Niska made it in at nine to nine to find me once more sitting at her reception desk.

“Hi, Mr. Rawlins. Anybody else here?”

“Saul asked me and Whisper to come up north to help him out. He said we’d both be back down by Friday.” I stood up then and moved aside.

“And how have you been while I was gone?” she asked once back in her chair.

“I thought spending the time alone would be restful. I was wrong. How was the retreat?”

“It was okay, I guess. Did you get the money from Mr. Zuma?” our receptionist/office manager asked.

I told her about my experiences with the collateral Rolls and how many times I had to discuss my temporary ownership with the police.

“That’s awful,” she said when I’d gotten through the tale. “Did you pick up another job while I was gone?”

I thought about Kilian and his mother, Brock and Jericho, the police and the FBI.

“No,” I said. “Didn’t you like the meditation retreat?”

“I met this guy. He’s kinda cute.”

That night Feather and I planned a vacation up to San Francisco. We’d bring her uncle and Dagmar too, if she was still with him by then.

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Praise for Walter Mosley and
Blood Grove

“Mosley is a master of craft and narrative, and through his incredibly vibrant and diverse body of work, our literary heritage has truly been enriched…From mysteries to literary fiction to nonfiction, Mosley’s talent and memorable characters have captivated readers everywhere, and the Foundation is proud to honor such an illustrious voice whose work will be enjoyed for years to come…What sets his work apart is his examination of both complex issues and intimate realities through the lens of characters in his fiction, as well as his accomplished historical narrative works and essays.”

—National Book Foundation

“Lest one think Mr. Mosley’s middle-age hero—sensitive and contemplative though he may be—is not still up to whatever challenge may confront him, he warns: ‘Easy is my name, not my nature.’”

—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

“Mosley’s authorial superpower remains his razor-sharp perception…This novel is more than a simple mystery meant for entertainment; it and its serial predecessors advocate for the Black hero in literature and in life…A strong entry in a robust series and an even stronger entry into the genre that further solidifies Rawlins as an enduring figure, one who has survived and thrived in a world that sees him as less than the hero he is.”

—Aaron Coats, Chicago Review of Books