Farewell, Amethystine

Easy Rawlins #16

by Walter Mosley

Easy Rawlins’ latest client sends him down a warren of memory and nostalgia, blinding him to reason and risk, from “master of the genre,” (Washington Post) Walter Mosley. January 1970 finds Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, LA’s premier Black detective, at 50 years of age despite all expectations.  He has a loving family, a beautiful home, and a thriving investigation agency.  All is right with the world… and then Amethystine Stoller, his own personal Helen of Troy, arrives. Her ex-husband is missing. A simple enough case. But even as Easy takes his first step in the investigation he trips.  He falls into the memory of things past. Little things, like loss, love, a world war, and a hunger that has eaten at him since he was a Black boy on his own on the streets of Fifth Ward, Houston, Texas. The missing ex, a young white man named Curt Fields, is found dead. Easy’s only real friend in the LAPD, Melvin Suggs, has gone into hiding rather than allow his femme fatale wife to go to the gas chamber.  And that’s only the beginning. Easy finds himself pressed into a reckoning. All of his success cannot succor his heart. The 1970’s have ushered in new expectations of men and women, Black and White, and Easy has to make a choice that will almost certainly hasten a permanent descent, one that might sunder his soul.  

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Historical Fiction, Thriller

333 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2024

About the author

Walter Mosley (b. 1952) is the author of the bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins, as well as numerous other works, from literary fiction and science fiction to a young adult novel and political monographs. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times Magazine and the Nation, among other publications. Mosley is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, a Grammy, and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Jonathan K (Max Outlier) · Rating 5 out of 5]

For those unfamiliar with Walt Mosley, he's one of the most prolific, celebrated authors in publishing. This being the 16th installment of the Easy Rawlins series which began decades ago with Devil in a Blue Dress he demonstrates his prowess with grace, power and authority.

Its January 1970 in Los Angeles where Easy's P.I. business flourishes and his family life is filled with love and adoration from his adopted son Jesus, whose wife, young child and sister Feather live with him in a private enclave in the hills. A black former boxer and cop who's hard hitting and resourceful, Easy is a force to contend with.

Arriving at his office, his own "Helen of Troy" arrives in the form of Amethystine Stoller, a beautiful woman who's ex-husband Curt Fields has gone missing. Referred to him by a former client he's indebted to, Easy collects the basics and digs into his formidable network of cops, thugs and former criminals to uncover the whereabouts of Fields.

Walt's narratives require the reader to 'take mental notes' continually due to countless characters, plot elements and revelations. Paced to perfection, twists and turns are akin to a winding mountain road; characters range from corrupt LA officials to a 'black' witch and everything in between. Mosley uses the same 'brand' of storytelling with all Easy episodes though this is one of his best.

As with all my reviews, preference is to keep plot points, characters and details from the summary in order NOT to spoil the experience. Each chapter is filled with the unexpected along with flash backs to Easy's military experience in WWII, childhood in the Fifth Ward in Houston and countless others.

That said, if you're a fan of detective stories packed with suspense, surprise and action you can't go wrong with this one nor any Walt has written.

[Tracy P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I am all caught up, it's going to hard to wait until September for the next edition to be released. Sigh. Love this series.

[Andre(Read-A-Lot) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mosley does it again. I believe Mosley could write these mysteries in his sleep. That’s not to say it’s easy, but he has mastered his personal formula and in the end it all seems to make for an engaging and enjoyable read.

In this one, Amethystine is the lovely damsel whose husband has gone missing. She is pointed in the direction of Easy Rawlings, and enlists him to get the answers to questions she didn’t even know to ask. Easy gets to work and along the way, the usual cast make appearances in this whodunit. The dangerous Raymond ”Mouse” Alexander and the equally hazardous Fearless Jones. Though Mouse remains scarce in this one, Fearless is fully on board providing muscle and gnarly assistance. This tale takes a winding road with a few paths leading to dead-ends, but it’s all in service to the Mosley formula. Part of which is to keep the story engaging, even, especially when things seem implausible.

All this adds up to another win for Easy, and Mosley continues to keep us entertained.

