Black Betty

Black Betty by Walter Mosley       Audio Book:  8 hrs., 35 mins   Paperback Book:  368 pages          

Good book.   I pictured Samuel L. Jackson as the lead character, Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins.   The story is told from Easy Rawlin’s perspective.   About a lady named Betty he had a mad crush on when he was a young boy.  He didn’t understand a lot of the goings on but many of Betty’s beaus would give him a nickel or a quarter to watch out to see that they were not disturbed while they went into dark alleys.  Lots of years have passed since those days of Easy’s youth and now someone has come to his door hired by a rich family to find her (Betty).   He was told the Easy Rawlin’s could find anybody and knew everybody.    Seems the rich Beverly Hills family that Betty has been working for for years has reported her missing and they want her back,    Seems there are a lot of whys since this is 1961 L.A. and Rawlins can’t imagine why this rich white family is so hot to find their maid who just didn’t show up to work one day.   Naturally there is way morfe here than meets the eye, and more than once in the story the Easy Rawlins’ is running for his life from white cops, business and property owners from Compton to Ojai, even some of his longtime friends are looking at him and treating him funny like they have it in for him, too.    Trying to take care of his non-blood children he took in from their abusive backgrounds and keep them safe from all the mayhem he is dealing with and stay alive himself from all the people who are now tracking him for his interest in Betty, it is an entertaining, edge of your seat nail biter.    Bodies are piling up and sometimes he just has to allow what will be to be and walk away letting the chips fall where they must (“You know somebody is gonna die, Easy, now is it gonna be you or you gonna tell me the name of who I’m looking for?”)    I didn’t realize this book was part of a series, but, it stands alone just fine, although you suspect there is lots of history between many of the characters.   I am going to have to start at the beginning and check out the Easy Rawlins series.  Mr. Mosley presents the underbelly of life for all to see and tells some fine tales about the goings on there and introduces some of the most well-rounded folks in all their glory and/or infamy as suits.   Good story.   If you like gritty private eye stories you will like this one for sure.     I did.   Highly recommend this to adult readers as there are adult themes involved.   Good book.