Black Betty

An Easy Rawlins Mystery

By: Walter Mosley

Narrated by: Michael Boatman

Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

Detective Easy Rawlins returns in a mystery set in 1961 Los Angeles as Easy accepts a job searching for a beautiful woman nicknamed Black Betty who works as a housekeeper in Beverly Hills.

Hear more of Walter Mosley's Easy Rawlins mysteries.

©2002 Walter Mosley (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Mosley's distinctive black investigator, Easy Rawlins, has moved from Watts to West L.A. with his two adopted children, but trouble still follows him. Hired to locate a sultry female acquaintance from his early days in Houston, Easy searches for her gambler brother and questions her Beverly Hills employer, unwittingly provoking racist police harassment. Meanwhile, friend Raymond ("Mouse") has been released from prison and vows revenge on the snitch who put him there. Mosley, as usual, describes a historically correct ethos in deft, literate prose." ( Library Journal)

I'm already looking fwd 2 my next "Easy" adventure

Colorful characters from the inner city. Insight into life in Los Angeles inner city life from the perspective of a patriotic African American veteran of WWII who lives life in the "gray". He knows life is not clear cut "black and white" on moral issues living in a community that is still steeped in the traditions of America's previous 400 years. He has the heart of "Sir Lancelot" but he knows he does not live in "Camelot". He helps people and he hurts people as a pseudo private detective. He works with the "establishment" and he breaks the rules and would be treated an outlaw if caught breaking the rules of law when he sees a higher moral justification. I love other genre's such as counterespionage, detective, adventure and historical fiction but I find the "Easy Rawlins" series so comfortably enjoyable. It reminds me of past characters in my early life in the 50's and 60's before leaving the south side of Chicago, going off to college in small town Iowa and subsequently becoming a officer in the USMC during the final two years of the Vietnam War era. I really find this series so enjoyable and I regret the books in this series are less than 10 hours long. I wish they were 16 to 24 hours long so I could enjoy a longer story.

Beyond dark with unecessary foul language

This review is written purely from my own likes and biases which may, or may not, agree with your own.

The narrator missed the mark here. I felt like he wasn't interested in the book as he was reading it. There is a difference between reading dialogue from a dark, sullen character and reading with seeming disinterest. This is a shame since the narrator is a talented actor with the ability to "act" this book better.

The book itself starts off VERY slowly. Having previous knowledge of the character Easy Rawlins may have helped. The beginning of the book seems to be dragging out a character development that could have happened faster. Easy Rawlins is not a likable character and most of his interactions are with equally distasteful characters. Easy reluctantly lumbers through life as if the very act of living is both tedious and painful. This book doesn't just teeter on the edge of despair, but gleefully wallows in the deepest depths. I am able to enjoy dark novels, but this one seems to be trying too hard to reach a new low in hopelessness.

I was disappointed by the amount of foul language in this book. It seemed to be purposely peppered within the text as if the author was trying to fill a quota. I did not read the entire book. In fact, I removed the book from my device before I reached the halfway point.

This is definitely not a book for everyone. However, if you like books filled with crushing melancholy then you should check this one out.

persumej1

I love Walter Mosley, and Black Betty did not let me down. It was a great Easy Rawlins contuation. great book.

A Solid Whodunnit

I think that this is the best Easy Rawlins book so far in the series. An intricate plot that keeps you guessing and there are interesting developments for the main characters. Plus we go deeper into the difficulties of being a black man in Los Angeles after the War. Highly recommended.

wierd static noise in book 2

love easy's stories, just beware the loud static sound when easy is talking with feather on chapter 2. scared the mess out of me

great read

there's some static in the first three chapters but great book. Walter mosley is the best with his writing

NEVER a disappointment

Walter Mosley books are ALWAYS entertaining. The narrator sounds a lot like Denzel Washington (who played EZ in “Devil In A Blue Dress”).

Mosley does it again.

Ever wonder what it was like in post-war Los Angeles in the Black neighborhoods? Walter Mosley brings it to life in his Easy Rawlins series. Historical fiction, social commentary and hard-boiled detective fiction, these books invented a vivid new genre.

Black Betty

Great book. The author takes you on a journey and you connect the dots together.

Another hit

The narrator Michael was still great but in the first half of the book there are moments where it will cut out and you hear static for a few seconds and then its back to normal. In the second half of the book it didn't happen at all.

You know what gets me, people always come to easy with their problems and when the problems spill over somehow its always his fault.

Facinating

I read this because John Grisham mentioned the author in the Racketeer. I have found this and other Walter Mosley books very interesting. They have provided me with new insights.

Brilliant

A great hard-boiled detective fiction series set in 60s LA. Plots and characters well rounded. 100% would recommend. Also, the narrator's performance makes this such a great audiobook (apart from his Mexican English accent 😢).