FEAR OF THE DARK

Michael Boatman transports listeners to 1950s Los Angeles in Mosley's latest Fearless Jones mystery. Erudite Paris Minton--who is anything but "some negro bookseller"--is the perfect foil for Jones since he is as cowardly as the former Army assassin is fearless. As Boatman unfolds the trail of murder, blackmail, and theft, the nature of villains, racists, an evil-eyed mother, and grieving hit men, among other characters, are all hauntingly, sharply, even elegantly unveiled. An undercurrent of racism can be heard in the voices of cops, blackmailed businessmen, and Asian citizens recovering from the impact of war. Haunting period melodies mark chapter closings, reminiscent of a classic radio serial. D.P.D. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]