Little Scarlet: An Easy Rawlins Novel by Walter Mosley Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Little Scarlet: An Easy Rawlins Novel
Book Review: This arguably ranks among the best of Mosley's work
Summary: 5 Stars
Walter Mosley may well be one of the most versatile writers of contemporary American fiction. While he is best known for his historical mystery novels featuring private investigator Easy Rawlins, he easily and fluidly works within other genres, such as science fiction and mainstream fiction. It is Rawlins, however, who is Mosley's bread and butter, and it is always a pleasure when Mosley returns to him and to mid-20th century Los Angeles. Mosley captures that era in the same manner as Raymond Chandler and Ross McDonald, but from a markedly different perspective.Mosley's latest Rawlins novel arguably ranks among the best of Mosley's work; certainly it is one of his most accessible. Mosley's plots occasionally become so complex that the reader can become lost in the events. This is not the case with LITTLE SCARLET, though it is by no means a simple tale. It is a multi-layered story of complicated people and the wrong, unintended and otherwise, that is so often done.
LITTLE SCARLET takes place during and after the Watts race riots. While Rawlins doesn't condone the senselessness of the participants' actions, he does understand their rage and appreciates that a corner has been turned. It is against this backdrop that Rawlins finds himself summoned by the LAPD and asked to assist in the investigation of a murder. A woman named Nola Payne, known as Little Scarlet, was brutally murdered in her Watts apartment at the height of the riots. Payne had given shelter to an unknown white man who had been attacked by rioters; the man is now a suspect in the investigation of her murder.
The police are reticent to send white officers into the area due to the riots and feel that Rawlins's race, coupled with his abilities as an effective, albeit unofficial, private investigator, will be a better method of determining who murdered Payne. Rawlins, though not part of the riots, is feeling the exhilaration of the mood of the times and cannot resist repeatedly and, at times hilariously, bearding the police in their own den.
Rawlins also receives a letter of empowerment as a consultant from the Deputy Police Commissioner. This serves as an interesting plot vehicle, not only for getting Rawlins out of occasional jams, but also for increasing his stature among his friends, such as Raymond "Mouse" Alexander. There is one vignette involving Mouse, Rawlins and the letter that provides some comic relief in this otherwise grim story of duplicity, anger and forbidden passions. Rawlins discovers the identity of Payne's murderer soon enough, but the catalyst for the murderer's anger is a mystery until this fine work nears its conclusion. Along the way Rawlins grapples with a number of temptations of the flesh and spirit, trying to remain true to others but first and foremost to himself, a good man trying to stay that way in a flawed and dangerous world.
Rawlins has steadily developed and grown as a character and, like the work of his creator, is not easily defined or characterized. It is this quality, with Mosley's poetic turns of phrase, memorable characters and realistic settings that make LITTLE SCARLET, with his other work, such worthwhile reading.
--- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
Book Review: Mosley swings and misses
Summary: 3 Stars
If you are like me, a big Easy Rawlins fan, you'll get this book no matter what any reviewer says. You'll also be very disappointed. I can only assume that the previous reviewers loved this book because they have read few if any other books in this series and thus don't have anything to compare it to. This book comes up short for several reasons:First, the author squanders a great opportunity to reintroduce one of the best characters of the Easy Rawlins novels: Mouse. (Now, I am not giving away the farm because the dust jacket tells us that Easy's longtime friend Mouse reappears). In an earlier book in the series, Mouse is shot and seriously wounded. Before we learn his fate, we are told that his wife whisks him from his hospital bed. We know that Mosley is just teasing us and that Mouse will make some dramatic appearance in a later book.
Here is that dramatic appearance, only lacking any drama: "Yeah," another woman said. "I seen him 'wit Mouse, down at EttaMae Harris's place. They was havin' a barbecue." This is our first clue that Mouse is alive, a passing remark that he was at a barbecue. (This is great fiction. I can feel my heart racing!) If the script writers for Dallas followed Mosley's formula, the "Who Shot JR" episode would be followed by JR sitting at the dinner table, with Bobby Ewing asking him, "Say, weren't you shot the other day? Oh, and pass the biscuits."
I expected Mouse to return when Easy is surrounded by thugs, the small well-dressed Mouse coming out of the shadows, armed to the max, asking Easy, "Did you miss me brother?" before dropping a few of the bad guys.
That's my biggest gripe, but not the only one. This novel also lacks the pacing, passion, and action of the other books. There's really no excitement here. Not enough shoot outs, fights, and other fun stuff found in the other books. It's more like a Columbo made-for-TV movie.
So, buy this book if you must, but don't expect a heck of a whole lot.
Book Review: A good Mystery wrapped in a slice of history
Summary: 4 Stars
I have enjoyed Walter Mosley's writing over the years especially because he is a blackman writing about black characters, unlike James Patterson and his Alex Cross novels. In this edition during the last days of the Watts riots, a black woman named Little Scarlet, is found murdered in her apartment, a building that a white man entered after escaping a mob of rioters. Did this man commit the murder? Rawlin's is soon on the case. As in past novels the mystery is a way for the reader to look into an earlier time, in this case the late 1960's. Through Rawlin's eyes the reader experinces the conflicting feelings of the black investigator toward the riots: great sadness for the loss of life, but also understanding the anger that caused the riots in the first place. In all this is a good mystery wrapped up in a slice of history. I don't normally recommend other books but if you like thriller/mysteries look for "A Tourist in the Yucatan."Book Review: A good mystery wrapped up in a slice of history!
Summary: 4 Stars
I have enjoyed Walter Mosley's writing over the years especially because he is a blackman writing about black characters, unlike James Patterson and his Alex Cross novels. In this edition during the last days of the Watts riots, a black woman named Little Scarlet, is found murdered in her apartment, a building that a white man entered after escaping a mob of rioters. Did this man commit the murder? Rawlin's is soon on the case. As in past novels the mystery is a way for the reader to look into an earlier time, in this case the late 1960's. Through Rawlin's eyes the reader experinces the conflicting feelings of the black investigator toward the riots: great sadness for the loss of life, but also understanding the anger that caused the riots in the first place. In all this is a good mystery wrapped up in a slice of history.Book Review: terrific private investigator tale
Summary: 5 Stars
In 1965, the riots have devastated Los Angeles, but Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins knows that atrocities will follow as some of the mom and pop storeowners will lose more than their livelihood in the aftermath. As he tries to keep a friend Theodore Steinman safe, LAPD Detective Suggs demands that Easy come with him or face arrest for practicing private sleuthing without a license, not that a Negro will be granted such a permit. Though he insists that he is just a custodian at Sojourner Truth JHS who also does Research and Delivery, Easy knows he has no choice but to accompany the cop.Suggs, Captain Fleck, and Deputy Chief Jordan show Easy the corpse of scarlet haired Nola Payne, whom they claim is victim #34 of a killer. The cops also say that the suspected culprit was seen entering the apartment building where the murder of Little Scarlet occurred. Because of the riots, the brass wants white cops to keep their presence to a minimum to avoid inciting further disturbances. Thus, Jordan drafts Easy to find the culprit before others are killed.
LITTLE SCARLET is a terrific private investigator tale that is enhanced by the insightful look at the 1965-Watts riots. The story line moves fast along two interconnecting plots as the audience follows Easy with Mouse's assistance search for the vanished prime suspect to a backdrop of a raging populace that come to life as only Walter Mosley can achieve. It is the historical perspective that makes for a gripping tale that readers will appreciate and have to come expect from one of the best authors of any genre over the five or so.
Harriet Klausner