Fear of the Dark (Fearless Jones Novel, No.3)

Book Description

Fearless Jones and Paris Minton, stars of the bestsellersFearless Jones and Fear Itself, return in a fast-paced thriller aboutfamily and revenge.For Paris Minton, a knock on his door is often the first sign of trouble.So when he finds his lowlife cousin, Ulysses S. Grant, or Useless, on theother side of his front door, Paris keeps it firmly closed. With family like Useless, who needs enemies? Yet trouble always finds anopen window, and when Useless's mother, Three Hearts, shows up to look forher son, Paris has no choice but to track down his wayward cousin. Turns out that Useless is involved in some high-stakes blackmailing. Now,he and a briefcase full of money and incriminating photos are missing, andParis is not the only one looking for him. Paris enlists the help of hisinvincible friend Fearless Jones, but mysterious women, desperate blackmailvictims, and cheating business partners are all they encounter--not tomention the dead bodies found along the way.With the sheer-nerve plotting and brilliant characterizations that havemade him one of the great stars of crime fiction, Fear of the Dark ismasterful Mosley.

Customer Reviews:

Another Good Mosley Crime Novel.......2007-07-17

Walter Mosley, the master of mysteries and crime stories, has created another masterpiece with Fear of the Dark. This intriguing novel, set in circa 1950 Los Angeles, is the third in the Fearless Jones and Paris Minton series.

Paris, an unassuming used bookstore owner, unwittingly gets involved in a murder and extortion plot. Paris consults his friend Fearless, a strong, handsome and respected/dreaded, body guard. Together they wade through the morass created by an eclectic cast of characters; one of which is Paris' bungling cousin, Ulysses.

Mosley skillfully places his literary pearls and invites the reader to the scavenger hunt. Discovering who, what, where, when and why with Paris and Fearless was an exciting, comical, and surprising adventure. Mosley continues to capture and keep readers' attention through skillful story telling, vivid language, and short chapters. I had to force myself to stop reading so that I would not miss my stop on the train.

Laughing out loud, shaking my head in disbelief, and raising my eyebrows in astonishment were just a few of my emotional responses while reading this novel. Fear of the Dark is definitely a welcome addition to my library. I'm looking forward to reading Mr. Mosley's next release.

Beware the Evil Eye!.......2007-05-19

Fearless Jones and Paris Minton are back doing another off-the-books investigation that takes them down the dark alleys of 1956 Los Angeles. The city, especially the areas where Fearless and Paris live as well as the darkness their quest takes them through, is violent and filled with civil unrest.

In this book, Paris is haunted by family. His cousin Useless (Ulysses S. Grant IV) shows up at an inopportune moment and things go downhill quickly from there. Not long after Paris turns Useless from his door, Paris gets interrupted by his current girlfriend's current boyfriend. Paris flees for his life (his first rule of operation) and looks up Fearless for backup. But by the time they return to Paris's bookshop, there's a dead man lying there.

No sooner than Fearless and Parish have the body hidden away so no one will take the fall for murdering him than Paris's aunt Three Hearts arrives and begins threatening Paris. Since her evil eye is known to kill, Paris aims to please.

FEAR OF THE DARK felt a lot like the other two books, but that's good. THe investigation proceeds at a nice clip and the characters are always fun.

Mosley also writes the Easy Rawlins mysteries. Of late, those have been set in the early 1960s. Easy is a married man and at least twenty years older than Paris and Fearless. Paris narrates, and his voice is at once young and aged, savvy and naive.

Mosley's pacing in this book will keep readers flipping pages late into the the night. He seems more comfortable at this length than he has in previous novels. There's also more back story and a better view of California at the time in this one. His dialogue seems dead-on and so do his characters.

If you're new to Mosley's work, I'd recommend DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS first. The FEAR series can be read pretty much in what order you find them.

Paris Minton's Fear Makes Him Brave.......2007-04-20

If you have not yet read Fearless Jones and Fear Itself (the first two books in the Fearless Jones series), I strongly urge you to do so before reading Fear of the Dark. Both of those books are better written and more entertaining than Fear of the Dark. Without the perspective that those books give you on Fearless Jones and Paris Minton, you'll like Fear of the Dark less than you might.