[Nicole VanderDoes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several of Mosley's more recent books, but Devil in a Blue Dress is the only Easy Rawlins novel I'd read before "Farewell, Amethystine." I considered trying to read the entire series before diving in, but realized that was impractical. It also would not have allowed me to discover "Farewell, Amethystine" stands on its own just fine. I enjoyed re-meeting characters that still existed somewhere in my imagination, but I didn't need to know their backstories to be drawn into this story. Actually, what struck me most was the entire story being told as memory, as Easy's backstory. Mosley's ability to write in the past tense, to tell a story long past, and still create dramatic tension and a sense of urgency is impressive. Occasionally I found myself distracted by this but only because I kept wondering if this is how the other Easy Rawlins books are structured and was curious to find out.

One of the wonderful things about the story being set in the past is it allows Mosley to tell a classic, hard-boiled PI story without distractions of modern technology. The elimination of pay phones is the worst thing to happen to PIs in a long time! I keep trying to decide which of Mosley's protagonists I enjoy the most, and my conclusion is whichever one is currently taking me down dark alleys and into sweaty bedrooms while trying to do the right thing and stay alive.

Thank you to the publisher, Mulholland Books, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this eBook. After reading “Farewell, Amethystine,” I can’t wait to catch up on my Easy Rawlins reading while waiting for Walter Mosley’s next book.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's 1970 and Easy is 50 years old. Los Angeles is still a place for a black man to be police savvy. Another confusing, convoluted plot in which Easy and the reader are both along for the ride. Easy is hired by an attractive young black woman to find her missing former husband- a white man. There's also drama involving his police buddy who is in hiding. Easy goes back and forth between the two. Police corruption. Las Vegas gangsters. Easy knows he's being lied to and not told the whole story but the client is a looker connected to some of his closest confidantes. He's surprised too by what ultimately unfolds and the title is preordained.

[Cheryl James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book 16, final book of the series.

This was my least favorite book in the series. The characters were a little flat, and the scenes were a little boring. There were a lot of historical moments and not enough story moments.

However, it's easy, breezy Rawlins, and he is my everything.

Thank you, Walter Mosely, for a wonderful series

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I’m a sucker for an Easy Rawlins book and this is another good one. Walter Mosley is on a book tour and I’m going to go see him later this month at Powell’s. Always a pleasure to see the master in person.

[Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you have read Easy Rawlins stories by Walter Mosley in the past, you know the drill, what to expect, what not to expect, what you like and want more of, which will lead you to the next one. If you have never read one of these tales, have never even seen Devil in a Blue Dress starring Denzel Washington (and you really should watch or re-watch that movie) then Farewell, Amethystine serves admirably as introduction to the series. He's older and more appreciative of a good nap and relaxed time at home with family than in earlier installments. But he's still formidable Easy, still on the trail of conmen and killers, still dealing with unhelpful police officers, still being seduced by beautiful women who may or may not be distracting him from their evil deeds. Cameos are made by long time friends such as Fearless Jones and Mouse Alexander. The details of the crime being investigated in Farewell, Amethystine don't matter too much. To be honest, I can't say that I fully kept up with how Easy followed one set of clues to the next until reaching the end of the trail. It's his manner of interacting with friends, foes and individuals of uncertain character that captivates the reader. Walter Mosley's prose carries us along in his signature style from a bygone era that makes the pages quite easy to turn. If you enjoy pulp fiction from authors such as Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett and Elmore Leonard, be sure to add Walter Mosley to your lineup. In addition to elements familiar from other hardboiled crime books, Mosley's Easy Rawlins is a Black Man operating in a White World, providing extra challenges and hurdles for the private investigator to deal with while navigating the criminal underworld. Walter Mosley is a talented author who occasionally leaves his patented crime novels behind and gifts us with a very different sort of story. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey is one such example that I highly recommend. As for the Easy Rawlins stories, I recommend them as well and invite you to choose your reading order. Chronological, alphabetical, grouped by cover color, it doesn't much matter. Just jump in, the water is warm. It has been several years since the last Easy Rawlins book I read, and it may be several years until I read the next one. When I do make my return, I know I'll be immediately drawn into a comfortably dangerous literary landscape. And I know that Rawlins will figure out a way to get to the bottom of things.

[Chuck Kramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy Rawlins in 1970: finding missing people, some dead, some alive; falling in love with a young woman; living in a hilltop fortress; bringing in Fearless Jones for muscle since Mouse is not available. All this is great but the narration has lost that smoky atmosphere of LA in the fifties that marked the early Rawlins books and made them special. Here the p;ot falls apart at the end as two bad guys just disappear, like Mosley didn’t know what to do with them. Still, nice to be back with Easy, a wise and charming character.

