Part of Easy Rawlins
First published 2002
Easy Rawlins faces financial ruin as his real estate business crumbles in 1960s America. The Kennedy administration brings hope to some, but Easy's troubles multiply when someone asks him to locate Elizabeth Eady, known as Black Betty. This missing woman worked as a housekeeper for a rich Beverly Hills family after leaving her hometown of Houston. Betty possesses striking beauty and intense sensuality that have created destruction wherever she goes. Easy must trace her path from Texas to California, following the wreckage she left behind. The search pulls him deeper into a world where desire and violence intersect. As Easy navigates the investigation, he confronts the harsh realities of a changing America where progress remains elusive for people like him. His quest to find Black Betty becomes a journey through the complexities of race, class, and survival in Los Angeles.
Genres: mystery, crime, thriller, detective, african-american-historical-fiction
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, mystery, redemption
Setting: Beverly Hills, Fifth Ward, Houston, Los Angeles
Period: 1961
278 pages · Paperback · Norton