Paris Minton is a most unusual character for Walter Mosley. Paris is the owner of a used bookstore in Watts in the mid-1950s that he has to subsidize with a part-time job. Minton is a largely self-educated black man from Louisiana who came to California to find libraries that were open to all. His store's books are discards from local libraries. He has achieved a fragile kind of peaceful life, living and working in his bookstore (and reading when there are no customers, which is often). His head is full of classic literature (the oldest Greeks are his favorites) and carries a heroic perspective into every situation: They only trouble is, he's no hero. Paris is afraid of everything and almost everyone.

How does Paris cope? He has the equivalent of Dumbo's magic feather in the swashbuckling Fearless Jones, a modern archetype for the knight errant. Whenever trouble looms, Paris calls on Fearless for help. In many cases, Fearless's reputation is enough to solve the problem. But when rough stuff is needed, Fearless is your man. A World War II hero, Fearless met when Minton when Minton spontaneously bought Jones a drink during the post-war celebration. "He appreciated my generosity and gave me a lifetime of friendship for a single shot of scotch." As you can see, Mr. Mosley writes like an angel. Minton, the man of logic, reciprocates by helping Fearless solve problems where his bravery and reputation are not enough.

The two characters remind me of a Star Trek episode where a transporter malfunctions and Captain Kirk is divided into two people, one who is totally dominant and carnal and the other who is caring and weak. Paris and Fearless are similarly opposites, yet totally compatible as though they came from the same source. Obviously, Mr. Mosley is equally fascinated with how the opposite ways of pursuing the masculine life play out.

Since Paris operates in a tough area, he won't open his door for just anyone. He has an elaborate series of mirrors that allow him to see who wants in. When the mirrors show that his cousin Ulysses S. Grant IV (generally referred to as "Useless") is at the front door, Paris turns Useless away. Why? The last time he let Useless in, Paris almost ended in being framed for a robbery that Useless had done. No fool, Paris isn't about to repeat that mistake. "Useless was like monosodium glutamate for problems; he brought out the evil essence and magnified it." Useless leaves a cryptic message for his mother with Paris, "Tell Three Hearts that there's a man named Hector wrote my name on a black slip'a paper. Tell her that I tried to make it work with Angel, but I guess I was mudfoot just like she said."

Three weeks earlier, Paris had found his own way into trouble. He rescued a skinny young white woman named Jessa Brown who was trying to run a con on a small restaurant. The two became lovers . . . which becomes a problem when Jessa's ex-boyfriend Tiny (who is anything but) shows up at the bookstore while they two were engaged with one another on the floor.

Life gets more complicated from there. First, Tiny shows up dead in the bookstore. Then, Aunt Three Hearts shows up looking for Useless, and Paris cannot turn her down. Why? She has a reputation for putting the Evil Eye on those who don't do her wishes. Fearless Jones is tied up protecting Milo Sweet, the bail bondsman, from a dangerous felon, but Fearless does double duty in helping Paris as well.

It soon becomes clear that Useless has gotten himself into some very dangerous waters. Paris and Fearless set out to unravel the mystery and put the pieces back together again.

I found Fear of the Dark to be less interesting than the earlier two books in the series because the secondary characters and their motives are much less inspiring in Fear of the Dark. Why would anyone other than his mother care about Useless? As fine a woman as Three Hearts is, it's not as rewarding as it might be to read about her trying to save her son from himself. You know that Useless will just end up in some new trouble. There's also a lot of sexual innuendo in the book that didn't really advance the story or develop the characters beyond where they were at the end of Fear Itself.

But if you enjoy Paris Minton as a character, I think you'll feel rewarded for reading the book. The best part of the story is how Paris ends up taking on lots of danger so that he can avoid things that he's even more afraid of. Yes, a frightened man can be brave . . . especially when all is required is intellectual courage. Just don't have your highest expectations in place when you begin Fear of the Dark (a good double play on Paris's fear of dark places and society's fear of the African-American male).

Courage is in the Eye of the Beholder.......2007-04-19

Walter Mosley's Fear of the Dark is the third in a series in which we find Paris Minton, the struggling bookstore owner amidst the criminal element of South Central Los Angeles during the 1950s. Once again, trouble comes looking for Paris and although reluctant to plunge head first into a dangerous situation, Paris fails to realize his own courage as he goes about doing what must be done.