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy Rawlins books have become a kind of way to keep track of time the last five years. Geological layers of book reading: I had just started rereading the series when I was fired from a job in 2019. I kept rereading during the stay at home period of COVID lock downs. I was reading the fifteenth book the day I got my first booster shot.

The sixteenth book finds me extremely content. I have a job I love and a home life that seems shockingly idea. These are likely halcyon days; I wouldn't be me if I wasn't waiting for the other shoe to drop, but honestly things are pretty great.

Easy's doing OK, too. Mosley's writing is on point. His ear for dialogue is strong. His plot is an absolutely convoluted mess that requires a pretty intricate knowledge of the 15 books that have come before this volume. It's weird that byzantine plotting didn't sink this book for me. I was aware of it, but it mattered less to the reading experience than I would have expected.

That's probably because I've put in the time and read those previous books, many of them several times. I was just happy to see what was up with Easy et al. That's also why I wish there had been more Mouse in this book. We touch base with a whole cast of characters here and Ray is less integral to the plot than I'd like.

Whatever, once I say that's plots out the window and I STILL enjoy the reading experience, you know you've got me for life. As long as Mosley writes Easy I'll read him.

Tiny side note. There's a coupla places in this book where Mosley mentions things happening in rooms above a furniture store. Couldn't help but think of Colson Whitehead's Ray Carney books when that came up, and can't help but wonder if that's intentional. I wonder what Mosley thinks of those books?

[Bob Box · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. A crime story with double and triple crosses, a femme fatale, multiple murders and a plot so twisted I wasn't sure what was going on half the time. Mosley is a superior stylist who paints a vivid portrait of Los Angeles in 1970 and Easy Rawlins is a sleuth for the ages.

[Becky Loader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmmm. I could not get past the writing style to get to the plot.

[Alan (The Lone Librarian) Teder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy Does It Again
A review of the Mulholland Books audiobook (June 4, 2024) narrated by Michael Boatman and released simultaneously with the Mulholland Books hardcover/eBook.

The world was changing in increments so small you’d have had to be a victim to feel it.

Farewell, Amethystine is a welcome return, after several years, by Mosley's most regular series character Ezekiel "Easy" Rawlins, the ex-WWII soldier turned LA private investigator. It also has the relief of a return to form after the disappointing Every Man a King (King Oliver #2 - 2023) which I had reviewed as Convoluted and Confusing. It benefits from a crossover with the title character from the Fearless Jones series, who acts as Easy's backup muscle in place of the more terrifying Raymond "Mouse" Alexander, who remains off the page for most of this outing.

Easy is 50-years-old and the setting is Los Angeles in 1970. His life is more settled now with a growing family including a grandchild and a comfortable income from housing rentals. He is still pulled in to aid friends and acquaintances in their troubles and such is the case here. Femme fatale Amethystine Stoller seeks Easy's help in tracking down her missing ex-husband Curt Fields. Meanwhile Melvin Suggs, Easy's friend on the LA Police, has gone missing for some unexplained reason.


Actor Denzel Washington as Easy Rawlins in the 1995 film adaptation of the 1st novel in the series Devil in a Blue Dress (1990). Image sourced from Book Riot: 6 of the Best Easy Rawlins Books.

The two cases duck and weave throughout, before coming to a satisfying conclusion. I did think that the title was somewhat of a telegraphed spoiler, but in the case of hardboiled noir you have to know going in that the femme fatale will not always turn out to be what they seem. Of course you can never begrudge a callout to the greatest of the greats Raymond Chandler's Farewell, My Lovely (1940).

The narration by actor and series regular narrator Michael Boatman was excellent in all voices.

Soundtrack
I didn't notice any particular music references in Farewell, Amethystine so I turned to the soundtrack for the Devil in a Blue Dress film and listened to the theme music by Elmer Bernstein on YouTube here and an assembled soundtrack playlist on Spotify here.

Trivia and Links
I was reminded that Walter Mosley was mentored at an early stage by Edna O'Brien (1930-2024) which I only learned about when I saw the bio-documentary film Blue Road: The Edna O'Brien Story at 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. Walter Mosley is interviewed during the film and reminisces about being O'Brien's student at the City College of New York when the Irish writer taught there for a few semesters.

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mosley sets this Easy Rawlings story in the 1970s rather than his previous post-WWII milieu, bringing many previous characters up to date as he does so. This was an enjoyable PI procedural (especially as narrated by Michael Boatman) even though I hadn’t read many of the previous books in this long-running series.

