Fear Itself

I like Walter Mosley, I really do. His writing captures that blend of action, description and social commentary that elevates a good mystery into the sublime. I’ve long been a fan of Easy Rawlins, his longest-running series, but Socrates’ stories in [b:Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned|84557|Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned|Walter Mosley|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348622123l/84557._SY75_.jpg|81620] were impressive as well (side note: I need to get back to that series). So I was an easy mark for Amazon’s $2 sale of Fear Itself, the series starring bookstore owner Paris Minton and his best friend Mouse Fearless Jones. Alas, it didn’t carry the same level of distinctiveness for me show more that I’ve found in the other two series.

"Fearless never hesitated unless he knew that he was going to cause problems for someone he cared for. And that someone was almost always me."


All three series are set in Los Angeles; Easy’s stories start in the 1940s and progress to modernity, while Paris’ are set in the 1950s. Since most of the Easy books I read were in the 50s as well, I felt like there were a lot of similarities between the two series, from time period to characters. The deeply conflicted relationships between Easy and Mouse and Paris and Fearless were similar with the back-and-forth lifesaving and physicals skills. What was a little different is that Fear’s cast of characters provided a wider look at African Americans in L.A., from the extremely wealthy beauty mogul down to the man working a Texas watermelon hustle.

"Orrin only allowed classical music on the record player. Because of this aesthetic only a certain kind of customer frequented the place. Members of the church, especially the choir, older ladies who were scandalized by boogie-woogie and rhythm and blues, pretentious white-collar professionals, and world-weary lovers, muggers, and thieves were the regulars"

Regardless, I was there for it. However, the mystery itself has a confusing number of twists, betrayals, and revealations. You know that rule about economy of characters? I was sure Mosley wasn’t following it, because how on earth could he fit them all in? But he does; oh, indeed, he does. I think I was dizzy by the end.

"By then I was pretty sure that I was in a madhouse, or at least in a house that was in the process of going mad."

Was it worth reading another? Meh, not really. I remember the perfection of Devil in a Blue Dress and find myself more tempted to follow Easy through time if I want a mystery. These days, however, I find myself more intrigued by the thought of returning to the moving complexity that was in the Socrates series. show less

Wow! I was sucked right into this dated tale of everyday odd-balls and super schemers. Best of all, for me anyway, was that the nerd was heroic and there were loads of plot-twists. I like to read tales of, justice being meated-out, clear-cut answers to my who-done-its and happy endings.

Noir fiction is all about character and voice. In Fearless Jones, Mosley presents a character that is such a physically strong and morally straightforward man of action that he runs the risk of coming off as a cartoonish super hero. But Mosley masterfully balances the moral simplicity of Jones with the narrator of the novels, his always reluctant partner if steadfast friend and timid intellectual Paris Minton. The contrast and rich friendship that develops between the two allows Mosley to say important things about the history and aspirations of African Americans in the hostile environment of post-World War II America. Like all of Mosley's detective fiction, Fear Itself presents the fast-paced action and intriguing plot required of the show more genre, but is laced with penetrating social commentary. In this book, Mosley continues to develop as a reliable guide to the ultimate mystery -- the human heart. show less

I enjoyed Fear Itself by Walter Moseley and spending more time with Paris and Fearless and their friends and enemies. I felt a little lost as the con game revealed itself but I was discovering it along with our heroes. Moseley’s carefully crafted world plays a role as well as the deep understanding of the worth of a Black man in that world. But Paris and Fearless have carved out a place for themselves and can even use the police to their own advantage now and then. Looking forward to the third book in the series.

Fearless Jones is at it again, getting his friend Paris Minton in trouble. Since we last saw Minton he was trying to rebuild his life after his bookstore was burned to the ground and he was beaten and shot at in Fearless Jones. Now, in Fear Itself Minton has been able to rebuild his bookstore and get back to a quiet life, thanks to a settlement from the last book. He still doesn't want trouble, but yet Fearless soon finds a way to get Paris in the thick of it. This time, the wealthiest woman in Los Angeles is missing her nephew. She tricks Fearless into looking for him and Fearless pulls Minton into the mystery. You will meet a whole host of strange characters in Fear Itself. There are so many plot twists I almost needed a flow chart to show more keep everything straight. show less

This is the second of Mosley's Fearless Jones books. Actually, the main character, or narrator at least, is a guy named Paris Minton, whose only interest in life is reading books. He has a small second-hand book store in which he sits reading all day. Well, he would sit reading all day, except occasionally his friend, Fearless, shows up and embroils him in some kind of improbably adventures. It's a fun read, mostly. The commentary on the race issues the characters had to live with in the 1950s are rather saddening. Even more saddening is that things have changed so little. Young black men still can't trust the cops or other authorities.

Interesting characters in a somewhat convoluted plot. Intriguing idea of a family diary kept in handmade books since the 17th century. Winifred Fine, a Madame Walker (of Indianapolis) sort of character.