To shield his aunt Three Hearts from danger, Paris, and his companion/protector, Fearless Jones, set out to find Three Hearts' wayward son Ulysses S. Grant IV (a.k.a. Useless) and uncover a blackmail scheme that Useless is at the center of. Paris and Fearless quickly learn that they are not the only ones searching for Useless. The criminals seeking Useless do not hesitate to leave a trail of lifeless bodies and at anytime Paris and Fearless could end up amongst the dead.

Fear of the Dark is a light and crisp murder mystery. Mr. Mosley's vivid depiction of Paris' surroundings was amazing. I walked the streets with Paris and entered the same dark and dank places. Fearless was not Paris' only companion, I was there too. Mr. Mosley's ability to effortlessly spin creative and thought-provoking social commentary/messages intrigue me to no end.

Marian E.
APOOO BookClub

Never Fear when Paris is on the Case.......2007-03-15

This is the third in the series, and anyone who has read all three know that Fearless Jones is only a tangential character and that Paris Minton is the true center of these stories. This one begins with a knock on Paris' door by his cousin 'Useless' (Ulysses S Grant IV) who once again brings mayhem and havoc to Paris' life. Useless is one of those people who seem to always bring trouble to himself and everyone around him. On top of that is his mother Three-Hearts (which Mosley never explains) who is known to have the
'evil eye' and is not afraid to use it.

The story itself is interesting for the sociology of 1950s Los Angeles where white men can be blackmailed for their relationships with "negro" woman (of course they are also adulterers and embezzlers, but that's not really here or there). There is a great sequence where two cops (who have been hounding Paris) are cut down and put in their place by a white bank exec that they are trying to help. What is said and left unsaid in the dialogue says so much about 'Eisenhower' America and the relationships between the races at that time.

Even Mosley has problems with writing about African-Americans; Paris is constantly commenting on the shades of brown (chocolate, cafe au lait, high yellow, copper, etc)people are and can't decide what the characters should call each other or themselves (colored, negro, the "N" word are all thrown around). It's interesting to see how a "blackman" who lived through those times, looks back on a culture that is now lost to us all.

The story is interesting, the people too, and the plot moves along nice and steady without any surprises thrown in for shock value; all in all a good effort.

Fearless Jones (Fearless Jones Novel, No.1)

Average customer rating:

Great set-up, lackluster intrigue
Is Murder and Mayhem Supposed to be this Funny
dreadful
Twice the Price
A Little Piece Of Black Justice

Fearless Jones (Fearless Jones Novel, No.1)
Walter Mosley
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Booksellers & Bookselling | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Historical | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Fear Itself: A Fearless Jones Novel
Fear of the Dark: A Novel
Bad Boy Brawly Brown (Easy Rawlins Mysteries)
Six Easy Pieces: Easy Rawlins Stories
Little Scarlet

ASIN: 0316592382

Amazon.com

Penzler Pick, June 2001: Those of us who have been waiting for Walter Mosley to return to mystery writing--and there are many of us--have cause to rejoice. Not only has Mosley written a mystery, he is introducing a new character who could turn out to be as popular as Easy Rawlins.

Fearless Jones has a lot in common with Easy, but he also has some characteristics reminiscent of Socrates Fortlow, the "hero" of Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. When the story begins, the reader is transported to the Los Angeles of the 1950s, a dangerous place and time for a black man. But Paris Minton seems to have beaten the odds. He owns a moderately successful and very satisfying business--a used book store. He spends the time he's not in the store scouring libraries for discarded books and selling them in just enough quantity to be independent and happy. Yes, he is visited on a regular basis by members of the LAPD who want him to prove to them that he did not steal the books, but that is a small price to pay for independence.

Minton's peaceful life is interrupted one day when a beautiful woman walks into his store and asks for the Reverend William Grove. In no time flat, Paris has been beaten into unconsciousness by a man following her and has been rewarded by the woman with sex. The lovely Elana Love is obviously trouble, but Paris jumps in feet first and, as a consequence, his store is burned to the ground. It is obviously time to call in Fearless Jones, a man well named. Jones is afraid of nothing, but there is a little matter to be taken care of before he can help. He's in jail and Paris must raise bail to get him out. Once he does that, the pair embark on a wild ride through Los Angeles on behalf of Elana Love. As always, Mosley depicts the hard-boiled L.A. in a powerful and distinctive way, and we can only hope that this is the first of a series. --Otto Penzler

