Easy Rawlins is persuing the American Dream. After serving his country in WWII, he returns home, moves to L.A., gets a good job, and buys a small home. Things are going swell, till Easy suddenly finds himself out of a job, and the mortgage is due in a week.

So Easy jumps at the chance to earn a quick hundred bucks. All he has to do is find a girl for a repentant lover. Oh! I forgot to mention, Easy is a black man. He's looking for a white girl. And this is 1948 Watts. Easy finds himself caught in a mealstrom of extortion, graft, racism, and murder -- and that's just the mild stuff!

I read the book in one day. The reader will find it hard to put down as every page if full of action. A definite "must read".

This is a great first novel....Easy Rawlings is asked to find a beautiful blond woman who loves to frequent the black jazz clubs in 1948 LA

The first in the Easy Rawlins mystery series. We are introduced to the main character as he enters into his first detective "job." He comes out of it less than "squeaky-clean." I had a hard time liking this fellow, until about the third book. Now I'm getting ready to read Black Betty, and looking forward to it.

"The social commentary is sly, the dialogue fabulous, the noir atmosphere so real you could touch it. A first novel? That's what they say. Amazing. Smashing! -- LOUISE BERNIKOW, COSMOPOLITAN

Easy Rawlins is way cool and way noir!

Easy Rawlins books always provide a rollicking read. The book has wonderful atmosphere and grimy characters that become so real you can see them. I enjoyed the book very much.

Great start to a great series of books.

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