Rating: 
Summary: Mosley back in his old form
Review: Walter Mosley appears to have written himself into a trap, or something like this. He seems to like the era and the atmosphere of post-war Los Angeles, the setting of the early Easy Rawlins novels. The era seems stark, unforgiving, and at the same time the morality plays that evolve are more black and white (if that's an acceptable turn of phrase) than now. He's done two volumes of short stories that are set in contemporary times, but the author has given them a veneer of racism and anger that at times seems forced, by comparison. In his latest series, he's returned to the forties and what he seems to enjoy. But in the meanwhile, he has to keep the Easy Rawlins fans happy (after all this is his fan base, an important constituency) and he can't keep reverting to Easy's earlier years, like he did in Gone Fishin' a couple of years ago. He needs to move forward.The result is Bad Boy Brawly Brown, a very good entry in the series, following Easy through the streets of 1964 Watts and Compton, as he searches for the son of a friend's girlfriend. The son is a big, strong, not-very-smart young man who's been taken in by the Black Power movement of the sixties, and it seems that there's trouble brewing. A few pages into the book, looking for the boy, Easy stumbles onto a dead body, and then finds himself fleeing the police. The book then follows Easy while he delves into the affairs of the First Men, a fictional group (I believe) that looks a bit like the Black Panthers, and crossing paths with gunrunners, women of easy virtue, old friends from Texas, thieves, and working people who inhabit the black neighborhoods of Los Angeles in 1964. I enjoyed this book a great deal, and it's well worth the wait.
Rating:
Summary: Good Easy Helps Hard Bad Boy
Review: Walter Mosley makes 5 stars again with this book, bringing Ezekiel (Easy) Rawlins and the memory of Mouse back to his fans. This was, as usual, a great read! We're ready for #8 Walter.
Rating:
Summary: THE RETURN OF EASY!
Review: What can you say-the return of one of my favorites street wise detectives. Easy Rawlins is a everyday, hardworking, street smart houstonian, who moved to L.A. for a change but instead has only encountered changes and drama every where he turns. He is the guy you call when you need help in your neighborhood. His best friend was shot and left for dead some years back but now Easy has returned. Thank you Walter Mosely. Once again Easy is helping an old friend find his stepson. The stepson, Brawly, has gotten involved with a bunch of mislead and misguided group of youngsters who want to change the world but is going about it the wrong way. All of this is taken place during the turbelant 60's when race relations are not even measured on the ricter scale. What does Easy do? So many choices and very little time. The Return of Easy-I can't wait for the next Easy Rawlins Novel.
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