Walter Mosley is back with the second installment of his new, magnificent Lenoid McGill Mystery series, Known to Evil. Believe it or not, I got my hands on Known to Evil before I had read its predecessor, The Long Fall. I hate coming in on the middle or tail end of a series. I had to get a copy of The Long Fall. I read it and LOVED IT! I knew Mosley was in the zone after I read The Long Fall. He’s still in it with Known to Evil! I am so ecstatic with Mosley and his new series, I could spit. Thanks to Mosley and Lenoid McGill, I am in my happy place. It’s a good thing I brought a sack lunch and an overnight bag.

Lenoid McGill is back and boy is his plate full of drama. Lenoid gets a request from the most powerful man in New York City, Alphonse Rinaldo. Rinaldo wants Lenoid to contact a young woman, Tara Reid, make sure that everything is alright with her. He doesn’t tell Lenoid the reason behind the request and Lenoid knows not to ask. Before Lenoid can approach Tara, Tara’s girlfriend is found murdered in the girlfriend’s apartment along with her murderer, who is also dead. Now, Tara is missing. Lenoid’s simple mission has turned deadly and the race is on to find Tara.

I LOVE THIS BOOK! Mosley continues to build on the solid foundation he established in The Long Fall. Lenoid continues to evolve into a wonderfully complex, multi dimensional character. Mosley exposes more of Lenoid’s past, especially his relationships with his father and brother. I have a feeling that as this series progresses, the exploration of Lenoid’s family will continue. I am looking forward to it, because I have a growing suspicion that Lenoid’s brother and father will come back into Lenoid’s life and it won’t be through Lenoid’s memories.

Lenoid’s home life continues to fascinate me. A subplot in the novel involves Lenoid’s two sons, Dimitri and Twill. Dimitri falls in love and runs away with a Russian girl who is in the US as part of a white sex slave ring. The Russian mob wants its property back. Lenoid has to deal with this family drama too. I love the storylines that involves Lenoid’s family because it gives Mosley the opportunity to show other sides and angles of Lenoid’s character. Lenoid is just like the rest of us. He has the ups and downs drama that he has to face on the job. When he gets home, there are other dramas that he has to contend with being a father and a husband.

Mosley balances the two storylines extremely well. Both have their own unique narrative and pacing. While both are intriguing, well developed mysteries in their own right; Mosley seamlessly merged the two together with Lenoid, as the common point of interest. I’m not sure how Mosley pulled it off, but its feat to be admired and not tried by amateurs.

Known to Evil is a smart, fast paced, well written novel that is electric. As with The Long Fall, Mosley continues to be at the top of his game. The Lenoid McGill series may turn out to be the most captivating mystery series written this decade. If Mosley continues the series with the same quality writing that I’ve read so far, I have no problem stating that Lenoid McGill will be placed in the same company as Sherlock Holmes, Sam Spade, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot as the best detectives ever written.

Related Links

Read a Review of the first book in this Series: The Long Fall
http://aalbc.com/reviews/long_fall.html