The Long Fall by Walter Mosley

In The Long Fall, Leonid McGill, an ex-boxer and private investigator, has "never been above taking a shady job for a quick buck", but now he's intent on turning over a new leaf. He's been hired to find four individuals. When he delivers the information to his client one man is murdered and another one is missing. McGill isn't happy that his investigating is getting people hurt and tries to track down the man who hired him. Meanwhile, McGill has trouble at home. His marriage is in shambles and his son, Twill, is up to something. McGill is afraid that he's headed for trouble. All of a sudden McGill becomes a suspect because of his shady past. He kicks his investigation into high gear while trying to keep his nose clean, which ain't easy with all of the enticements in New York City.

Great book! It's a superb mystery featuring a new character for Mosley. He is a great story teller and wonderful writer. While the novel is action packed, it still felt a little laid back to me. I don't know if it was the writing or the fact that McGill was trying to stay out of the fray. Anyway, I really enjoyed it and had a hard time putting the book down.

I really liked the side story of McGill's son, Twill. It showed McGill's softer side in that he really cared for Twill even though he wasn't his biological son. He would do anything to protect him. It was a nice contrast to McGill's tougher traits. I also loved that McGill was constantly quoting his father. McGill got some very good advice as he was growing up.

I love reading the first book in a series and this one was no exception. We get to see the characters built from the ground up as the author includes all of the nitty-gritty details of the protagonist's character.

Highly recommended. This is my first Mosley book; it won't be my last. There's a substantial backlist to keep me busy for awhile. I'll also be looking forward to the next Leonid McGill mystery.

For more information about this book, visit the Penguin website.

For more information about the author, backlists, tour dates and lots of other cool stuff, visit Walter Mosley's website.