Rating: 
Summary: Noir in '50s LA
Review: A departure from the Easy Rawlins series, this second Fearless Jones novel, set in 1950s LA, is narrated by Fearless' sidekick, Paris Minton, a fearful, neurotic, intellectual Watts bookshop owner. Fearless, aptly named, has a soft side for women in trouble, so when a woman asks him to find her husband, a man Fearless has been working for, he enlists Paris' help.Paris shudders at the thought, but his big friend brings out the courage in him - "being friends with him was like having one of God's second cousins as a pal" - and besides, a white man shows up looking for Fearless. "I needed to know if my friend's problems were going to spill over onto me." Mosley writes a well-plotted mystery, full of twists and murders and double crossings, but within the mystery framework he explores nuances of character and the ways black people get by in the white people's world. Inarticulate, dangerous Fearless, living day-to-day, is a generous, principled man with an uncanny ability to read people, while Paris, the literate one, fights a craven, selfish streak. Paris is reflective though, and while not always proud of himself, he knows what he can live with. The plot takes us through the alleys and backstreets of LA, to bail bondsmen, aggressive cops and LA's wealthiest black businesswoman who has suffered a robbery so devastating she won't talk about it. As always, Mosley's writing is eloquent and compact, atmospheric and gritty. Grasping family members, racist cops and lowlifes of both colors, as well as the fluid Fearless and the twitchy Paris, propel the plot through the force and weakness of their characters.
Rating:
Summary: Rhapsody in Noir (Continued)
Review: Fear Itself wonderfully lives up to the superb quality of Fearless Jones, which began this series. If you haven't read Fearless Jones, I recommend reading that book first. Fearless Jones is the finest new mystery I have read in decades. Its qualities place it alongside classics like The Maltese Falcon, while its deep exploration of human nature causes it to transcend the mystery genre. The story's subtle psychology reminds me of an ancient Greek drama. This book represents a new peak in the imagination and the writing of the immensely talented Mr. Walter Mosley. You have a rare treat in store. Start this book early in the day. You probably won't want to put it down. Like the frozen expressions on Greek tragedians' masks, Fearless Jones considers three kinds of human motivation: The self-interested satisfaction of the senses; the rational mind assembling the pieces of a puzzle; and good character that comes the heart. The narration builds from the rational mind and conveys all of the classic elements of the best noir mysteries. Mosley's point is that good character will naturally triumph because of the finer emotions and responses it will evoke in others. I suspect that you will agree with him, and feel uplifted by this tale despite the plot's pathway through many dark alleys of depravity. Few writers can take you inside the mind and body of the characters like Mr. Mosley. In both Fearless Jones and Fear Itself, you will think and feel along with Paris Minton, the owner of a used bookstore in Watts in the mid-1950s. Minton is a largely self-educated black man from Louisiana who came to California to find libraries that were open to all. His store's books are discards from local libraries. He has achieved a fragile kind of peaceful life, living and working in his bookstore (and reading when there are no customers, which is often). His friend, Fearless Jones, is the archetype of the medieval knight errant . . . always looking to do a good deed. In Fear Itself, Fearless (Tristan) Jones wakes Paris up in the middle of the night because Fearless has promised to help a woman Fearless had never met before, Leora Hartman, who was holding the hand of a three year-old who was crying his eyes out. A World War II hero, the two met when Minton spontaneously bought Jones a drink during the post-war celebration. "He appreciated my generosity and gave me a lifetime of friendship for a single shot of scotch." As you can see, Mr. Mosley writes like an angel. The book revolves around a missing farmer from Wayne, Texas, Kit Mitchell, who has been hiring Fearless to distribute his watermelons. The mystery soon adds more missing people and items, and other people who want to pay Paris and Fearless to find whatever is missing. However, people are more willing to pay than to describe what they are supposed to be looking for. Whatever it is, it's dynamite! The story reminds me The Big Sleep in a positive way. No review of this book would be complete without observing that Mr. Mosley again demonstrates an unbelievable ability for capturing the black experience in Southern California in the post-war period. He has an equally uncanny skill for weaving a personalized view of that vulnerable, hopeful footing into the fabric of the overall society during those years. I think that Fear Itself is his most imaginative work in this regard. He adds richness to black heritage in an unforgettable and intriguing way. As much as I enjoyed the story, these heritage elements overshadowed the mystery completely. After you finish reading the book, I suggest that think back to the many moments of spontaneous kindness in the story. How did you feel when you read them? How would you feel if someone behaved in this way towards you? When was the last time that you offered the fullness of your heart's purest motives to a stranger or near-stranger? How would you feel if you did so more often? Who are you? Who could you be? Who do you want to be? Live beyond your fears and your desires . . . and be free!
