Rating: 
Summary: Noir in '50s LA
Review: A departure from the Easy Rawlins series, this second Fearless Jones novel, set in 1950s LA, is narrated by Fearless' sidekick, Paris Minton, a fearful, neurotic, intellectual Watts bookshop owner. Fearless, aptly named, has a soft side for women in trouble, so when a woman asks him to find her husband, a man Fearless has been working for, he enlists Paris' help.Paris shudders at the thought, but his big friend brings out the courage in him - "being friends with him was like having one of God's second cousins as a pal" - and besides, a white man shows up looking for Fearless. "I needed to know if my friend's problems were going to spill over onto me." Mosley writes a well-plotted mystery, full of twists and murders and double crossings, but within the mystery framework he explores nuances of character and the ways black people get by in the white people's world. Inarticulate, dangerous Fearless, living day-to-day, is a generous, principled man with an uncanny ability to read people, while Paris, the literate one, fights a craven, selfish streak. Paris is reflective though, and while not always proud of himself, he knows what he can live with. The plot takes us through the alleys and backstreets of LA, to bail bondsmen, aggressive cops and LA's wealthiest black businesswoman who has suffered a robbery so devastating she won't talk about it. As always, Mosley's writing is eloquent and compact, atmospheric and gritty. Grasping family members, racist cops and lowlifes of both colors, as well as the fluid Fearless and the twitchy Paris, propel the plot through the force and weakness of their characters.
Rating:
Summary: Fearless Jones and Paris Minton make an unbeatable team
Review: FEAR ITSELF allows you to get into the minds of Paris and Fearless. Paris repeatedly calls himself a coward, but his behavior belies that title. A man is not a hero because he has no fear. A man is a hero because he IS afraid, and he does the right thing anyway. I enjoyed the fact that both Paris and Fearless are fallible. That makes them more realistic to me. As the two follow clues to the fantastic conclusion of the tale, they both have to fight against impulses that tempt them to walk on the bad side. Excellent book, as usual, Mr. Mosley!
Rating:
Summary: Rhapsody in Noir (Continued)
Review: Fear Itself wonderfully lives up to the superb quality of Fearless Jones, which began this series. If you haven't read Fearless Jones, I recommend reading that book first. Fearless Jones is the finest new mystery I have read in decades. Its qualities place it alongside classics like The Maltese Falcon, while its deep exploration of human nature causes it to transcend the mystery genre. The story's subtle psychology reminds me of an ancient Greek drama. This book represents a new peak in the imagination and the writing of the immensely talented Mr. Walter Mosley. You have a rare treat in store. Start this book early in the day. You probably won't want to put it down. Like the frozen expressions on Greek tragedians' masks, Fearless Jones considers three kinds of human motivation: The self-interested satisfaction of the senses; the rational mind assembling the pieces of a puzzle; and good character that comes the heart. The narration builds from the rational mind and conveys all of the classic elements of the best noir mysteries. Mosley's point is that good character will naturally triumph because of the finer emotions and responses it will evoke in others. I suspect that you will agree with him, and feel uplifted by this tale despite the plot's pathway through many dark alleys of depravity. Few writers can take you inside the mind and body of the characters like Mr. Mosley. In both Fearless Jones and Fear Itself, you will think and feel along with Paris Minton, the owner of a used bookstore in Watts in the mid-1950s. Minton is a largely self-educated black man from Louisiana who came to California to find libraries that were open to all. His store's books are discards from local libraries. He has achieved a fragile kind of peaceful life, living and working in his bookstore (and reading when there are no customers, which is often). His friend, Fearless Jones, is the archetype of the medieval knight errant . . . always looking to do a good deed. In Fear Itself, Fearless (Tristan) Jones wakes Paris up in the middle of the night because Fearless has promised to help a woman Fearless had never met before, Leora Hartman, who was holding the hand of a three year-old who was crying his eyes out. A World War II hero, the two met when Minton spontaneously bought Jones a drink during the post-war celebration. "He appreciated my generosity and gave me a lifetime of friendship for a single shot of scotch." As you can see, Mr. Mosley writes like an angel. The book revolves around a missing farmer from Wayne, Texas, Kit Mitchell, who has been hiring Fearless to distribute his watermelons. The mystery soon adds more missing people and items, and other people who want to pay Paris and Fearless to find whatever is missing. However, people are more willing to pay than to describe what they are supposed to be looking for. Whatever it is, it's dynamite! The story reminds me The Big Sleep in a positive way. No review of this book would be complete without observing that Mr. Mosley again demonstrates an unbelievable ability for capturing the black experience in Southern California in the post-war period. He has an equally uncanny skill for weaving a personalized view of that vulnerable, hopeful footing into the fabric of the overall society during those years. I think that Fear Itself is his most imaginative work in this regard. He adds richness to black heritage in an unforgettable and intriguing way. As much as I enjoyed the story, these heritage elements overshadowed the mystery completely. After you finish reading the book, I suggest that think back to the many moments of spontaneous kindness in the story. How did you feel when you read them? How would you feel if someone behaved in this way towards you? When was the last time that you offered the fullness of your heart's purest motives to a stranger or near-stranger? How would you feel if you did so more often? Who are you? Who could you be? Who do you want to be? Live beyond your fears and your desires . . . and be free!
