A review by serendipitysbooks
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 Devil in a Blue Dress is a bit of a departure from my usual literary diet. It is hard boiled detective noir, set in Los Angeles in 1948. Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlings, a returned Black serviceman, is fired from his job and is worried about making the next payment on his prized possession - his house. So when he is a offered a gig trying to locate the wonderfully named Daphne Monet he accepts. Things get very complicated very quickly.

I thought the overall atmosphere of this was well done. I enjoyed the characterisation of Easy and way his experiences showcased some of the challenges faced by Black ex-servicemen. Race was integral to the plot and virtually every interaction between Black and white characters was rife with tension. Daphne was an interesting character. There was certainly more to her than we were led to believe at first. Her back story is shocking - definitely check for trigger warnings - and added another layer to the plot.

Overall this was an entertaining and enjoyable read. 
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