Our Man in the Dark A Novel

A suspenseful debut novel based on a real person who worked for a civil rights organization and became an informant for the FBI during the months leading up to the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Feeling underappreciated and overlooked in the civil rights movement, Estem, a bookkeeper for Dr. King's Southern Christian Leadership Council, steals $10,000 from the organization. Originally planning to use the money to seed a new civil rights initiative in Chicago, he carelessly squanders the stolen funds. To the bookkeeper's further dismay, the FBI has been keeping close tabs on Dr. King and his fellow activistsincluding Estemfor years. FBI agents tell Estem that it is his duty, as both an American and as a civil rights supporter, to protect the SCLC from communist infiltration. The FBI offers Estem a generous stipend, but in case he has any doubts about refusing the assignment, they also warn him that they know about the stolen money. Estem makes the tough choice of assuming the role of detective for the FBI. Playing informant empowers Estem, but he soon learns that his job is not simply relaying information. Although shielding the SCLC from communist influence is the initial focus, once the FBI discovers evidence about King's sexual infidelities, they want Estem to pursue information that will undermine King's credibility as a moral leaderinformation that could ultimately undermine the success of the movement. This timely novel comes in light of recent revelations that government informants had infiltrated numerous black movement organizations. With historical facts at the core of Our Man in the Dark, Harrison uses real life as a great inspiration for his drama-filled art.

Rashad Harrison has been a contributor to Medicine Agency.com, an online journal of political and cultural commentary, and his writing has appeared in Reed magazine. He lives in Chicago, Illinois.