Book Description

Penzler Pick, June 2001: Those of us who have been waiting for Walter Mosley to return to mystery writing--and there are many of us--have cause to rejoice. Not only has Mosley written a mystery, he is introducing a new character who could turn out to be as popular as Easy Rawlins.Fearless Jones has a lot in common with Easy, but he also has some characteristics reminiscent of Socrates Fortlow, the "hero" of Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. When the story begins, the reader is transported to the Los Angeles of the 1950s, a dangerous place and time for a black man. But Paris Minton seems to have beaten the odds. He owns a moderately successful and very satisfying business--a used book store. He spends the time he's not in the store scouring libraries for discarded books and selling them in just enough quantity to be independent and happy. Yes, he is visited on a regular basis by members of the LAPD who want him to prove to them that he did not steal the books, but that is a small price to pay for independence.Minton's peaceful life is interrupted one day when a beautiful woman walks into his store and asks for the Reverend William Grove. In no time flat, Paris has been beaten into unconsciousness by a man following her and has been rewarded by the woman with sex. The lovely Elana Love is obviously trouble, but Paris jumps in feet first and, as a consequence, his store is burned to the ground. It is obviously time to call in Fearless Jones, a man well named. Jones is afraid of nothing, but there is a little matter to be taken care of before he can help. He's in jail and Paris must raise bail to get him out. Once he does that, the pair embark on a wild ride through Los Angeles on behalf of Elana Love. As always, Mosley depicts the hard-boiled L.A. in a powerful and distinctive way, and we can only hope that this is the first of a series. --Otto Penzler

Download Description

Paris Minton is minding his own business--a small used bookstore of which he is the proud proprietor--when a beautiful woman named Elana Love walks in and asks a few questions. Within the next twenty-four hours, Paris has been beaten up, made love to, shot at, and robbed, and his bookstore has been burned to the ground. He's in so much trouble he has no choice but to get his friend Fearless Jones out of jail to help. Fearless Jones is an army veteran, a man who is proud of his accomplishments during World War II, and refuses to step into the background now that the war is over. Violence dogs Fearless's every step, and Paris has tried to keep his distance. But there's no friend like the one you need. The two set out to find the elusive Elana Love, and every step leads them deeper into a bewildering vortex of money and betrayal. Their questions bring out a ruthless and racist cop, a gang of vicious ex-cons, and an elderly Jewish woman who is as determined to help the two friends as others are to harm them. These two Black men in 1950s Los Angeles have few rights, little money, and no recourse under attack. But they have their friends, their wits, and their knowledge of the way the world really works to help them prevail.

Written with the blazing pace of noir classics like The Maltese Falcon, Fearless Jones also possesses the humor and original insights into American places and characters that have made Walter Mosley one of the most admired writers of our time.

Customer Reviews:

Great set-up, lackluster intrigue.......2006-06-28

The premise for Walter Mosley's "Fearless Jones" is certainly a doozy. After reading the back cover I was sucked right in and eagerly began to read. You see, Paris Minton is minding his own business reading in his used book store when the beautiful and mysterious Elana Love (a classic femme fatale) walks in and changes everything. Within minutes of her arrival Paris has been brutally beaten by a thug who shows up looking for her, and in the ensuing chaos he is chased, shot at, seduced by Ms. Love, and loses his beloved store to arson. When Elana makes off with his money and his car, Paris becomes determined to find out what she was mixed up in and to exact revenge. To do this he must first bail his best buddy, Fearless Jones, out of jail to make use of his talents in such matters.

Great set-up, right? Unfortunately the execution is quite lacking, and ironically I thought that the plot took its big dive the moment Fearless himself showed up. So much importance is placed on Fearless' charisma and nobility to further the plot, but he just isn't as magnetic as Mosley seems to think he is. His partnership with Paris doesn't help matters much because the two of them stall the novel's action completely at alternating points, going about their investigation with all of the urgency of two men running errands. The two of them keep taking time outs to do ... not much, actually. Fearless hooks up with an old girlfriend, Paris seemingly falls for a damaged waitress (although ultimately it is hard to believe that he really feels anything for her at all), Fearless takes on a new pet in a dog that the two encounter, and more, but none of it has anything to do with the plot. One wishes that Mosley had streamlined these elements and kept better control of the plot -- which gets way out of hand by the end. By the time Nazi war criminals and the Israeli government get involved you'll have a headache and wish that Mosley had simply stuck to the extortion, corrupt police, and creepy church thugs that he had started the book out with. I had never read a book by Mosley before, and perhaps I should have stuck with one of the Easy Rawlins series for a first experience. I think that I still will give one a try someday -- but not until I've had enough time to get rid of the bad taste in my mouth that "Fearless Jones" has left me with.

