Thefirstnovelby“masterofmystery“(TheNewYorkTimes)WalterMosley,featuringEasyRawlins,themosticonicAfricanAmericandetectiveinalloffiction.Namedoneofthe“best100mysterynovelsofalltime“bytheMysteryWritersofAmerica,thisspecialthirtiethanniversaryeditionfeaturesanallnewintroductionfromtheauthor.Theyearis1948,thetownisLosAngeles.EasyRawlins,ablackwarveteran,hasjustbeenfiredfromhisjobatadefensefactoryplant.Drinkinginhisfriend’sbar,he’swonderinghowhe’llmanagetomakeendsmeet,whenawhitemaninalinensuitapproacheshimandoffershimgoodmoneyifEasywillsimplylocateMissDaphneMoney,amissingblondebeautyknowntofrequentblackjazzclubs.Easyhasnoideathatbytakingthisjob,hislifeisabouttochangeforever.“Morethansimplyadetectivenovel...[Mosleyis]atalentedauthorwithsomethingvitaltosayaboutthedistancebetweentheblackandwhiteworlds,andwithadramaticwaytosayit“(TheNewYorkTimes).
