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Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large
A Vintage Shorts “Short Story Month” Selection
Young journalism student Felix Orlean is in over his head. Against his better judgment, he is temporarily under the employ of the mad yet charismatic anarchist detective Archibald Lawless, a witness to murder, and under investigation for the theft of millions of dollars in red diamonds. Caught in an impossible predicament, Orlean plunges into an underworld populated by shady denizens. With Lawless, he unravels a big-money conspiracy involving cold-blooded assassination, hide-away real estate in Manhattan, a network of international criminals, a lethal siren named Lana Drexel, and the richest man in Canada.
A brilliant, absurdist novella and a biting work of political commentary, Walter Mosley’s “Archibald Lawless” is a masterpiece of contemporary American crime fiction.
An ebook short.
Young journalism student Felix Orlean is in over his head. Against his better judgment, he is temporarily under the employ of the mad yet charismatic anarchist detective Archibald Lawless, a witness to murder, and under investigation for the theft of millions of dollars in red diamonds. Caught in an impossible predicament, Orlean plunges into an underworld populated by shady denizens. With Lawless, he unravels a big-money conspiracy involving cold-blooded assassination, hide-away real estate in Manhattan, a network of international criminals, a lethal siren named Lana Drexel, and the richest man in Canada.
A brilliant, absurdist novella and a biting work of political commentary, Walter Mosley’s “Archibald Lawless” is a masterpiece of contemporary American crime fiction.
An ebook short.
112 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2016
80 people are currently reading
153 people want to read
About the author
Walter Mosley
202 books3,888 followersWalter 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.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 24, 2022
I’ve never read Walter Mosley before, although I’ve been meaning to – it’s just that he’s one of those authors who is prolific and successful enough that I don’t feel any sense of urgency because at least some of his stuff is always in print. Also, with that many books to choose from, it’s hard to know where to start. So when Warren Ellis recommended this novella in his newsletter, I figured it was as good a starting point as any. It’s also something of an outlier in his portfolio – Archibald Lawless was a minor character in Mosley’s Trouble Is What I Do, but one Mosley apparently found interesting enough to devote a standalone story for.
That said, the central narrator is Felix Orlean, a New York journalism student in need of a job to cover his rent. He answers an ad in the paper for a “scribe” and meets Archibald Lawless, who is indeed an Anarchist At Large, a radical detective who “walks the line between chaos and the man”. Which more or less means he seeks justice in America’s corrupt capitalist system that exploits the weak to enrich the corrupt and powerful. Felix’s initial duties involve reading the newspapers, organizing Lawless’ archive and tracking down four people to make sure they are where they’re supposed to be. One ends up killed and Felix is the suspect.
It sounds a fairly straightforward set-up, but it’s actually a lot weirder than that. Apart from being a riff on the Holmes/Watson template, the story has a surreal quality to it. Lawless is arguably insane, but he’s well connected, there’s always a car or boat waiting for him to take him where he needs to go, and as the story goes on it becomes more clear that at as mad as he is, he’s not living in a delusional fantasy world either. It’s an odd, complex little book with a mysteriously compelling title character, and apart from a couple of tangents that seem gratuitous, I enjoyed reading it. Mosley is definitely going to find his way on my “to read” list again.
That said, the central narrator is Felix Orlean, a New York journalism student in need of a job to cover his rent. He answers an ad in the paper for a “scribe” and meets Archibald Lawless, who is indeed an Anarchist At Large, a radical detective who “walks the line between chaos and the man”. Which more or less means he seeks justice in America’s corrupt capitalist system that exploits the weak to enrich the corrupt and powerful. Felix’s initial duties involve reading the newspapers, organizing Lawless’ archive and tracking down four people to make sure they are where they’re supposed to be. One ends up killed and Felix is the suspect.
It sounds a fairly straightforward set-up, but it’s actually a lot weirder than that. Apart from being a riff on the Holmes/Watson template, the story has a surreal quality to it. Lawless is arguably insane, but he’s well connected, there’s always a car or boat waiting for him to take him where he needs to go, and as the story goes on it becomes more clear that at as mad as he is, he’s not living in a delusional fantasy world either. It’s an odd, complex little book with a mysteriously compelling title character, and apart from a couple of tangents that seem gratuitous, I enjoyed reading it. Mosley is definitely going to find his way on my “to read” list again.
May 16, 2022
This was a recommendation in one of Warren Ellis's newsletters. Never read anything of Walter Mosley's, but Archibald Lawless would be a great character name even if the character didn't live up to it. In this novella, he does. And, definitely feels like the sort of thing Warren Ellis would recommend.