Is Murder and Mayhem Supposed to be this Funny.......2006-06-17

This is my introduction to Walter Mosley, (whose Easy Rawlins is a favorite of my daughter) and I am very impressed by his manner of writing people who seem real, but are in totally bizarre situations. Mosley does a great job in evoking 1950s LA at a time when the place of anyone who wasn't a WASP, was in their place. (As an aside, Mosley only makes two mistakes in his timeline...the proper name for African-Americans at this time was colored, I don't think even blacks calls themselves Blacks; and the use of the word pig to designate a cop didn't appear until the late sixties, at this time blacks called cops Ofays.)

Now this is really not a story about Fearless (who real name is Tristan), but about his friend Paris. Paris wants nothing more than to run his used book store. But like most people in a noir book, what he wants and what he gets are two totally different things. The story begins when he gets involved with a good looking woman who acts like a damsel-in-distress, but she's more like a black widow (no pun intended). Gee, and she has a big bad boyfriend named Leon, who likes to beat up people, especially those that mess with his girlfriend.

Summary of the story is that he and his friend Milo (an ex-lawyer) get Fearless out of jail, they then run into arson for hire, murder for hire, murder for money, ex-Nazi war criminals, Israeli spies, illegal war bootie, crooked religious confidence men, and some other stuff. In the end, everything comes out alright (except of course for the dead people) and Paris gets another store.

You know Paris, I think this is the beginning of a wonderful series. Can't wait for the next installment.

dreadful.......2005-02-06

Something about this book just didn't click for me. I love mysteries, but I just never appreciated what was going on between Leon, Elana, the Reverend Grove, Sol, the nazis, and the Israeli spies. Too many characters had odd parts that complicated the action. This was just a very disjointed, rambling story.

Twice the Price.......2004-02-19

I'm reviewing the price not the book!
I have not read this book but it looks very good. I was hoping to get it on CD for those long drives to work but Whoa! Have you seen the price? $56 for an unabridged CD of a book that's only 300+ pages? In contrast, its' sequel is 400+ pages and the unabridged CD only costs $18! Is this a typo Amazon? or has the publisher gone mad?

A Little Piece Of Black Justice.......2003-08-19

this novel closely parallels "devil in a blue dress," switching the roles a bit. instead of easy rollins out finding justice with his tough little pal mouse, it's little pal paris minton with his tough buddy fearless jones out trying to find the same. poor paris gets roped into some bad luck when a misunderstanding gets his bookstore burned down in 1950's california. basically, paris feels cheated, no livlihood and no home as he lived in his store, and refuses to go out like a sucker. he gets his tough best friend fearless jones to help him find the villians that are trying to keep him down and they fully expect to get what they have coming to them.

this is no ordinary day in a black man's life, but it is written as such. the layman reading this piece might even feel like black men had to deal with garbage like this every day. though that was not the case, it wasn't far from it let me tell you. reading this gives a lot of insight to those not in the know and moseley is one of those rare writers who chooses to educate us while entertaining us. the lingo is indicative of the era and the characters are nicely fleshed out. ironically enough, fearless jones was my least favorite, probably because it wasn't really about him to begin with. he plays out like this hardcase with a heart of gold, brandishing his own private view of right and wrong.

paris is the real deal here. a mealy-mouthed sort with no real manly confidence, but he's not about to take his new misgiving lying down. he's no tough guy so he gets his tough guy friend to help. but by the end of the story, he changes nicely for the better and it was nice to see the little guy get some guts. there is also a lot in there about a strange relationship the guys strike up with an older jewish couple, which i found pretty charming in the face of the rampant bigotry of the time.

just like mosely to put together an intriguing whodunnit filled with pitfalls and plot switches at every turn. nice read here for when there's just nothing on the tube.

