Fear of the Dark: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Walter Mosley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

When his cousin Ulysses S. Grant IV comes knocking, Paris Minton would rather keep the door shut, because "Useless" is a snake who brings bad luck wherever he goes. But trouble always finds an open window, and soon there's a man murdered on his bookshop floor, evidence of blackmail is discovered, and Useless has vanished. To get out of this mess, Paris turns to his solid-hearted but quick-fisted friend Fearless Jones. Traversing the complex landscape of 1950s Los Angeles, where a wrong look can get a black man killed, Paris and Fearless find deperate women, secret lives--and more than one dead body.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Though the prose is a bit rough in spots, Mosley's third outing for L.A. bookseller Paris Minton and the intrepid Fearless Jones is as entertaining as its predecessors, Fearless Jones and Fear Itself. Trouble comes to Paris's door in the form of his cousin Ulysses "Useless" S. Grant IV," who needs help after getting mixed up in a scheme that has gotten totally out of hand. Despite refusing to even let Useless cross his threshold, Paris is drawn, violently, into the fray. Mosley isn't afraid to cast his characters in heroic molds and does so explicitly when Paris recalls Bullfinch'sMythology and muses: "Fearless was the hero, I was the hero's companion, Useless was the mischievous trickster." As in any good heroic adventure, Fearless and Paris face a variety of monsters, traps, sirens and other temptations. Mosley's talent for sketching memorable minor characters of every hue ("buttery brown," "copper," "brick," "olive with a hint of lemon") is fully evident, while his reading of the racial temperature of the 1950s is as dead-on as ever. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Although Walter Mosley is best known for his popular Easy Rawlins series, critics agree that the newer Fearless Jones books come in a close second. After all, they're close cousins, both set in Los Angeles in the 1950s and dealing with themes of racism, black culture, and social injustice. The newer series, however, written in similarly cool, witty prose, is lighter in tone. Reviewers praised Mosley's vivid, convincing characters—Fearless, of course, but also the women, including the intrepid Three Hearts. They disagreed, however, about the novel's plot. Some critics thought it fast-paced and complex, while others cited it as ancillary to the character development and larger history lesson. In the end, Fear of the Dark is, like Mosley's other novels, "troubling, too—that's clearly what he intends, and he does his work well" (Washington Post).

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 335 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044661789X
• ISBN-13: 978-0446617895
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1.1 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,146,119 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner from one of the genre's best, October 4, 2006

By 

David Montgomery "Book Critic" (davidjmontgomery.com) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fear of the Dark (Fearless Jones Novel, No.3) (Hardcover)

For sixteen years now, Walter Mosley has been producing some of the finest mystery novels the genre has ever seen. That streak continues with his latest, another top-notch novel from one of literature's most gifted observers of race, crime and life on the rough side of America's streets.

"Fear of the Dark" is the third book to feature mild-mannered bookstore owner Paris Minton, and once again this gentle man is taking part in an adventure against his will, with his stalwart friend Fearless Jones along for the ride.

Paris is a fascinating hero for a crime novel, as he's neither brave nor ambitious, nor especially honest. He wants nothing more than to be left alone among his beloved books, but there's no way that the shadier residents of L.A.'s South Central are going to let that happen.

The stories featuring Paris Minton are so good that they have begun to outshine even Mosley's superb series featuring detective Easy Rawlins -- and that's high praise indeed.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars bookseller as detective, September 22, 2006

By 

Richard Cumming "dick" (the heartland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fear of the Dark (Fearless Jones Novel, No.3) (Hardcover)

Walter Mosley can write about anything. While his Easy Rawlins series is his best known, a few years ago he started this series about Fearless Jones. Of course, Fearless is in it but he's mostly the sidekick to the dweeby little ghetto bookseller, Paris Minton.

The story opens with Minton scanning his system of mirrors that helps him to quickly identify the rare visitor who steps inside the entryway to his bookstore. Now and then he does have customers. He's more concerned about running away from bad guys who might pay a visit. One guy he knows to ignore is his worthless cousin Ulysses. They all call him USELESS (except his mother).

Useless pays a visit to Paris and then he vanishes. His mother, Minton's aunt, recruits Paris and Fearless to find her son. That's where the adventure begins. Mosley is a supremely gifted stylist. He cooks up a steaming pot of intrigue, unsolved murders, dangerous damsels, rogue cops and per the usual, Paris Minton's eye for the ladies gets him into a real stew.

Mosley can write this stuff in his sleep. We are blessed to have such a prolific author among us.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courage is in the Eye of the Beholder, April 18, 2007

By 

Marian E. "www.bettmarr.com" (Central Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fear of the Dark (Fearless Jones Novel, No.3) (Hardcover)

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.
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