Room to Swing

Winner of the 1958 Edgar Award for best novel, Room to Swing is noteworthy for its honest and insightful depiction of Black lives in 1950s America.

College-educated and decorated war-veteran Touissant Moore, finds that his employment options are limited as a Black man in 1950s America. With little choice, he seeks out a living as a private eye, serving Black clients in his hometown of Harlem. When hired by the television producers of a reality show called You-Detective! Touie must keep tabs on the whereabouts of an accused child molester.

While waiting for the episode to air, Touie finds the man murdered and becomes the prime suspect in the investigation. Forced to flee, he goes to a small Ohio town where the deceased was wanted for his crime. Touie encounters a new level of resistance and racism as a Black man asking questions in a predominantly White town.

Lacy asks whether a black man (in the late fifties) can go everywhere he needs to, with the freedom his job requires, in order to conduct the investigation necessary to crack a case. - Criminal Element