Fear Itself: A Fearless Jones Novel
Average customer rating:

New Characters, Familiar Entertainment!

Fearless II

The only thing to fear is Fearless himself

Fearless Jones and Paris Minton - fast friends and unlikely warriors

Mosley weaves a Faulknerian history tale in his LA web
Fear Itself: A Fearless Jones Novel
Walter Mosley
Manufacturer: Little, Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Mosley, Walter | African American | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Booksellers & Bookselling | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Mosley, Walter | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Fearless Jones (Fearless Jones Novels)

Fear of the Dark: A Novel

Cinnamon Kiss: A Novel

Little Scarlet

Bad Boy Brawly Brown (Easy Rawlins Mysteries)

ASIN: 0316591122

Book Description

Paris Minton doesn't want any trouble. He minds his used bookstore and his own business. But in 1950s Los Angeles, sometimes trouble finds him, no matter how hard he tries to avoid it. When the nephew of the wealthiest woman in L.A. is missing and wanted for murder, she has to get involved-no matter if she can't stand him.What will her church think?She hires Jefferson T. Hill, a former sheriff of Dawson, Texas, and a tough customer, to track him down and prove his innocence.When Hill goes missing too, she tricks his friend Fearless Jones and Paris Minton into picking up the case. Paris steps inside the world of the black bourgeoisie, and it turns out to be filled with deceit and corruption. It takes everything he has just to stay alive through a case filled with twists and turns and dead ends like he never imagined. Written with the voice and vision that have made Walter Mosley one of the most entertaining writers in America, Fear Itself marks the return of a master at the top of his form.

Download Description

eBook Special Feature: Includes two original articles "The Writing of Fearless Jones" and "Black to the Future" both penned by Walter Mosley and a chapter excerpt of BAD BOY BRAWLY BROWN. ike most of us, Paris Minton is a man who would just as soon walk away from trouble as stand up to it. But in 1950s Los Angeles, sometimes trouble just comes and gets you. Bartholomew "BB" Perry is missing and wanted for murder - and the reputation of his very proper and influential aunt, Winifred L. Nice, is at stake. She uses her connections to get tough cop Jefferson T. Hill on the case, and when he goes missing too, Paris and Fearless Jones are double-crossed into taking a case that will turn out to be the most riveting ride of their lives. Paris and Fearless find themselves drawn deep into a world of conflict and corruption, rife with shady dealings and rogue lawmen - not to mention dangerous women. More corpses keep turning up, and, worst of all, Paris doubts that BB, the adulterous thief whose name he's trying to clear, is innocent after all. But if he can find his way out of trouble and escape with his life, Paris Minton just might become an accidental hero. Buzzing with energy, excitement, and suspense, this is yet another example of why the New York Times calls Walter Mosley "one of America's best mystery writers."

Customer Reviews:

New Characters, Familiar Entertainment!.......2007-01-06

While I enjoyed the Easy books, I prefer the new characters of the Fearless Jones books. I purchased this book on unabridged audio while on a business trip, and soon lost all bearings on the road. Don Cheadle is a masterful reader, combining the many voices seamlessly on CD. The audio quality is superb. We are taken through many eccentric characters, including Paris Minton, the first. Fearless Jones, his best friend and co-conspirator in his adventures, is a man expertly skilled in the art of survival in racist Los Angeles in 1955. I won't divulge the plot, but their adventures take them into the world of black wealth and white criminals. It is Mr. Moseley's mix of humor-Paris's self-professed weaknesses-with a labyrinthine plot that kept me listening for the many hours required. In the couple of months since I purchased the book I have listened to it again, simply for the pleasure of Mr. Cheadle's voice. I have since purchased his third Fearless Jones mystery on CD and am awaiting shipment on the first.

Fearless II.......2006-11-26

This is Walter Mosley's second Fearless Jones novel. Somehow I missed the first. The premise of the book is that the narrator is a bookstore owner from Watts named Paris Minton. Tristan "Fearless" Jones is his friend and sometime partner. The current book is set in mid-50s Los Angeles, the setting that made Mosley his reputation with the Easy Rawlins series. Fear Itself is apparently Mosley's path back to where he enjoys setting his stories the most: pre-Civil Rights movement LA.

