Little Scarlet is a
thoroughly enjoyable mystery novel based in Los Angeles just after the 1965
race riots.  It is narrated by Easy Rawlins, an older black man with strong
roots in the community.  Rawlins understands why people rioted and he is
sympathetic to them.  The oppression of blacks by whites causes rage and
eventually that needs release, especially when the summer is hot.  Other black
characters can’t understand what purpose is served by destroying the local
stores and schools that serve the local people, and whites just end up fearing
any black man.  Rawlins is unusual because of his compassion and wisdom, which
is balanced by his readiness to use violence when necessary.

The police call on Rawlins asking
him to help solve a murder.  A young black woman, "Little Scarlet,"
has been murdered, and it seems the main suspect is a white man.  If the news
gets out, more rioting is likely to result.  So the police want Rawlins to
quietly find out what happened, without drawing attention to the case.  Rawlins
has no alliance with the police, but he sees the importance of avoiding more
clashes between unarmed black citizens and armed police.  So he agrees to look
for the killer of Little Scarlet. 

Most of the novel has Rawlins
making his way about the city, dealing with racism and black anger.  He
describes the actions of other people with irony and a sense of justice, and he
describes himself with weariness, as a man who has seen too much and expects to
see more of the same, yet nevertheless ready to stand up for himself when antagonized. 
His friends break the law, but Rawlins does not condemn them for taking up
opportunities available to them.  They are likeable characters, and Rawlins
helps us see that.

Mosley manages to convey a powerful
sense of a segregated city and shows the tensions between the different
sections.  His writing is really evocative and his dialog is convincing.  The
unabridged audiobook is read by actor Michael Boatman, who makes Rawlins a very
sympathetic narrator.  Listening to the book is a gripping experience, and
Boatman has a talent for keeping all the different characters separate.  The
twists and turns of the plot unfold at a steady pace, and the ending is
satisfying.  Not only is Little Scarlet an excellent detective mystery,
but it is also a powerful novel about race relations and recent American
history. 

© 2005 Christian
Perring. All rights reserved. 

Christian
Perring, Ph.D., is Academic Chair of the Arts & Humanities
Division and Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College, Long Island. He is also
editor of Metapsychology Online Review.  His main research is on
philosophical issues in medicine, psychiatry and psychology.

Categories: Fiction, AudioBooks