A review by nonna7
And Sometimes I Wonder About You by Walter Mosley

4.0

Walter Mosley is, in my opinion, one of the best writers we have in the United States. Personally, I think he is undervalued because so many of his books are "crime novels." This is the 5th in the Leonid McGill series about a complex and somewhat enigmatic private detective, former thug, still viewed with suspicion by the NYPD. Leonid bears the name of a former Soviet leader because his father was an unabashed member of the American Communist Party. In this book, Leonid learns that his son, Twill, who is now working in his detective agency, is out on his own without consulting him and has placed himself in a very dangerous place. At the same time, Leonid is on a job in Philly and meets up with a beautiful but very dangerous woman with whom he begins a passionate affair. In the meantime, his wife is in a private hospital after having committed suicide. He feels guilty because he doesn't love her, but still cares for her. He loves Aura, the woman who manages the building where he rents his office. However, they haven't seen one another for a while, and he misses her. He soon learns that Twill is up to his neck in a secret group dominated by a Fagin-like character who calls himself Jones and and employs a group of young people who commit an incredible number of crimes every year. To complicate things even further, a man who had requested his help with a case is found murdered. It doesn't take long for him to learn that there is far more to this than he realized. Leonid isn't a hero. He is willing to blackmail anyone who he thinks deserves it. He doesn't want to kill, but will do so when he must. This is such an interesting and complex character. If you haven't read any of them, start at the beginning. Walter Mosley is worth savoring.