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but confusing with red herrings
Review: I enjoy walter's books no matter who the main characters are. the fearless jones novels are good ones but i continue to find it strange that he is not the main character. its like the sherlock holmes novels, such as "hound of the baskervilles" where you have watson doing all the narrating - in this case, fearless' buddy paris. everything fearless jones apes sherlock holmes, just more confusingly and more my style.
once again the mousy little bookeeper paris minton gets roped into a bunch of illegal garbage thanks to his best friend fearless being somewhere he wasn't supposed have been been in the first place. next thing paris knows, he's spying around hotels like james bond, finding dead bodies like canine cops and getting beaten up like a slave. all because fearless got mixed in with some burglars, a trio of murders and a rich black women whom he can't trust anymore than the rich white man paris gets kidnapped by. he's in over his head to say the least.
paris is a great character and walter finally fleshes out paris' love for the written word and his hate for violence. we see paris as a punk who cracks under the slightest pressure, yet puts himself in dangerous situations to help his best buddy. fearless is a nicely rounded creation in his own right. the perfect opposite of paris, fearless is no einstein, often reminding me of lenny from "of mice and men," as he lets himself get duped into the stupidest hazards either from not knowing any better or just trying to do the right thing. tall and powerfully built, fearless is a born fighter and accompished war veteran who seems only smart enough to stay alive and keep a little change in his pocket. together, both fellas make for enjoyable reading.
walter puts together a nice story with a large plot full of unnecessary twists and the occasional red herring. also, there are so many characters its easy to get lost. unlike with the last mosely novel i read, i made a conscious effort to really concentrate on characters and story zigzags because i refused to get lost this time. if you don't give it your full attention, you're lost.
i still got lost. but i was smart enough to put some things together and roll with it. moreover, also unlike a few of his other novels which i've read, "fear itself" makes use of just about all the clues presented to us and combines them together at the end, wrapping it all up in a neat little confusing package. my experience with a couple of his easy rollins stories left me with nice characters, a nice story and a final wrapup based upon evidence we'd never even read, let alone could have deduced for ourselves. sure, it kept me in the dark, which is good as far as mystery writing goes, but i call it cheating a little. at least there was none of that here.
Rating: 
Summary: Slow and plodding... Not his best...
Review: I have never gotten into the Fearless Jones stories. It has always hit me as a "watered-down-Kool Aid" version of Easy Rawlins. This one was one or two clicks better than the first Fearless Jones novel but not much. This was little more than a fire drill in a chicken pen... a lot squawking and flapping and running in circles but not much getting done.
If you wish to do a true contrast/comparison read "Little Scarlet". The setting of both books is the same historical period where Paris Minton even makes a cameo appearance... it is obvious what I am talking about.
