Matthew Henson and the Ice Temple of Harlem

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MATTHEW HENSON AND THE ICE TEMPLE OF HARLEM is the first in a new exciting retro rollicking adventure series. This re-imagined pulp novel follows the Doc Savage-style adventures of the first black man to reach the North Pole -Matthew Henson. The tail end of the Roaring 20s. Harlem. Hired by controversial spiritual leader Daddy Paradise to retrieve his adult daughter who has been kidnapped, adventurer Matthew Henson does just that. Then he must safeguard the two until the firebrand can deliver a momentous speech at a mass rally. Henson must employ all his survival skills to fulfill his task-skills that kept him whole in forbidden jungles, across Asia, and in sub-zero ice storms when he first reached the North Pole. Henson's charge brings him face-to-face with such illustrious characters as gangster Dutch Schultz, who's looking to muscle out numbers racket boss Queenie St. Clair, and famed inventor Nikola Tesla who is using his electrical acumen to surveil plutocrats. Henson's pal Bessie Coleman, America's first black aviatrix lends a hand as well. With a death ray zeroing in on him, he races against the clock to save lives, and keep a mysterious and powerful meteor fragment he brought back from the Arctic years ago out of the hands of monied evil-doers. Set against the intellectual, artistic and political firmament that was the Harlem Renaissance, THE ICE TEMPLE OF HARLEM re-imagines explorer Matthew Henson in the style of Doc Savage and Indiana Jones. The one the Inuits adopted as their own and considered the best example of those from the distant South.

Reviews

Named Best Book of the Week by Booklist "While the entertainment value is high in MATTHEW HENSON AND THE ICE TEMPLE OF HARLEM, Phillips shows the racism Henson encountered on a daily basis. With its echoes of the Doc Savage series and the Indiana Jones movies, MATTHEW HENSON AND THE ICE TEMPLE OF HARLEM should make for long-running series."The South Florida Sun-Sentinel "Along with the rampaging retro action, Phillips smoothly incorporates biting social commentary on the racism of the era. Henson is a terrific character, larger-than-life in a movie-serial way, and the story's pacing is exquisite. The first installment in a projected series, this is a rousing adventure in the grand pulp tradition, a wildly entertaining extravaganza that almost demands to be filmed."Booklist (Starred) "A tropey and diverting adventure, distinguished by its Jazz Age Harlem setting and unflinching depiction of 1920s race relations."Publishers Weekly "Once again, Gary Philips displays his mastery of the pulp genre. Matthew Henson's already blinding star goes supernova in this wonderful romp into alternative history and larger-than-life classic adventure!"John Jennings, Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist "From its explosive beginning to its rollicking climax one exciting, pulp-driven ride. A gripping, entertaining novel that just wont let you go.Brendan DuBois, award-wining and New York Times bestselling author

Author Bio

Gary Phillips is the son of a mechanic and a librarian. He was weaned on too many comic books, Dashiell Hammett stories, reruns of the original Twilight Zone, and experiences ranging from community organizer to delivering dog cages. His 1950s set graphic novel the Be-Bop Barbarians riffs on race relations, jazz, police brutality and the Red Scare. His novel Violent Spring was the first such mystery set in the aftermath of the 1992 civil unrest, and he edited the Anthony award-winning anthology, The Obama Inheritance: Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir. He is story editor on FXs Snowfall, about crack and the CIA in 1980s South Central where he grew up. Visit him at https://gdphillips.com