Fear Itself (2003)

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. ( )

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. ( )

SOFTBOOK

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. ( )

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 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. ( )