*** 
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
My latest readings...
I just finished up a run of some very good books, tops among them Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. This is my first Walter Mosley book and I loved the old southern, African-American voice. My mom's family is from East Texas and the expressions and tones are all what I grew up with, which shows that a lot of dialog does transcend race. Anyway, the mystery was pretty good, nothing greatly suspenseful, but the character of Easy Rawlins is unforgettable. From Amazon:
One of the things that really hit me was the sense of injustice that Easy has to deal with. It's done in a very matter-of-fact way that makes the reader hurt for the main character. It's definitely a violent world that he runs in. High recommended.
The year is 1948, and black war veteran "Easy" Rawlings has just lost his job and is hard up for a mortgage payment. Along comes DeWitt Albright, a violent white man with a simple job for Easy: find the woman wearing a blue dress in a particular photograph. Easy makes his way to the steamy black jazz clubs of Los Angeles and discovers he's not the only one interested in the mysterious lady. Soon murder litters the trail, and the Los Angeles police become curious about Easy's whereabouts. The steamy, gritty life in Watts is the backdrop for this fine mystery, which is filled with exceptionally crafted characters, detailed atmosphere, and a compelling story line. Strongly recommended for most mystery collections.
One of the things that really hit me was the sense of injustice that Easy has to deal with. It's done in a very matter-of-fact way that makes the reader hurt for the main character. It's definitely a violent world that he runs in. High recommended.
