Blood Grove by Walter Mosley is a solid Easy Rawlins tale, with intriguing characters, engaging theme and complex plot. The book is set in 1969 but told by and large, with so many remarks as ‘back then . . . .’ We realize that it is not in present except, if Walter Mosley considers worldly-witted and experienced Easy, as a 101 year old man. This is certainly not an incidental matter, since race relations are a major topic in the book. As Easy ponders how a few things have changed and some have not it is ideal to know the view point from which he is talking. It would bear straightforwardly on both the authenticity or fairness of his perceptions as well as the idea of his extraordinary point of view.
The Blood Grove by Walter Mosley is fairly odd. A man comes to Easy Rawlins, accepting that he may have killed somebody. However, the location of the crime has been cleared of any evidence. Easy’s instinctual reaction (if you did anything, there’s no proof, so forget it, save your money and proceed onward) surrenders to his interest and feeling of obligation and compassion. The investigation takes him across SoCal, from the west end of Sunset to the orange forests of Orange County. We meet a large group of hooligans, Mafiosi, hookers, veterans and assorted victims and hunters, all with colourful speech and colourful names.
I was not devouring these pages for the wrongdoing as much as for the distinctive portrayals of the characters. Characters who wander into Easy Rawlins life and workplaces, his personal way of investigating by presenting and asking for help. His interaction with dangerous ladies, hapless hippies, murderous companions, frightening gangsters, and his enchanting relationship with his adopted daughter.
All in all, I’m hooked on the casually exquisite writing style and the entrancing narrative flow. In Walter Mosley’s books, I regularly need to stop reading to appreciate an especially pleasurable sentence or startling insight. Blood Grove was no special case. The plot appears to be convoluted and impossible, however all loose ends are tied up by the story’s ending.
Also Read: The Shadow Man: By Helen Fields
