Rating: 
Summary: Short but not Sweet
Review: "Devil in a Blue Dress" is definitely not a book to read when you're feeling a bit low. The mystery in itself is wonderful and not typical: in a the late 1940's, an African American WWII veteran takes a job searching for a mysterious woman, Miss. Daphne Monet. Hired by the man who loves her (and is obviously missing her), Easy Rawlins is thrown into a confusing net of mob-esque connections out to end his life and a woman who seems to come and go as she pleases, who is seemingly related to no one in Easy's circle but seems to know everyone, and is constantly involved in some way with the shadiest possible characters. Questions abound: Who is this woman? What is her background? Why would a white woman have so many connections within Easy¡¯s African American circle? The novel gets a bit confusing at times - occasionally I had to turn back to the beginning to straighten out a few characters. No character is innately good or evil, thus every character seems all the more realistic. The story moves quickly in a "Joe Friday" way, if Joe Friday wasn't a policeman and had to deal with rampant racism and the extreme underbelly of LA life everyday. This story is full of surprises and makes sense in the end - unfortunately, its a sad sort of sense. "Devil in a Blue Dress" takes readers into the struggles African Americans experienced in before the Civil Rights movement. As a reader I feel I experienced Easy's problems with him: racism at work, ill-treatment from the police, and a general feeling that everyone white thought Easy was either out to scam them or had just returned from breaking the law. This novel made me very angry at times: I simply could not understand how an entire group of people could be treated so poorly without any cause. This novel contains a wonderful story, but it gives the reader quite a bit to think about - it made me feel lucky yet guilty at the same time. It provided me with an interesting glimpse into an oppressed life. ¡°Devil in a Blue Dress¡± is a powerfully political book disguised as detective fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: Murder and Temptation in 1948 Los Angeles
Review: "Devil in a Blue Dress" takes the reader to post-War Los Angeles, a city burgeoning with new industry and opportunity in 1948. The hero is Ezekiel "Easy" Rollins, a war veteran who came to L.A. for sunshine and good jobs, but now finds himself laid off and in danger of losing his home. A friend introduces him to a sleazy character named DeWitt Albright, who offers Easy the opportunity to make some money fast. Albright is looking for a woman named Daphne Monet. In a city that is largely socially segregated, Miss Monet, who is white, frequents black night clubs and has black friends -some of the same clubs and friends as Easy. Whether in desperation or out of pride, Easy accepts the job and sets out to find her. His search takes him on a tour of the city's shadows: underground jazz clubs, bootleggers and blackmailers, political corruption, and finally to the irresistible and mysterious Daphne Monet."Devil in a Blue Dress" is a pleasant, brisk read. Walter Mosley paints a colorful and intriguing picture of post-War Los Angeles. And his prose effectively expresses the fear and temptation that constantly compete for Easy Rollins' psyche. Easy Rollins is a working class detective who is lent a certain romanticism and distinction by the time and place in which the novel is set. This combination of qualities make Easy an ideal detective novel protagonist who will appeal to a wide array of readers. The character of Daphne Monet is less than believable, I'm afraid. But it is more essential that she be sexy and mysterious than that she be believed, so it is not a serious flaw. "Devil in a Blue Dress" has a little of everything -a likable hero, period ambiance, hard-boiled dialogue, sex, violence, mystery- without losing its focus. It won't appeal to fans of "cozies ", but most mystery buffs will find something enjoyable in it.
Rating: 
Summary: Shaft would be proud....
Review: a private eye tale told from the black perspective. also illuminating commentary on race relations in 1940's america, blacks in california. interracial relationships and a tour of the streets of l.a.; easy is a tough s.o.b. like a private eye is supposed to be. playing dumb when he has to and always finding luck when he needs it most. i haven't seen the movie yet, but i could hear denzel's voice thoughout the novel...easy is the kind of detective shaft would buy a drink for and share his women with...
