Little Yellow Dog

By no means would I call myself a big fan of mystery novels, but I really enjoyed this book. Walter Mosley did a superb job of developing very interesting and memorable characters who really a lot to the story. Also, Mosley did a wonderful job with the plot. Despite what "A reader from Oregon" claims, the story does not "lag, drag, and fizz out." This novel has an exceptionally captivating plot, even for a non-mystery fan such as myslef. There were enough twists and turns to keep me guessing until the end! I normally do not read many mystery novels, and this is actually my first Walter Mosley novel. And even now, I wouldn't say that I am "hooked." But I will likely read more of his novels and maybe even read the whole Easy Rawlings series. If you are a fan of Mosely and/or mysteries, you will surely enjoy this!

Can a book have atmosphere? If it can, then this book has it. The descriptions of the school yard took me back, in a flash, to my elementary school in Long Beach, California years ago. Do you remember school rooms in bungalows? And tetherball? Mosley is absolutely THE master of dialogue. Sometimes too much of one author can get tiresome, but not in this case. I read BLACK BETTY just before this book and the dialogue continues to be fresh and sparkling. I enjoyed the dry humor sprinkled throughout the story. It suits Easy very well and I'd like to see more of it in future books. The foray into the culinary experience was another new addition that I liked a lot. The main story line held together well and moved along almost effortlessly. I finished this book yesterday and I still don't know how I feel about the ending. I'm sure it will stay with me for a long while. Walter Mosley is one of the best authors around today, in my opinion. I eagerly await the next installment in the saga of Easy Rawlins.

Easy Rawlins is the most unique protagonist in the mystery genre. He is always trying to get ahead without drawing unfavorable attention to himself. Whenever he seems to be making progress, crime and violence dog his footsteps . . . soon bringing the LAPD behind them to hassle him. If this sounds familiar, there is a good chance that Jean Valjean of Les Miserables is the real inspiration for Easy Rawlins.Having grown up in Southern California at the time Mosley is writing about, I am very impressed with his ear for language and his eye for detail about those time. In A Little Yellow Dog, Easy has moved into the 1960s and is operating closer to the legal side than ever before. He soon finds himself surrounded by corpses, accusations, and the potential to lose his job, his children, and his freedom. Faced with those terrible consequences, he returns to his old friends for help in unraveling a satisfying mystery. Clearly, part of the appeal of this book is that Easy's vantage point on America is different from that of most readers. He is a black man with community connections to those who bend and break the law, yet he is a good man. How he will resolve the conflicts that inevitably occur due to his personal values, commitments to others, and the racisim of his society provides a satisfying look at the true nobility of man. That's what takes this book well beyond the normal well-written mystery.I liked the way that Easy developed as a person in this novel, bridging the gap between his aspirations and his former life. This provides more interesting plot twists, character development, and a chance to revisit characters who worked well in the earlier novels.A Little Yellow Dog is a top-notch successor to the earlier books in the Easy Rawlins series. Don't miss it!

Can a book have atmosphere? If it can, then this book has it. The descriptions of the school yard took me back, in a flash, to my elementary school in Long Beach, California years ago. Do you remember school rooms in bungalows? And tetherball? Mosley is absolutely THE master of dialogue. Sometimes too much of one author can get tiresome, but not in this case. I read BLACK BETTY just before this book and the dialogue continues to be fresh and sparkling. I enjoyed the dry humor sprinkled throughout the story. It suits Easy very well and I'd like to see more of it in future books. The foray into the culinary experience was another new addition that I liked a lot. The main story line held together well and moved along almost effortlessly. I finished this book yesterday and I still don't know how I feel about the ending. I'm sure it will stay with me for a long while. Walter Mosley is one of the best authors around today, in my opinion. I eagerly await the next installment in the saga of Easy Rawlins