Loneliness has taken hold of Easy Rawlins. His daughter, Feather, is off on a youthful adventure in France. His son, Jesus, is on a fishing trawler with his wife and daughter. Women have come in and out of Easy’s life --- the most impactful left his world too soon, and the most recent of whom he had loved enough to set free.

Easy’s need to get himself out of his current malaise leads him to listen to Santangelo Burris, who asks him to locate his aunt, Lutisha James. Burris is agitated and requests that Easy find Aunt Lutisha so she can reach out to her mother. His behavior is hinky, as he dodges some of Easy’s inquiries and leaves no contact information. Still, Burris provides the money, and Easy feels compelled to move forward.

"Mosley’s flair for character development is undeniable in this 17th installment of the series, which is a gripping page-turner from start to finish."

As Easy takes over the case, he learns that Lutisha worked at an illegal numbers operation and was noted for her proficiency with figures. He also receives a warning from his good friend, Mouse, that she may not want to be found. As Easy digs deeper, he hears that Lutisha occasionally works as domestic help for a wealthy elderly woman in Bel Air. He is usually ready for anything in his investigations, but the multiple dead bodies in Bel Air, along with a newly orphaned child as the only witness to the killings, leave him startled.

Easy’s quest for answers leads him to seek out Burris, but this proves to be a literal dead end once he discovers him mortally wounded. He has little fruitful information to provide the cops about the mounting death toll connected to the case, but he knows that finding Lutisha will prove helpful.

Easy is pulled further and further into a netherworld of bad men and dirty dealings. His domestic life is about to get a little more complex with the reappearance of the beautiful temptress Amethystine. In addition, he receives word that Jesus is being targeted by the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD). This leads him to conduct his own investigation, which turns up rogue narcotics agents looking to recruit Jesus for drug runs in Mexico.

The prolific and immensely talented Walter Mosley infuses EASY DAWN with verve, intriguing new characters, and vivid imagery. Easy Rawlins’ adventures never cease to be interesting because he is a man of great depth and exemplifies many admirable qualities. While he is often removed from the violence used by friends and associates, he would forsake his pacifism when it comes to family and close friends. Easy is a cool customer, but this current case challenges him in ways that no previous case has.

Mosley’s flair for character development is undeniable in this 17th installment of the series, which is a gripping page-turner from start to finish.