Mystery is not a genre I dive into very often, but I always make an exception for the well-written characters of Walter Mosley: Socrates Fortlow, Fearless Jones, Leonid McGill, and — my favorite — Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins. Over the course of 10 novels, spanning from 1948 to 1967, the L.A.-based black detective and World War II vet has solved murders while confronting the racial inequities that are sadly still a part of the African American experience.
When the author appeared to kill off Rawlins in 2007's Blonde Faith, I mourned the end of a great series. But Mosley delighted his fans with Easy's return this past summer. In Little Green, Easy is cruising the Sunset Strip during the Summer of Love, recovering from his injuries as he investigates the disappearance of a young black man on a bad acid trip and his reappearance with over $200,000 he can't explain.
If you're an Easy fan, reading Little Green is like slipping on a comfortable pair of shoes. All your favorite supporting players are back (plus a surprise return). And if you've never read the series, I urge you to start at the beginning with Devil in a Blue Dress. You won't be