[Pam Hurd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy a diverse range of reading material. I was looking for a new "popcorn" series as I'm finishing off my current guilty pleasure series. For sure, I am not the target audience for this read. With that said, I did not "enjoy" this book. I tried to find some good takeaway. Where I am at this point in my life, I couldn't find anything of value for me.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read a number of this author’s books so knew what I was getting into. Surprising to me is that Mosley’s character Easy Rawlings is 50! When I think of him, I see a young Denzel Washington from the film Devil in a Blue Dress, adapted from the book that introduced Mosley’s iconic private investigator to the world in 1990. In this latest book, a young Black woman with a sad story enters his office, he is coaxed into action. Amethystine Stoller is missing a husband and she’s convinced Easy is the guy to find him.
Recommended!

[Jay · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ghost Writer?Not a Walter Mosely book.Too many characters and a non existent plot

[Larry Carr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farewell, Amesthystine by Walter Mosley, is the 16th and latest in the Easy Rawlins series. The series describes post war LA and the influx of blacks from the south to LA, for jobs, a better life and a chance to stake a claim to the American dream of family, food on the table, and independence, albeit limited to the “negro experience” in U. S. Of A.

It’s 1970, and Easy has hit the mid-century mark, a milestone for a black male. As Easy puts it, in a confrontation with LAPD captain Anatole McCourt, “There was no question that he could have beaten me to death right there and then. But I had just turned fifty. The average life span of Negro men in that year was sixty. He had more to lose than I did.”

Easy has in the past 20 years succeeded quietly, amassing ten properties -100 rental units, providing with his private investigator activity -a steady cash flow, for a life off the grid. Including safe housing for he and his step daughter Feather, and step son Jesus with wife and daughter. A guarded enclave in the Santa Monica hills, “There were only six homes in Brighthope. All of them owned by Sadie Solomon, the richest woman west of the Mississippi River. Sadie gave ninety-nine-year leases to certain people who had done right by her, and others who had that potential. I was both.”

The story here involves Easy rescuing a friend, Melvin Suggs a LAPD captain…whose saved Easy’s ass frequently in the past… from the clutches of a cop even higher up, an under chief in the LAPD, and unraveling the disappearance of a new client, Amesthystine’ ex husband. The stories, as with most Mosley’s books, are complex and take many turns and introduce an array of characters and LA life. What stood out, for me, is Mosley’s unrelenting depiction of the realities and disparities of being black, and living black in LA and in America.

Easy’s turn. “I remembered Underchief Laks. A neatly dressed prig. He had four senior officers take me into custody on a Sunday afternoon when I still lived in LA proper.” —“What am I doing here?” I asked one of the few cops who outranked my friend Melvin Suggs. “It’s your turn, Easy.” “ My turn for what?” “So, when you sign this confession you will be charged for his murder.” “I didn’t kill him,” I said with steely conviction that I did not feel.” —“We have a numbered list of Los Angeles’s top criminals. One by one we choose them and make sure that they pay… for something.” —“Seven out of ten of the city’s white residents would have said it couldn’t happen—not in America. Out of the remaining three, two would have said that I could have beaten the false charges in court. Eleven out of nine Black Angelenos would have known” -different.

American Progress. “Most people, at least most whites, thought that everything was fine. Children made more money than their parents did, peace had been retained by the war I’d fought in, and freedom was available to everybody who deserved it—as long as they spoke English while praising Jesus and the almighty dollar.”

Law & Order. “The criminal courts building is on Temple Street downtown. Concrete and steel, it’s a monolith and an edifice, a symbol of the power of a justice system that has managed to hide the corruption fueling its machinations.”

Hippies. “They were young and, I knew, sooner or later they’d trade in these Utopian desires for good-paying jobs and the status quo. I knew it, but it was nice to be out there among them with their long hair and pot smoke, their perfect (if flawed) ideals and deep beliefs.”

Staying Alive. “he turned the corpse over. “Bradley Mirth,” he said. It was a big white man in military-like fatigues. His face was broad, with one eye open. He’d received at least six wounds. “Who is he?” I asked. “Used to be LAPD back in the days of Parker and his Night Riders. The ones who enforced laws that were never written down.” — “One of the good things about having lived half a century under the weight of second- and third-class citizenship—bad luck was never a surprise. If they wanted me they would get me. That was all there was to it.”

Code Blue. “LAPD, at that time, was a cult. Maybe all police departments everywhere in the world are bound up by toxic orthodoxy, I don’t know, but back then the LAPD didn’t believe in anything but the righteousness of their struggle to survive on streets at least partly of their own making.”

