the black community before the 80's. The characterizations remind me of my childhood.

What about Dion Graham’s performance did you like?

Really like his voice. Captures what I feel are the inner essences of the characters.

Great read.

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Chester Himes is an all time crime mystery writer. Few authors have the skill to create worlds as vivid as he does. I feel like I'm watching a movie as I read his books.

I always feel completely immersed in his stories and I love the twisting and intricate mysteries he writres. Hard to have a better time with a murder mystery.

Dion Graham is the perfect narrator for this book.

Step into Harlem

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