A Review of Known To Evil by Walter Mosley

Well, I’m officially hooked on Walter Mosley’s latest PI mystery series featuring Leonid McGill. In the second installment, Leonid gets a call from Alphonse Rinaldo, a man who has his pulse on everything that happens in New York City. Rinaldo’s a fixer but has a problem that requires McGill’s help. The task: find Tara Lear and make sure everything is fine. Simple enough, right? Wrong.

This assignment sent McGill chasing down leads and into some dark places, rubbing elbows with some deadly players, and of course being eyed as a suspect for a murder that he happened upon during his search for Ms. Lear. Now McGill is no saint. He has had his share of shady dealings setting folks up to take a fall yet he has a big heart by ensuring they stay safe once his conscience kicks in. He takes his jobs seriously and would go against orders if he feels the subject of the assignment would be in danger then all bets are off.

Yes, I was buckled up and turning every page as Leonid dealt with his family issues (cheating wife, his oldest son on the run with a Russian prostitute), his love life (being jealous over his ex-girlfriend’s new lover and falling into the arms of a married woman), calling on his deadly allies (Hush and Diego) to twist the arms of hit men and the list goes on. His knowledge of the streets and his survival instincts are what makes him a great private eye.

I thoroughly enjoyed Mosley’s description of McGill as a flawed hero with a conscience dancing to the beat of his own drum. The people, the places and the dialogue were masterfully described pulling me in deeper into the story. I could empathize with McGill feeling his pain and his yearning to be loved and understood amongst his family, friends and peers.

I can’t wait to read the third installment. Two thumbs up!

Rating: 5 Stars

Some of my favorite lines:

     “He wants you, Leonid.”

     I heard Twill say something in the dining room but couldn’t make out the words. His mother and Shelly laughed.

     “Right now?”

     “Immediately.”

     “You know I’m trying to be aboveboard nowadays, Sam.”

     “He’s just asking you to go and speak to this Lear woman. To make sure that she’s all right. There’s nothing illegal about that.”

     “And I’m supposed to tell her that Mr. Rinaldo is concerned about her but can’t come himself?”

     “Do not mention his name or refer to him in any way. The meeting should be casual. She shouldn’t have any ideas that you’re a detective or that you’re working for someone looking after her welfare.”

     “Why not”

     “You know the drill,” Strange said, trying to enforce his personal sense of hierarchy on me.       

     “Orders come down and we do as we are told.”

     “No,” I said. “That’s you. You do what you’re told. Me—I got ground rules.”