In 1990, the first Easy Rawlins mystery novel Devil in a Blue Dress joined a long line of books that take Los Angeles as its muse and antagonist. Written by Walter Mosley, the book was set in Watts, and introduced Rawlins, an African-American veteran who ends up broke and unable to find work. Eventually, Rawlins finds himself taking up detective work, and Mosley found himself with a thriving detective series. Little Green is the latest installment. It finds Rawlins navigating a new sociopolitical landscape in 1967 L.A., one permanently altered by the Watts riots and the rise of hippie culture. The book promises to be yet another clever exploration of the intersection of race, class and mystery in California’s most intriguing city. Walter Mosley appears on Thursday, May 16, at Book Passage. 51 Tamal Vista Blvd., Corte Madera. 7pm. 415.927.0960.