February 1, 2019
A novella in which a young journalism student is employed by an extraordinary character in Lawless, and is drawn into meeting a strange set of characters and events - the shape of the story only becomes clear at the end
March 11, 2018
This is more lie a novella or the beginning of a book. As always, Mosely has so many interesting characters. The main man, Archibald Lawless is a mystery. He is feared, respected and also has some human shortcomings. A man who quite literally has probably seen everything under the sun about humanity and the human condition. Very good short read.
April 7, 2023
“I walk the line between chaos and the man.”
Like several other reviewers, I had never ready Walter Mosley. I picked up the novella Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large based on a recommendation from Warren Ellis. I was aware of Mosley by cultural osmosis, having heard about books like Devil in a Blue Dress and Trouble Is What I Do. I'm not sure how representative this short work is of Mosley's oeuvre, but it's an intriguing little mystery regardless.
The story is a take on the classic Holmes/Watson dynamic. The narrator, Felix, plays the role of Watson to Archibald Lawless' Holmes. Felix is a bewildered young man caught up in the wild web of intrigue surrounding Lawless. I often felt just as confused as Felix about what was going on, who all the characters were, and why things were happening. For such a short work, there's a lot going on and Lawless makes some leaps to get from story beat to story beat.
Archibald Lawless is, as the title suggests, an anarchist. He offers a description of that role late in the story.
I still think he’s crazy but I’ve learned that doesn’t always mean he’s wrong.
At times, I wasn't really sure why Lawless and Felix were interacting with the people they met. New characters seem to be introduced as if the reader should already know them. I would recommend reading this as quickly as possible. I think stretching it over multiple sessions across a couple weeks hurt my comprehension, since I forgot details from the first half by the time I got to the rush of the second half.
All that to say, I still very much enjoyed the ride. I don't think the story is meant to be all that deep. Mosley just wants to take the reader through a breakneck tale with an eccentric character. Lawless is a magnetic enough character to carry the novella. I'm not sure he's suited to lead a full length novel, but then Holmes was mostly contained to short stories, too. Given Mosley's prolific publication pace, and seeing how this was published back in 2016 (seven years ago at this point), and there has been no follow-up, I don't think Lawless will make a return, though.
“I’m the last honest man, an eastern cowboy. And you, Mr. Orlean, you are a young man trying to make something of himself. Your father’s a rich man but you pay your own way. He wanted you to become a lawyer, I bet, and you turned your back on him in order to be your own man. That’s half the way to me, Felix. Why not see what more there is?”
Like several other reviewers, I had never ready Walter Mosley. I picked up the novella Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large based on a recommendation from Warren Ellis. I was aware of Mosley by cultural osmosis, having heard about books like Devil in a Blue Dress and Trouble Is What I Do. I'm not sure how representative this short work is of Mosley's oeuvre, but it's an intriguing little mystery regardless.
The story is a take on the classic Holmes/Watson dynamic. The narrator, Felix, plays the role of Watson to Archibald Lawless' Holmes. Felix is a bewildered young man caught up in the wild web of intrigue surrounding Lawless. I often felt just as confused as Felix about what was going on, who all the characters were, and why things were happening. For such a short work, there's a lot going on and Lawless makes some leaps to get from story beat to story beat.
Archibald Lawless is, as the title suggests, an anarchist. He offers a description of that role late in the story.
“I am, everyone is, a potential sovereignty, a nation upon my own. I am responsible for every action taken in my name and for every step that I take—or that I don’t take. When you get to the place that you can see yourself as a completely autonomous, self-governing entity then everything will come to you; everything that you will need.”Lawless certainly lives up to that creed and his surname.
I still think he’s crazy but I’ve learned that doesn’t always mean he’s wrong.
At times, I wasn't really sure why Lawless and Felix were interacting with the people they met. New characters seem to be introduced as if the reader should already know them. I would recommend reading this as quickly as possible. I think stretching it over multiple sessions across a couple weeks hurt my comprehension, since I forgot details from the first half by the time I got to the rush of the second half.
All that to say, I still very much enjoyed the ride. I don't think the story is meant to be all that deep. Mosley just wants to take the reader through a breakneck tale with an eccentric character. Lawless is a magnetic enough character to carry the novella. I'm not sure he's suited to lead a full length novel, but then Holmes was mostly contained to short stories, too. Given Mosley's prolific publication pace, and seeing how this was published back in 2016 (seven years ago at this point), and there has been no follow-up, I don't think Lawless will make a return, though.
“I’m the last honest man, an eastern cowboy. And you, Mr. Orlean, you are a young man trying to make something of himself. Your father’s a rich man but you pay your own way. He wanted you to become a lawyer, I bet, and you turned your back on him in order to be your own man. That’s half the way to me, Felix. Why not see what more there is?”
