Walter Mosley

A great African-American writer I need to do some more reading of is Walter Mosley, probably best known for his Easy Rawlins detective series. En route to New York City in the summer, I read his first Leonid McGill mystery on the airplane, and I loved every minute. The Long Fall is a great crime fiction read, featuring a black detective and a multiracial New York that reflects the city's actual ethnic diversity. Most white detective or crime fiction overlooks or ignores race, otherwise it often perpetuates racist stereotypes or features an unrealistic setting of solely white folks. I liked The Long Fall so much that I am going to reread it in the near future and pick up some of Walter Mosley's other novels. In addition, there is a lot of humor in the novel, especially with the older white man who refers to McGill as a "Moor," and the interesting sidestories and background of McGill make it worthwhile read.