Rating:
Summary: Rhapsody in Noir (Continued)
Review: Fear Itself wonderfully lives up to the superb quality of Fearless Jones, which began this series. If you haven't read Fearless Jones, I recommend reading that book first. Fearless Jones is the finest new mystery I have read in decades. Its qualities place it alongside classics like The Maltese Falcon, while its deep exploration of human nature causes it to transcend the mystery genre. The story's subtle psychology reminds me of an ancient Greek drama. This book represents a new peak in the imagination and the writing of the immensely talented Mr. Walter Mosley. You have a rare treat in store. Start this book early in the day. You probably won't want to put it down. Like the frozen expressions on Greek tragedians' masks, Fearless Jones considers three kinds of human motivation: The self-interested satisfaction of the senses; the rational mind assembling the pieces of a puzzle; and good character that comes the heart. The narration builds from the rational mind and conveys all of the classic elements of the best noir mysteries. Mosley's point is that good character will naturally triumph because of the finer emotions and responses it will evoke in others. I suspect that you will agree with him, and feel uplifted by this tale despite the plot's pathway through many dark alleys of depravity. Few writers can take you inside the mind and body of the characters like Mr. Mosley. In both Fearless Jones and Fear Itself, you will think and feel along with Paris Minton, the owner of a used bookstore in Watts in the mid-1950s. Minton is a largely self-educated black man from Louisiana who came to California to find libraries that were open to all. His store's books are discards from local libraries. He has achieved a fragile kind of peaceful life, living and working in his bookstore (and reading when there are no customers, which is often). His friend, Fearless Jones, is the archetype of the medieval knight errant . . . always looking to do a good deed. In Fear Itself, Fearless (Tristan) Jones wakes Paris up in the middle of the night because Fearless has promised to help a woman Fearless had never met before, Leora Hartman, who was holding the hand of a three year-old who was crying his eyes out. A World War II hero, the two met when Minton spontaneously bought Jones a drink during the post-war celebration. "He appreciated my generosity and gave me a lifetime of friendship for a single shot of scotch." As you can see, Mr. Mosley writes like an angel. The book revolves around a missing farmer from Wayne, Texas, Kit Mitchell, who has been hiring Fearless to distribute his watermelons. The mystery soon adds more missing people and items, and other people who want to pay Paris and Fearless to find whatever is missing. However, people are more willing to pay than to describe what they are supposed to be looking for. Whatever it is, it's dynamite! The story reminds me The Big Sleep in a positive way. No review of this book would be complete without observing that Mr. Mosley again demonstrates an unbelievable ability for capturing the black experience in Southern California in the post-war period. He has an equally uncanny skill for weaving a personalized view of that vulnerable, hopeful footing into the fabric of the overall society during those years. I think that Fear Itself is his most imaginative work in this regard. He adds richness to black heritage in an unforgettable and intriguing way. As much as I enjoyed the story, these heritage elements overshadowed the mystery completely. After you finish reading the book, I suggest that think back to the many moments of spontaneous kindness in the story. How did you feel when you read them? How would you feel if someone behaved in this way towards you? When was the last time that you offered the fullness of your heart's purest motives to a stranger or near-stranger? How would you feel if you did so more often? Who are you? Who could you be? Who do you want to be? Live beyond your fears and your desires . . . and be free!
Rating:
Summary: Very strong and enjoyable
Review: Fearless Jones is Paris Minton's best friend but that doesn't mean that Paris looks forward to Fearless at the door. Fearless always brings trouble and this time is no exception. Fearless is looking for the father of a little boy--but the search soon turns up murder. Even more dangerous for an African-American in 1950s Watts, the murdered people are white. As Paris and Fearless investigate, it seems that everyone wants to give Paris money. He's not opposed to money, but he's wise enough to know that money comes with strings attached--enough string to hang him. Author Walter Mosley provides a telling look into the racism and fear that constituted Los Angeles in the 1950s and that still prevades much of society. Paris, the narrator, makes a convincing character. He is fearful, small, and greedy. Fearless, in contrast, is, uh, fearless. Paris likes to think of himself as much smarter than Fearless, but his smarts lands him in trouble while Fearless's inate honesty keeps him (mostly) safe. Of course it doesn't hurt either of them that Fearless is fast with his hands and can't remember losing a fight. FEAR ITSELF has something of a film-noire quality. There are enough characters and suspects that it's easy to get confused but the strong narrative and stronger characters kept me entranced. FEAR is a sequel to FEARLESS JONES but stands completely separate and can be read independently. This is a highly professional and enjoyable work. Mosley's writing is compelling and smooth. His historical setting is fascinating, and his characters are complex.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but confusing with red herrings
Review: I enjoy walter's books no matter who the main characters are. the fearless jones novels are good ones but i continue to find it strange that he is not the main character. its like the sherlock holmes novels, such as "hound of the baskervilles" where you have watson doing all the narrating - in this case, fearless' buddy paris. everything fearless jones apes sherlock holmes, just more confusingly and more my style.