April 1, 2023
I’m an avid fan of Walter Mosley’s crime fiction novels. I love the way he crafts his characters - flawed with some sense of justice and humanity in a world filled with crazy twists and turns. Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large fits the mold seamlessly.
So, let’s meet Felix Orlean, a journalism student at Columbia University originally from New Orleans whose interest has been piqued by an ad for a “scribe” to work with “A. LAWLESS IN THE TESSLA BUILDING.” When he appears to meet Archibald Lawless at ten to six in the morning, he has no idea what he was getting into because Archibald seemed like an oddball. Nevertheless, Felix’s curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to try out the gig.
Archibald gives Felix a piece of paper to check up on a list of people to make sure they are fine. But when Felix starts doing so, some of them start asking lots of questions and he even witnesses one of them die from an alleged heart attack. But then he gets arrested on suspicion of murder and then sprung by a police captain who knows Archibald. Felix is still perplexed and trying to understand what is going on. Eventually, it’s all about stolen diamonds, suspects, and assassins.
Overall, this was a quick and intriguing read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, especially the quirks blended in with the intellect of Archibald (some may even call him crazy). He’s a man of many talents, wielding and dealing with high class and some seedy folks amidst a political background which makes you question whether he’s a good or bad guy. There were a lot of twists and turns and although Felix felt uneasy and wanted to quit, he couldn’t resist staying on the gig just to see Archibald get his Aunt Alberta out of jail. There is so much more I would love to see happen in this novella but it has potential to explore the characters in another novel.
A must-read. Two thumbs up!
Some of my favorite lines:
“What do you mean?” I asked. “You don’t expect that I’m going to come work for you after what I’ve been through.”
“Sure I do.”
“Why?”
“Because of your aunt, of course. You’ll agree to work for me for a specified amount of time and I will agree to do what your father refused to do, free your aunt from jail.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose up then. I hadn’t even considered this option until the middle of the night before. My face must have exposed my surprise.
“I need you, Felix,” Lawless said. “You complete a faulty circuit in my head. You give me the three years that your aunt has left on her sentence and I will make sure that she’s out of the joint by Sunday next.”
So, let’s meet Felix Orlean, a journalism student at Columbia University originally from New Orleans whose interest has been piqued by an ad for a “scribe” to work with “A. LAWLESS IN THE TESSLA BUILDING.” When he appears to meet Archibald Lawless at ten to six in the morning, he has no idea what he was getting into because Archibald seemed like an oddball. Nevertheless, Felix’s curiosity gets the better of him and he decides to try out the gig.
Archibald gives Felix a piece of paper to check up on a list of people to make sure they are fine. But when Felix starts doing so, some of them start asking lots of questions and he even witnesses one of them die from an alleged heart attack. But then he gets arrested on suspicion of murder and then sprung by a police captain who knows Archibald. Felix is still perplexed and trying to understand what is going on. Eventually, it’s all about stolen diamonds, suspects, and assassins.
Overall, this was a quick and intriguing read. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, especially the quirks blended in with the intellect of Archibald (some may even call him crazy). He’s a man of many talents, wielding and dealing with high class and some seedy folks amidst a political background which makes you question whether he’s a good or bad guy. There were a lot of twists and turns and although Felix felt uneasy and wanted to quit, he couldn’t resist staying on the gig just to see Archibald get his Aunt Alberta out of jail. There is so much more I would love to see happen in this novella but it has potential to explore the characters in another novel.
A must-read. Two thumbs up!
Some of my favorite lines:
“What do you mean?” I asked. “You don’t expect that I’m going to come work for you after what I’ve been through.”
“Sure I do.”
“Why?”
“Because of your aunt, of course. You’ll agree to work for me for a specified amount of time and I will agree to do what your father refused to do, free your aunt from jail.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose up then. I hadn’t even considered this option until the middle of the night before. My face must have exposed my surprise.
“I need you, Felix,” Lawless said. “You complete a faulty circuit in my head. You give me the three years that your aunt has left on her sentence and I will make sure that she’s out of the joint by Sunday next.”
January 14, 2023
Fun little romp by Mosley - I wish he would write more about these characters. Ebook novella, set in NYC, with one main character from NOLA.
Slightly confusing, paranoid, humorous, and left wing.
OK, maybe the ending of "Why?" feels a bit produced from the wings, but there is anough other action going on, and the answer of "Who?" is well answered by the end.
Called "absurd" by some blurb writers, that is a bit of a push. But all in all just a little nutsy enough to be a fun read, at about 90 quick-to-read pages over an evening.
4 out of 5.