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: A World War II veteran who has just returned to the United States, Easy Rawlins wants nothing more than to live the American dream - a good job, a nice house, and a worry-free life. Unfortunately, his dream shatters when he loses his job at the local defense plant - his sole source of income. He steps onto the pages of the novel by walking into Joppy's Bar, where he meets DeWitt Albright, a man who makes him an offer that he can't afford to refuse. His seemingly simple proposal offers Easy two choices: the refusal that would mean the loss of all that he owns to his creditors, and the acceptance that would plunge him into a world of desire, uncertainty, fear, and danger. True to the film noir tradition of using black and white, light and shadow, Walter Mosley creates a world in which moral codes are measured in shades of gray rather than good and evil. In this world there are no perfect people - the police force view the world through racially biased eyes, the mayor takes part in a horrific undercover sex trade, Easy is haunted by the faces of the German soldiers that he sent to their deaths, and even the beautiful Daphne Monet has a skeleton that she desperately wishes to keep in the closet. As the novel's hidden secrets come to light, one begins to understand that the moral code binding the novel's characters together hinges on their common understanding of the loyalty that is the primary virtue of an oppressed community. In the absence of a moral arbiter of "the way that things should be," each character realizes that loyalty must take precedence over the mandates of a corrupt legal system - after all, in the end, all you've got are your friends.
Rating:
Summary: Among the Best SoCal Mysteries
Review: As a southern California mystery writer with his first book in its initial release, I remain greatly impressed by DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS. Walter Mosley is one of the major talents in the crime fiction field, and his debut mystery is a terrific book. Easy Rawlings is a landmark character. Mosley handles his post-war Los Angeles setting better than any other author I can recall. This book could have been written by Raymond Chandler had he focused on an African-American protagonist. This book deals with California themes as well as Ross Macdonald did at his best. DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS is a contemporary classic.
Rating:
Summary: Devil in a Blue Dress
Review: Book Review for Devil in a Blue Dress By Walter Mosley Kristen Shepard Montgomery High School This is one of the best mystery books that I have read. I have never read any of Mosley's works so lets just say that he made a good first impression on me. I've always been interested in the spy/investigative books so that is what brought me to read Devil in a Blue Dress. The setting is Los Angeles in the 1940's and Easy Rawlins, the main character and a private eye, is a black veteran. He was just fired from his job at the aircraft factory and he can't pay mortgage for the home he loves. Joppy Shag is the owner of an illegal bar and is friends with Easy. My favorite character was Dewitt Albright. " His grip was strong but slithery, like a snake coiling around my hand" (p.2). Dewitt is friends with Joppy too, and is a white attorney/thug, who needs someone to find this white woman named Daphne Monet. Daphne is known to patronize the black jazz clubs. Dewitt asks Easy to do this search. Things aren't exactly going to well for him and he needs all the money he can get, so he accepts the deal. As he gets deeper in the case more and more bad things start happening; for example people start showing up dead. Easy decides to call a good friend who still lives in Easy's hometown, Huston. His name is Mouse and he was probably the worst thing to do at that time for Easy since he has been killing quite a few people. Somehow Easy is being blamed for some of the murders and if he can't find out who has been killing all these people then he can be sent to death row. There is still the problem of finding Daphne and what he finds out is that she isn't all that she seems to be, for she is in love with a very wealthy man named Mr. Carter and tries to be something she's not. When investigating Easy finds that he has the talent for questioning people in a way of getting the info he needs, take for example him and Mr. Carter, a man with a lot of power. Soon he finds himself talking to all sorts of rich white men like they were best friends. Still, being black in a white-ruled society heads him to information that he might not otherwise be able to obtain, even if the reason is degrading. This book was great. It made me another one of the many Walter Mosley fans and I am in the process of choosing between "A Red Death" and "White Butterfly" as the next Easy Rawlins mystery to read. I recommend this book to anyone who is at all interested.
