Devil in a Blue Dress

📘 About This Book

* WINNER OF THE CWA JOHN CREASEY AWARD* * THE FIRST NOVEL BY INTERNATIONALLY ACCLAIMED WRITER WALTER MOSLEY * 'A damn good read' VAL MCDERMID 'A brilliant novel' JONATHAN KELLERMAN 'A first novel of astonishing virtuosity' SUNDAY TIMES I need to find somebody and I might need a little help looking... The summer of '48 in the city of Angels and there's heat on the streets when Daphne Monet hits the sidewalk. Heat when she disappears with a trunkload of somebody else's cash. Easy Rawlins is a war veteran just fired from his job. Drinking in a friend's bar, he wonders how to meet his mortgage when a white man in a linen suit walks in, offering good money if Easy will locate Miss Monet, a blonde with a reputation. It's a simple decision, but for one thing. Nobody warned him - better the devil you know... 'Magnificent... a wonderful new talent' Financial Times 'Sharp and meatily convincing' The Times 'Perfectly balanced concoctions of lust, violence, politics and race' Sunday Times

📖 Summary

Walter Mosley’s celebrated debut novel, Devil in a Blue Dress, published in 2017, plunges readers into the scorching summer of 1948 in the City of Angels. The narrative introduces Ezekiel Easy Rawlins, a Black World War II veteran who finds himself suddenly unemployed and struggling to make his mortgage payments. While having a drink at a friend's bar, Easy is approached by a mysterious white man in a crisp linen suit who dangles the promise of good money in exchange for a seemingly straightforward task. The man needs help finding someone: a woman named Daphne Monet, a blonde with a notorious reputation who has recently vanished into the urban labyrinth with a trunkload of somebody else's cash. What begins as a simple missing person case quickly spirals into a web of danger, deception, and high-stakes survival. As Easy hits the sizzling Los Angeles sidewalks to track down Daphne Monet, he discovers that nothing in this world is as it appears on the surface. The heat on the streets mirrors the mounting tension as Easy navigates a perilous landscape where danger lurks behind every corner and nobody thought to warn him that it might be better to deal with the devil than the forces currently closing in on him. Mosley captures the atmospheric grit of post-war Los Angeles, blending a classic hardboiled detective template with the unique, complex social reality of an African American protagonist carving out a precarious existence in a segregated society. Throughout the 205 pages of this critically acclaimed novel, Mosley establishes an astonishing virtuosity that has earned praise from prominent literary figures like Val McDermid and Jonathan Kellerman, alongside awards such as the CWA John Creasey Award. Easy Rawlins emerges not merely as a traditional private investigator, but as a reluctant hero shaped by the traumas of war and the harsh everyday realities of racial prejudice in late-1940s America. The hunt for Daphne Monet forces Easy to rely on his wits, his resilience, and his understanding of the city's hidden networks. As secrets unravel and the body count rises, the financial desperation that initially drove Easy to accept the job becomes secondary to his desperate fight to stay alive. Devil in a Blue Dress is much more than a fast-paced genre exercise; it is a profound exploration of identity, survival, and the moral compromises required to navigate a corrupt world. Mosley crafts a rich, immersive environment where the social climate of the era acts as an invisible antagonist alongside the literal criminals Easy must outsmart. The gripping plot keeps readers guessing until the final pages, propelled by sharp dialogue, vivid scene-setting, and an unforgettable protagonist. For anyone seeking a masterclass in atmospheric fiction that combines historical texture with relentless suspense, Mosley's debut remains an essential and enduring contribution to the mystery genre.

🎯 Key Lessons

⚖️ Pros & Cons

✍️ About the Author

Walter MosleyView all books →

❓ FAQ

💬 💬 Reader Comments (0)