once again the mousy little bookeeper paris minton gets roped into a bunch of illegal garbage thanks to his best friend fearless being somewhere he wasn't supposed have been been in the first place. next thing paris knows, he's spying around hotels like james bond, finding dead bodies like canine cops and getting beaten up like a slave. all because fearless got mixed in with some burglars, a trio of murders and a rich black women whom he can't trust anymore than the rich white man paris gets kidnapped by. he's in over his head to say the least.
paris is a great character and walter finally fleshes out paris' love for the written word and his hate for violence. we see paris as a punk who cracks under the slightest pressure, yet puts himself in dangerous situations to help his best buddy. fearless is a nicely rounded creation in his own right. the perfect opposite of paris, fearless is no einstein, often reminding me of lenny from "of mice and men," as he lets himself get duped into the stupidest hazards either from not knowing any better or just trying to do the right thing. tall and powerfully built, fearless is a born fighter and accompished war veteran who seems only smart enough to stay alive and keep a little change in his pocket. together, both fellas make for enjoyable reading.
walter puts together a nice story with a large plot full of unnecessary twists and the occasional red herring. also, there are so many characters its easy to get lost. unlike with the last mosely novel i read, i made a conscious effort to really concentrate on characters and story zigzags because i refused to get lost this time. if you don't give it your full attention, you're lost.
i still got lost. but i was smart enough to put some things together and roll with it. moreover, also unlike a few of his other novels which i've read, "fear itself" makes use of just about all the clues presented to us and combines them together at the end, wrapping it all up in a neat little confusing package. my experience with a couple of his easy rollins stories left me with nice characters, a nice story and a final wrapup based upon evidence we'd never even read, let alone could have deduced for ourselves. sure, it kept me in the dark, which is good as far as mystery writing goes, but i call it cheating a little. at least there was none of that here.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow and plodding... Not his best...
Review: I have never gotten into the Fearless Jones stories. It has always hit me as a "watered-down-Kool Aid" version of Easy Rawlins. This one was one or two clicks better than the first Fearless Jones novel but not much. This was little more than a fire drill in a chicken pen... a lot squawking and flapping and running in circles but not much getting done.
If you wish to do a true contrast/comparison read "Little Scarlet". The setting of both books is the same historical period where Paris Minton even makes a cameo appearance... it is obvious what I am talking about.
Rating:
Summary: Another Mosley Delight!
Review: I'm still waiting for Walter Mosley to turn out a bad book. In this outing (Paris and Fearless's second) Mosley crafts a winding plot that keeps unfolding new surprises until the last few chapters. Paris Minton is an almost unique hero among the genre. He's an unmitigated coward. He's honorable and likeable, but fear often controls his life. FEAR ITSELF should please Mosley's legions of fans. Even the most ardent Easy fan should appreciate the characters and story here. A few characters from the Easy series make appearances here, or are mentioned. This wasn't Mosley's best work, but it is still one of the two or three best books I've read this year. I've read Lehane, Connelly, Leonard and more recently, but Mosley is clearly on top of the pile right now. He's on top of his game right now. The other stars of the genre are good, but Mosley is great. Probably the only guy that matches him is George Pelecanos.
Rating:
Summary: Great historical mystery
Review: In 1955 Los Angeles, Leora Hartman hires Fearless Jones to find Kit Mitchell, the father of her son, who simply vanished. Though the case seems quite simple, finding someone who appears to have just moved on, Fearless quickly concludes he needs some intellectual help and who better than a book lover would suffice? So he enlists his friend, book seller Paris Minton to help him. However, the easy queries that his mousy friend makes soon prove perilous as everyone including the client lie and are willing to use, even perhaps kill, Fearless and Paris. Others have vanished too with the sleuthing duo learning they, including Kit, are probably all dead. The dynamic pair (at least one dynamo and one passive) soon finds themselves as part of the focus of a war between local VIPs, a cosmetics queen and a developer, which also makes Fearless and Paris important to LAPD. Have no fear, FEAR ITSELF is a great historical mystery that not only brings to life pre- Dodger LA, but does so inside an exciting who-done-it. Though perhaps the novel has too much subterfuge (and consequently subplots), the keys to this terrific tale are the lead detectives. Fearless lives up to his name, as he is somewhat like many of the genre's hard boiled types. However, Paris brings freshness by not being a superhero preparing to break steel with his teeth. Instead he is an intelligent individual so frightened with the threats to his well being and from what he has learned about the affluent, fans including those in Brooklyn, will feel at home with him even if Johnny Padres is winning the subway series a continent away. Harriet Klausner
Rating: 
Summary: Fear Not
Review: It wasn't enjoyable as Brawly Brown. The story at first went really well. But it was case too many characters in the book which didn't fit in the storyline.After awhile I soon lost interested in the outcome of the book. While I enjoyed the character of Fearless Jones and Paris Minton. They weren't use well in this novel. Although I'm a huge Walter Mosley fan I was disappointed.
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