Rating:
Summary: Devil in a Blue Dress
Review: Book Review for Devil in a Blue Dress By Walter Mosley Kristen Shepard Montgomery High School This is one of the best mystery books that I have read. I have never read any of Mosley's works so lets just say that he made a good first impression on me. I've always been interested in the spy/investigative books so that is what brought me to read Devil in a Blue Dress. The setting is Los Angeles in the 1940's and Easy Rawlins, the main character and a private eye, is a black veteran. He was just fired from his job at the aircraft factory and he can't pay mortgage for the home he loves. Joppy Shag is the owner of an illegal bar and is friends with Easy. My favorite character was Dewitt Albright. " His grip was strong but slithery, like a snake coiling around my hand" (p.2). Dewitt is friends with Joppy too, and is a white attorney/thug, who needs someone to find this white woman named Daphne Monet. Daphne is known to patronize the black jazz clubs. Dewitt asks Easy to do this search. Things aren't exactly going to well for him and he needs all the money he can get, so he accepts the deal. As he gets deeper in the case more and more bad things start happening; for example people start showing up dead. Easy decides to call a good friend who still lives in Easy's hometown, Huston. His name is Mouse and he was probably the worst thing to do at that time for Easy since he has been killing quite a few people. Somehow Easy is being blamed for some of the murders and if he can't find out who has been killing all these people then he can be sent to death row. There is still the problem of finding Daphne and what he finds out is that she isn't all that she seems to be, for she is in love with a very wealthy man named Mr. Carter and tries to be something she's not. When investigating Easy finds that he has the talent for questioning people in a way of getting the info he needs, take for example him and Mr. Carter, a man with a lot of power. Soon he finds himself talking to all sorts of rich white men like they were best friends. Still, being black in a white-ruled society heads him to information that he might not otherwise be able to obtain, even if the reason is degrading. This book was great. It made me another one of the many Walter Mosley fans and I am in the process of choosing between "A Red Death" and "White Butterfly" as the next Easy Rawlins mystery to read. I recommend this book to anyone who is at all interested.
Rating:
Summary: Enter Easy Rawlings
Review: Devil in a Blue Dress established Walter Mosely's reputation as a master of the mystery genre. The creation of Easy, the murderous Mouse, the seductive Daphne and the setting within the Black community transformed the novel from merely a whodunit into an elegant commentary on race. But if that weren't enough, read any page of this novel or any other book by Mosely (esp. Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned) and see how he controls the narrative and description. What is even more fascinating is to watch Mosely's growth in the series to where he tackles the big subjects like guilt and redemption in American life
Rating:
Summary: another brilliant work by walter mosley
Review: Devil in a blue dress is a outstanding book. I understand where Walter Mosley was coming from when he wrote this book. My favorite character is Easy Rawlins. I like Easy because of his attitude. Easy is about his money; Easy is like a real character who would be nice to met. Easy comes across a man name Dewitt Albright who wants to give him money for finding a girl. What happens next is very exciting. Walter Mosley wrote a excellent book and I would recommend this book to every one who enjoys comedy, drama and action.
Rating:
Summary: Try Blue Dress On For Size
Review: Easy Rawlins is not the typical private detective, but he is the freshest one to come around in a long time. Easy is an African American WWII veteran from Texas, now living in 1948 L.A. where he proudly owns a modest home. The home is all he has to be proud of since he got fired from his job at a defense plant. Life for Easy is not easy at all. Then one day, a white man dressed in a white suit offers Easy good money to locate a beautiful blonde known to hang out at black clubs. For a man with a mortgage and no money coming in, the offer is too good to be true. But then offers like this usually are. The plot sounds typical, but Mosley's writing is anything but. Mosley paints a clear and atmospheric picture of racial segregation in post-war L.A., but that picture is not overexposed. Easy not only has to endure the dangers of finding this girl, he must do it in a hostile background where white policemen and higher-ups look for any type of crime that they might pin on him. The story of the transplanted man from the south living on the west coast is not unfamiliar, but making him a black man facing prejudice on every side makes the story more alive and the plot more tension-filled. Again, this is not done in a heavy-handed way, but with a subtle touch that makes you want to turn the pages. Mosley is very much at home with the hard-boiled style of crime noir and it shows on every page. This is not a Hammett or Chandler re-hash. This is a fresh, lively, exciting mystery from a very fine writer. If you haven't experienced Mosley and Easy Rawlins, pick up the Blue Dress and try it on for size. 215 pages
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