In Fear Itself, Paris is awakened in the middle of the night, first by Fearless, then by a mysterious man looking for Fearless. Paris is suspicious of white guys banging on his door at three in the morning, so he lies and says he doesn't know where Fearless is. Soon, the two men are on the hunt for various people among the black neighborhoods of LA, tripping over dead bodies of rich white people, and getting shot at by that mysterious fellow, who's apparently pretty homicidal. The plot of this story has more twists and turns than a plate of spaghetti, but it's all good fun and the characters are entertaining.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and would recommend it.

The only thing to fear is Fearless himself.......2006-08-13

Paris Minton is trying to live quietly as a black man in 1955 Los Angeles. He owns a used book store and to save money he lives in the back of the building that he bought with the money he made in the first fearless jones novel. Fearless asks him to help find a man for a woman (with a young son) who in distress. Paris knows that if Fearless is involved, trouble can only follow. But what's a friend to do?

Paris gets caught in a deadly game of find-and-seek whose players lie, cheat, steal, brutalize and kill. Members of the family of millionaire black businesswoman Winifred L. Fine are playing games that are much more dangerous than they know. Neither Fearless nor Paris is sure who or what the various players are after. The child (who was kidnapped), a wedding day pendant given to Winnie or a family diary. Wanting to help his friend Fearless initially motivates Paris, but finding that a voice of the past is more important to the future than money, he is determined to follow this odyssey to the end.

The characters are well structured and realistic; and the attitudes towards race in the early fifties is right on. Mosley does a great job of explaining how black people lived their everyday lives, dealing with poverty and racism.

Fearless Jones and Paris Minton - fast friends and unlikely warriors.......2005-12-05

This book makes you want to take a time machine so you can taste black Los Angeles in the 1950s. It makes you crave the moldy smell of fine second hand books, and envy the life of Paris, a bookstore-owning man who spends a great deal of time studying his own wares. Paris Minton, short on physical courage, long on curiosity, is half of the mystery solving duo -- Fearless Jones, as good hearted as Mosley's other brave character Mouse is bad, is the other half. Both are drawn into a puzzle, replete with Black and white dead bodies. The characters of Mosley's books people historic Los Angeles with sound and fury.

Here's a bit of what I like about this book. Paris is inclined to take fright and flight. In the midst of the mystery, in the early morning hours, he hears a knock at his door, and unlike Mosley's other protagonists, Easy, Mouse or Fearless he instinctively runs out his backdoor "like a six-year-old." He is convinced that "who but Trouble could be knocking at my door that early in the morning? Like I said before, I'm a small man. I've been chased, caught, and beaten by big-boned women."

"Runnin' ain't a bad thing, baby," my mother used to tell me. "when you're dead you'll wish you had the legs for it."

Paris runs, tucks and rolls, and he dives into adventure and solves the mystery while musing over literature and suppressed history. Can't beat that.

Mosley weaves a Faulknerian history tale in his LA web.......2005-11-30

Average customer rating:

Marion Jones:Fast And Fearless
Mark Stewart
Manufacturer: Millbrook Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0761318704

Average customer rating:

Rhapsody in Noir (Continued)
A Pleasant Surprise!!

Fear Itself (Fearless Jones Novels)
Walter Mosley
Manufacturer: Hachette Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

General | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Mystery & Thrillers | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

Fear of the Dark: A Novel
Cinnamon Kiss: A Novel
Six Easy Pieces: Easy Rawlins Stories
Fearless Jones (Fearless Jones Novels)
Gone Fishin': Featuring an Original Easy Rawlins Short Story "Smoke" (Easy Rawlins Mysteries)

ASIN: 1594832722

Customer Reviews:

Rhapsody in Noir (Continued).......2007-04-19

Fear Itself wonderfully lives up to the superb quality of Fearless Jones, which began this series. If you haven't read Fearless Jones, I recommend reading that book first.

Fearless Jones is the finest new mystery I have read in decades. Its qualities place it alongside classics like The Maltese Falcon, while its deep exploration of human nature causes it to transcend the mystery genre. The story's subtle psychology reminds me of an ancient Greek drama. This book represents a new peak in the imagination and the writing of the immensely talented Mr. Walter Mosley. You have a rare treat in store. Start this book early in the day. You probably won't want to put it down.

