Devil in a Blue Dress

Devil in a Blue Dress is a mystery novel by Walter Mosley that will keep you on your toes and rooting for the protagonist, Ezekiel “Easy.” 

In the United States post-World War II, we meet Easy, a man freshly discharged from the army. After leaving Houston and joining the army with the hope of becoming a full-fledged man, Easy moves to California, looking to finally achieve a better life. Still haunted by the memories of his past, he works, body and soul, and attempts to obtain the long American Dream, security, and a better life. 

This story will submerge you into the realities of the black community in the United States after the war, their struggles and aspirations both in California and Houston and glimpses of how they were so incredibly different and similar: a continuous battle for safety and peace. A battle that Easy knows very well and will continue fighting in order to keep himself out of jail and with a roof over his head. 

When he loses his job, a friend will present an opportunity to help him out: find a girl as simple as that. Nevertheless, this so-called “opportunity” does not come without consequences. How will Easy handle the development that a few actions, a few questions here and there will unfold? How will finding this girl change his future? What starts a desperate attempt to obtain money to pay this month's mortgage will change how he sees himself and everyone around him. 

To follow Easy’s story while he is dealing with a web of lies, corruption, and violence in the search for security is to learn and understand resilience and resourcefulness. A novel that is not only a mystery novel but an excellent description of what, at the end of the day, every living being wants: safety and peace. Through Easy Rawlins, Mosley sheds light on the enduring struggle for justice and equality, making this novel timeless.