Fear of the Dark    by Walter Mosley Order:  USA  Can Little, Brown & Co., 2006 (2006) Hardcover, CD      Reviewed by Lisa Respers France Anyone familiar with the character of Easy Rawlins knows that Walter Mosley can spin a good yarn. But above and beyond being able to craft an excellent, suspenseful tale, Mosley is one of the best writers in any of the genres he likes to bounce between including mystery, science fiction and short fiction. In his latest of the Fear series, Mosley brings back bookseller Paris Minton and his best friend Fearless Jones for a novel which is so smooth in terms of plot, dialogue and characterizations that the reader is easily absorbed. When Paris' cousin Ulysses 'Useless' Jones comes knocking, the always nervous and fearful Paris knows trouble can't be far behind. He soon finds himself embroiled in murder, a blackmail scheme and trying to keep Useless' mama from cursing him with her evil eye, which has felled many a man who has displeased her. Much like he does with the Rawlins series, Mosley does an excellent job in capturing time and place, in this case, Los Angeles in the 1950s. True to his usual form, Fear of the Dark goes much deeper than just your usual crime fiction. There is also racial commentary, history and a bit of a psychological study in the ties that bind family and friends. But the story is so much fun and so well written that it's easy to overlook the genius that is Walter Mosley. This is one book that is hard to put down. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Mystery books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews