This is the seventh
of Mosleys Easy Rawlins novels, dealing with Rawlins
search for a boy in trouble. Easy is looking for Brawly Brown, a
boy who has got into a lot of trouble with a secretive black
group, working to reject white leadership and laws. Easy quickly
discovers that that the trouble Brawly is in is only the tip of
the iceberg and it is not long before his own life is in danger.
In Easy Rawlins, Mosley has created a complex character. Setting
his novels in the LA of the Sixties is one challenge, but to
develop a freethinking, profound black man who is willing to work
with the whites is an even greater one. Mosley writes in dialect,
spelling the words as they are pronounced and whilst this may be
disconcerting at first, it adds authenticity to the novel. There
is a whole cast of characters, including Mouse Alexander, who may
or may not have died at the end of the previous novel. Mosley
craftily keeps the reader guessing in this respect, perhaps
wondering if there is a possibility of his return in a future
novel.
The great mix of
interesting characters may make some readers confused, due to the
swiftly changing locales and intricate plot. However, Rawlins
aim is clear to find the boy, get away from crime and back
to his normal life. It makes a change to read a book set in the
near past and the story works well, portraying a society where the
black man has yet to achieve equality and the white man is still
very much in control. Mosley has powerful talent as a storyteller
and his fans will love this latest addition to the Rawlins
collection. For first-time readers, however, it is advisable to
read the series from the start in order to avoid spoilers.
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