Like the frozen expressions on Greek tragedians' masks, Fearless Jones considers three kinds of human motivation: The self-interested satisfaction of the senses; the rational mind assembling the pieces of a puzzle; and good character that comes the heart. The narration builds from the rational mind and conveys all of the classic elements of the best noir mysteries. Mosley's point is that good character will naturally triumph because of the finer emotions and responses it will evoke in others. I suspect that you will agree with him, and feel uplifted by this tale despite the plot's pathway through many dark alleys of depravity.

Few writers can take you inside the mind and body of the characters like Mr. Mosley. In both Fearless Jones and Fear Itself, you will think and feel along with Paris Minton, the owner of a used bookstore in Watts in the mid-1950s. Minton is a largely self-educated black man from Louisiana who came to California to find libraries that were open to all. His store's books are discards from local libraries. He has achieved a fragile kind of peaceful life, living and working in his bookstore (and reading when there are no customers, which is often).

His friend, Fearless Jones, is the archetype of the medieval knight errant . . . always looking to do a good deed. In Fear Itself, Fearless (Tristan) Jones wakes Paris up in the middle of the night because Fearless has promised to help a woman Fearless had never met before, Leora Hartman, who was holding the hand of a three year-old who was crying his eyes out. A World War II hero, the two met when Minton spontaneously bought Jones a drink during the post-war celebration. "He appreciated my generosity and gave me a lifetime of friendship for a single shot of scotch." As you can see, Mr. Mosley writes like an angel.

The book revolves around a missing farmer from Wayne, Texas, Kit Mitchell, who has been hiring Fearless to distribute his watermelons. The mystery soon adds more missing people and items, and other people who want to pay Paris and Fearless to find whatever is missing. However, people are more willing to pay than to describe what they are supposed to be looking for. Whatever it is, it's dynamite!

The story reminds me The Big Sleep in a positive way.

No review of this book would be complete without observing that Mr. Mosley again demonstrates an unbelievable ability for capturing the black experience in Southern California in the post-war period. He has an equally uncanny skill for weaving a personalized view of that vulnerable, hopeful footing into the fabric of the overall society during those years. I think that Fear Itself is his most imaginative work in this regard. He adds richness to black heritage in an unforgettable and intriguing way. As much as I enjoyed the story, these heritage elements overshadowed the mystery completely.

After you finish reading the book, I suggest that think back to the many moments of spontaneous kindness in the story. How did you feel when you read them? How would you feel if someone behaved in this way towards you? When was the last time that you offered the fullness of your heart's purest motives to a stranger or near-stranger? How would you feel if you did so more often? Who are you? Who could you be? Who do you want to be?

Live beyond your fears and your desires . . . and be free!

A Pleasant Surprise!!.......2006-07-05

I truly enjoyed listening to this particular Mosley masterpiece. I've always been fond of this writers' talent and gift but the reciting presented by Mr. D. Cheadle made it that much more thrilling. It reminded me of the old radio shows that my father used to tell me of. Mr. Cheadle brings to life the words through his acting out of the main character, Paris, as well as all the others. I knew when I read that he was the narrator that I would be pleased!

Average customer rating:

Fearless Jones
Walter Mosley
Manufacturer: LITTLE, BROWN & COMPANY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKV24Y

Average customer rating:

Living with a Fearless Spirit
Judy A. Jones
Manufacturer: Brentwood Christian Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1595812172

Book Description

What fears do you have that keep you from reaching your life's goals? What fears keep you from utilizing your God given talents and gifts?

This book provides insight on approaching and tackling those conscious and subconscious fears that prevent you from utilizing your God given gifts and talents to the fullest degree possible.

By reading this book, you will find the author's concise style of writing gets to the point of understanding why God allows us to encounter obstacles in our lives and how God has also given us the answers to be triumphant when faced with life's trials.

4 Mystery PBs by Walter Mosley: White Butterfly, Fearless Jones, Red Death, Little Yellow Dog
Average customer rating:
4 Mystery PBs by Walter Mosley: White Butterfly, Fearless Jones, Red Death, Little Yellow Dog
Walter Mosley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RMTB3S

Product Description

Paperbacks

Average customer rating:

Fear of the Dark :Fearless Jones
Walter Mosley
Manufacturer: LITTLE BROWN & CO @
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UZAL5O

Average customer rating:

Fearless Jones. Signed book.
Walter. MOSELEY
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WEPW0C

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books