Up Jumped the Devil

Rating:
Summary: Might make a nice tv pilot if the writing wasn't so good!
Review: Darryl Billups, Baltimore Maryland Police Reporter, has to deal with office politics, personal relationships, and the evils of race hate and domestic terrorism. Walker has an excellent ear for conversations, and an excellent eye for real life situations. There is little need for suspension of disbelief, so well structured is the plot and the characterizations. A nice blend of public and private, suspense and romance.

Rating:
Summary: Great , refreshing, couldn't wait for the second book
Review: I just loved this book. A fan of mysteries, but having trouble finding ones to my liking, I was so pleased when I read this book. Daryll Billups, kept me laughing and intrigued. I also like that his character was fully developed. I loved hearing about what was going on in his life outside of his detective work. I liked the set up for a series, because I will be looking out for future books. Make sure you pick this one up.

Rating:
Summary: Not a bad first book at all, Mr. Walker.
Review: I read the mystery as part of a Black Literature discussion group here in suburban Maryland, outside DC. Good story. Humor. Action doesn't fade when the events begin to come together in the denouement. I identified with Darryl Billups more than I did with Easy Rollins in Walter Mosely's "Devil in a Blue Dress", although the latter had a better story line. Since our discussion group quickly got off the subject of Walker's book, I missed the opportunity to talk about the newspaper journalist's life, and places and scenes mentioned in the story about Baltimore. I will read Mr. Walker's next work as well.