Now if you’re new to Mosley, Rawlins & the LA postwar experience, perhaps the slant seems heavy? But if you take the time to read Mosley, you will understand this is just the reality served straight up. If you care, then you need to understand it, to deal with it. And you should read first the early books to get where Easy, and Mosley, are coming from. Progress made is hard earned -a life and death experience.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this is the 16th Easy Rawlins book. I know the author spends time in Brooklyn these days. But he knows about the gas station on the northeast corner of Lincoln and Pico in 1970, or Tommy’s on Broadway. He and many of his colleagues have a deep suspicion of the police, and understand their primary mission before the Civil War. And he serves up wisdom and humor like Feather Jones does buckwheat cakes and bacon for breakfast.

I try to read these books slowly, make ‘em last. Usually I fail. This is no exception.

It starts with the most conventional of detective plots. A bombshell walks into Easy’s office. Her man is missing. Trouble awaits. And Walter Mosley heats up the oven and gathers the seasonings.

And the lines. This from Fearless, a vet of WWII, Korea and Vietnam, when asked if he’d ever get back in uniform. “War don’t give a damn about the butcher or the baker.”

Rawlins has to be twice as smart just to navigate the police. After stepping past one obstacle, the detective mused to himself: “It’s always pleasing when logic trumps tribal hatred.”

[Kristi Monte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maaaaybe 3 1/2 stars. Easy Rawlins is an enjoyable character and Mosley paints detective work in 1970 perfectly. But the plot was so twisted, I could hardly keep up! Plus, with nicknames for every character and Easy changing which one uses for them on every other sentence, it’s hard to keep track of everyone.

I usually like when authors expect a high level of intelligence of their readers, but you need to be a detective yourself in order to follow all of the twists and turns of this story.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my first dance with Walter Mosley, and his Easy Rawlins books. They are delicious hard boiled detective mysteries and while he didn’t create the genre, his are the gold standard for the Black milieu. Farewell Amethyst is a good example. The plots are filled with surprises and the characters are presents, well wrapped, to be opened as the story progresses. His writing is rich in description and a pleasure to read. Happily, I’ve only scratched the surface and have many more of these wonderful books in my future.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mr. Mosley's writing and stories make me feel comfortable, at home, as one. I just sit back and enjoy.
In this one, I greatly appreciate the political commentary. It's not in your face but he gets the point across.
Just another wonderful book by Mr. Mosley.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many great descriptions, so many characters from the past and present. Hard to keep track of them. Story lines also much to follow, dipping into the past too. Perhaps now that Easy is 50 years old (and Mosely older) it is easier to fall into the past, and harder to edit the present.

[reading escapist · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge Easy Rawlins fan, so I was ecstatic when I was approved for the ARC through NetGalley. Farewell, Amethystine follows Easy through a couple of mysteries and murders that are interconnected. The story starts when Amethystine hires Easy to find her missing ex-husband. What follows is a convoluted story about gamblers, criminals, murderers, and a double cross. Unexpectedly, Easy’s heart becomes involved. Meanwhile, Melvin and Mary are involved in a blackmail plot. As usual, Mosley is a great storyteller. He interweaves Easy’s teenage relationship with Anger into present thoughts and actions. The pace for the story is medium. You will still enjoy this story even if it is your first Easy Rawlins book. However, keep in mind that it does happen in the late sixties.
For Easy Rawlins fans: Mouse only makes a brief appearance. However, we get a good dose of Fearless. Melvin and Mary are also mixed up in the drama. You also get updates about Feather and Jesus.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, Walter Mosley, has done it again…AWESOME read, 1970’s, Easy Rawlings, our famous PI, along with “Mouse”, “Fearless” and his family are trying to investigate a missing persons, intrigue, murders, jail, racial injustice and oh those twists and turns. Enjoy

[Scott Butki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, well told prompting much thinking about race relationships especically between white cops and black folks.

i plan to read more mosley as ive only read 2 or 3 of his books

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy spending time with Easy.

One thing I have learned is that once you start a Moseley story you need to keep going or you might lose track of the storylines and characters!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fast-paced, lyrical installation in the Easy Rawlings series. I wish I could savour them more, to make them last longer, but I always need to find out what happened next.

[Brenda Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio 3.5

[Mary Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can not begin to count the number of characters in this book. The plot is very convoluted, but if you just go with the flow, Easy takes you on a journey.