Rating:
Summary: Just Listen To It
Review: Los Angeles, 1955. Paris Minton is a retiring and none too courageous owner of a tiny bookstore. Fearless Jones is his best friend, but whenever he appears trouble is sure to follow. Milo Sweet is a conniving, double-dealing bail bondsman and disbarred lawyer. Kit Mitchell is missing. That's where the trouble starts, for it seems everyone is looking for Kit, and looking for him turns out to be extremely dangerous. And there are many, many more characters--the eccentric, the mad, the wealthy, the warm-hearted, the wicked. Things go from strange to dangerous to deadly as Paris and Fearless navigate the web of deceit and double-crossing spun by the characters. So, what is the big secret everyone's looking for? Who is Kit Mitchell and why does everyone want to find him? Will Paris, the fearful book-lover, survive this dangerous web of intrigue? Author Walter Mosley is a brilliant writer with a unique African-American voice. If the story doesn't make complete sense, if the plot doesn't quite hang together, if the characters are hard to keep track of, well, who cares? You can just listen to this book as if you were listening to jazz. It just rolls right along from one outrageous complication to another. The sentences, the words, the scenes, the dialogue--unbelievably good. I recommend this book, but, don't try to hard to follow the plot. Just listen to it! Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber
Rating:
Summary: The Return of Fearless
Review: Paris Minton is a bookstore owner, which is an excellant profession for him because he would rather read a book than deal with people. The only person that is really capable of pulling Paris out of his shell is his closest friend Fearless Jones. Early one morning Fearless shows up on Paris' doorstep with a tale of woe. He has met a woman who is in search of her missing husband and the father of her son. Because he feels sorry for the mother and child Fearless begs Paris to work on the case with him. While they are not private detectives or policeman, they are adept at locating people. Paris' instincts tell him to kick Fearless out of his apartment but because Fearless is like a brother Paris reluctantly agrees to help. What follows is an intriguing tale of betrayal and murder. In his latest work FEAR ITSELF: A FEARLESS JONES NOVEL, author Walter Mosley has once again hit the mark with unique characters and dangerous situations that keep the pages turning. Paris and Fearless are two very different people whose adventures keep things interesting. Paris is the quiet and introverted type and Fearless is trouble with a heart of gold and together these two make a perfect combination. For mystery fans, this story is a must read. Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewesr
Rating:
Summary: A FIRST-RATE READING
Review: Stage and cinema star Don Cheadle is an actor audiences seldom forget. His performances in "Boogie Nights" and "Traffic" leave an indelible impression, while his Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of Sammy Davis, Jr. on HBO's "The Rat Pack" was more than well deserved. His training as a classical actor comes to the fore in his energetic, suspense filled reading of the latest Fearless Jones adventure.
Listeners are transported to 1950s California - Los Angeles to be exact where Fearless enlists the help of Watts resident and bookstore owner Paris Minton. A good looking woman (of course) wants Fearless to locate her husband, and he wants Paris to join in the hunt.
In true Mosley style it's not too long before Paris finds himself at odds with one of the richest black women in L.A. He's at a loss to know from whom to hide as danger closes in on him from all directions.
The plot is complex as he careens from mishap to close call to almost-gotcha.
Here's a first rate detective story spun by a master.
Rating: 
Summary: The mystery is convoluted; the writing is not his best.
Review: The problem, for me, is Paris Minton. In this, the second book in the series, he comes off as a whiney, frightened, and weak individual. I lost interest in the book (and the mystery) about half-way through. The character of Fearless Jones is one of those confident, self-assured, but marginalized main characters that appears as "mean," "threatening," and a "killer" when in fact he's gentle, kind, bright, and giving. I thought the mystery was convoluted and to be honest, it didn't make a lot of sense to me. I also had problems with the structure and execution of the story. For example, I didn't believe for a minute that Paris just "happens" to find that manuscript where and when he did. It seemed like a cheap plot device. That said, I did enjoy the passages from that manuscript. THAT would have made a better story.
Perhaps I'm not that bright, but when it was over I kept asking myself: "The point of this was...? I prefer the Easy Rawlins series.
Rating:
Summary: listen to the music
Review: This book is so well read by Don Cheadle, that plot and characters are secondary. I listen to mystery, crime or detective stories when I walk because they keep my attention and therefore keep me motivated. Mosely's stories blend just the right amount of intrigue with intelligence. This particular combination of narration and novel stuck the right balance.
Rating:
Summary: Good Story
Review: This was my first Mosley novel and I really did enjoy it. It was very suspenseful with some interesting characters and a tense plot. Mosley was very descriptive in giving an account of 1950's L.A. and how racism wasn't just an affliction that affected the South or the Midwest. My only gripe was that there were too many characters to account for. It seemed like there was a new character introduced to the book every other page and I had to stop on many occasions and flip back a few pages to remind myself who the characters were. Overall, I'd recommend it.
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