In 1950s America, a country marred by the scars of racism, college-educated and war-veteran Toussaint Moore confronts a society that offers him limited employment opportunities due to his race. As a Black private investigator in Harlem, Toussaint—familiarly known as Touie—handles cases for his community. His life takes a dramatic turn when he is hired for a reality TV show called 'You—Detective!' to track an accused child molester. However, before the show airs, Touie discovers the man murdered and suddenly finds himself the main suspect. The harrowing experience forces him to flee to a small town in Ohio, where he must navigate a precarious racial landscape to prove his innocence and solve the crime. Ed Lacy's 'Room to Swing' is more than a mystery; it is a stark examination of the freedoms and constraints that define a Black man's life in a segregated society.