Slightly confusing, paranoid, humorous, and left wing.
OK, maybe the ending of "Why?" feels a bit produced from the wings, but there is anough other action going on, and the answer of "Who?" is well answered by the end.
Called "absurd" by some blurb writers, that is a bit of a push. But all in all just a little nutsy enough to be a fun read, at about 90 quick-to-read pages over an evening.
4 out of 5.
December 3, 2020
Man, this guy can write!
You can tell Walter Mosley had fun writing “Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large.” It’s a crime drama bursting with originality and playfulness. The title character is a peculiar and unique variation on the PI archetype, and he is reluctantly assisted by the story’s narrator, a wide-eyed college kid. The plot seems almost secondary to the development of Lawless as a character, but there is a measure of suspense, as well as some action, along the way.
You can tell Walter Mosley had fun writing “Archibald Lawless, Anarchist at Large.” It’s a crime drama bursting with originality and playfulness. The title character is a peculiar and unique variation on the PI archetype, and he is reluctantly assisted by the story’s narrator, a wide-eyed college kid. The plot seems almost secondary to the development of Lawless as a character, but there is a measure of suspense, as well as some action, along the way.
June 12, 2018
Excellent Read
Archibald Lawless is another great over the top Mosley character! He walks a fine line between good and bad, wild and tame, & sane and insane. Felix is up for a life lesson that doesn't allow failure.
Archibald Lawless is another great over the top Mosley character! He walks a fine line between good and bad, wild and tame, & sane and insane. Felix is up for a life lesson that doesn't allow failure.
August 21, 2022
Interesting world, meaningful setup, one dimensional characters and "lets just magically solve the whole thing" conclusion. I'm guessing it was a test run for a new series and it didn't seem to go further than that.
August 21, 2025
This one by Walter Mosley stands out for differing in style from his works I've read so far. I loved its nutty but serious morality, absurdist humor, thrilling derring-do, coming of age theme, and scenes set in NYC.
December 25, 2017
A great intro to a very intriguing character
I hope this was Mosley's way of trying out a character he plans to expand on. I would definitely read a series of Lawless novels.
I hope this was Mosley's way of trying out a character he plans to expand on. I would definitely read a series of Lawless novels.
October 20, 2018
Worth it!
Mr. Mosley has a real gift of putting together teams. Jones and Minton, Easy and Mouse and Archie and Felix are two more!
Mr. Mosley has a real gift of putting together teams. Jones and Minton, Easy and Mouse and Archie and Felix are two more!
June 25, 2022
Who is Archibald Lawless? This short does not really tell you, but he has his own unique way of investigating and getting to the bottom of this mystery. A lead in to the other works of Mosley.
August 1, 2016
A short from prolific Walter Mosley.
Quite bluntly, there's nothing I can add to this blurb at the bottom of the synopsis: "A brilliant, absurdist novella and a biting work of political commentary".
It's exactly that. Archibald is utterly charming. Nearly mystic.
Actually now that I think of it, he reminds me of Agent Pendergast from the phenomenal series by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston. He too is brilliant, a bit mystic and often charming. Yet they are night and day different.
If there isn't already a series based on Archibald, there needs to be one. Right Now. Better yet, last year so I can read it now.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this free copy in exchange for my honest review.
Quite bluntly, there's nothing I can add to this blurb at the bottom of the synopsis: "A brilliant, absurdist novella and a biting work of political commentary".
It's exactly that. Archibald is utterly charming. Nearly mystic.
Actually now that I think of it, he reminds me of Agent Pendergast from the phenomenal series by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston. He too is brilliant, a bit mystic and often charming. Yet they are night and day different.
If there isn't already a series based on Archibald, there needs to be one. Right Now. Better yet, last year so I can read it now.
Thank you to the publisher for providing this free copy in exchange for my honest review.
July 9, 2016
When I saw this in the Kindle store for $.99 I couldn't pass it up. I'm glad I didn't. The young Felix Orlean, journalism student, gets schooled in the true ways of the world by Archibald Lawless when he answers a want ad for a "scribe."
If you like a conspiracy theory, give this one a read.
If you like a conspiracy theory, give this one a read.
July 22, 2016
Need more Felix Orlean
Another interesting white knuckle ride from Mr Mosley. His characters are thinkers which I find refreshing. Hope to find more Felix Orlean stories down the road.
Another interesting white knuckle ride from Mr Mosley. His characters are thinkers which I find refreshing. Hope to find more Felix Orlean stories down the road.
August 18, 2016
Hard to follow at times, the ending - and thus looming impression that more will follow - is better than the overall story itself. Still Mosley has a way of doing things with characters that earns his generous and multi-generational praise.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews