THE LONG FALL

Walter Mosley has crafted an introspective, somewhat sad private investigator, Leonid McGill, whose goal is trying to maintain that difficult balance on a straight and narrow path. Mosley's book is intelligently written and thoughtful—even the descriptive, though never gratuitous, fight scenes. Mirron Willis's voice for McGill, an African-American in his early 50s, is amazingly consistent. The supporting characters who surround McGill—New York cops, his teenage stepson, his Scandinavian wife, a hired killer, and others—are diverse, and Willis gives each a tone and identity. But his forte is pacing—simple, quiet, deliberate pauses show McGill's introspection and reflect the predicament he’s in. A wonderful debut for Mosley's latest character. M.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]